Page:Whole works of joseph butler.djvu/230

199 superiority goes along with riches? It is no small part of it which arises out of riches themselves. In all governments, particularly in our own, a good share of civil authority accompanies them. Superior or natural understanding may, or may not; but when it does not, yet riches afford great opportunities for improvement, and may command information: which things together are equivalent to natural superiority of understanding.

But I am sure you will not think I have been reminding you of these advantages of riches, in order to beget in you that complacency and trust in them, which you find the Scripture everywhere warning you against. No: the importance of riches, this their power and influence, affords the most serious admonition in the world to those who are possessed of them. For it shows how very blameable even their carelessness in the use of that power and influence must be: since it must be blameable in a degree proportionate to the importance of what they are thus careless about.

But it is not only true, that the rich have the power of doing a great deal of good, and must be highly blameable for neglecting to do it; but it is moreover true, that this power is given them by way of trust, in order to their keeping down that vice and misery with which the lover people would otherwise be quite overrun. For without instruction and good influence, they, of course, grow rude and vicious, and reduce themselves to the utmost distresses, often to very terrible ones, without deserving much blame. And to these must be added their unavoidable distresses, which yet admit of relief. This their case plainly requires that some natural provision should be made for it; as the case of children does, who, if left to their own ways, would almost infallibly ruin themselves. Accordingly Providence has made provision for this case of the poor; not only by forming their minds peculiarly apt to be influenced by their superiors, and giving those superiors abilities to direct and relieve them,