BOOK II PART III
plied to divine laws, so far as the deity is con-
sidered as a legislator, and is supposed to in-
flict punishment and bestow rewards with a
design to produce obedience. But I also main-
tain, that even where he acts not in his magiste-
rial capacity, but is regarded as the avenger of
crimes merely on account of their odiousness
and deformity, not only it is impossible, with-
out the necessary connexion of cause and ef-
fect in human actions, that punishments coued
be inflicted compatible with justice and moral
equity; but also that it coued ever enter into
the thoughts of any reasonable being to in-
flict them. The constant and universal object
of hatred or anger is a person or creature en-
dowed with thought and consciousness; and
when any criminal or injurious actions excite
that passion, it is only by their relation to the
person or connexion with him. But according