Whatevermeritamanmayhavethoughttherewouldbeinmakinghimselfmiserable，nosuchnotionseemsevertohaveoccurredtoanyofthem，thatitmaybeamerit，muchlessaduty，tomakeothersmiserable:althoughitshouldseem，thatifacertainquantityofmiserywereathingsodesirable，itwouldnotmattermuchwhetheritwerebroughtbyeachmanuponhimself，orbyonemanuponanother。Itistrue，thatfromthesamesourcefromwhence，amongthereligionists，theattachmenttotheprincipleofasceticismtookitsrise，flowedotherdoctrinesandpractices，fromwhichmiseryinabundancewasproducedinonemanbytheinstrumentalityofanother:witnesstheholywars，andthepersecutionsforreligion。Butthepassionforproducingmiseryinthesecasesproceededuponsomespecialground:theexerciseofitwasconfinedtopersonsofparticulardescriptions:
theyweretormented，notasmen，butashereticsandinfidels。Tohaveinflictedthesamemiseriesontheirfellowbelieversandfellow-sectaries，wouldhavebeenasblameableintheeyesevenofthesereligionists，asinthoseofapartizanoftheprincipleofutility。Foramantogivehimselfacertainnumberofstripeswasindeedmeritorious:buttogivethesamenumberofstripestoanotherman，notconsenting，wouldhavebeenasin。Wereadofsaints，whoforthegoodoftheirsouls，andthemortificationoftheirbodies，havevoluntarilyyieldedthemselvesapreytovermin:butthoughmanypersonsofthisclasshavewieldedthereinsofempire，wereadofnonewhohavesetthemselvestowork，andmadelawsonpurpose，withaviewofstockingthebodypoliticwiththebreedofhighwaymen，housebreakers，orincendiaries。Ifatanytimetheyhavesufferedthenationtobepreyeduponbyswarmsofidlepensioners，oruselessplacemen，ithasratherbeenfromnegligenceandimbecility，thanfromanysettledplanforoppressingandplunderingofthepeople。Ifatanytimetheyhavesappedthesourcesofnationalwealth，bycrampingcommerce，anddrivingtheinhabitantsintoemigration，ithasbeenwithotherviews，andinpursuitofotherends。Iftheyhavedeclaimedagainstthepursuitofpleasure，andtheuseofwealth，theyhavecommonlystoppedatdeclamation:theyhavenot，likeLycurgus，madeexpressordinancesforthepurposeofbanishingthepreciousmetals。Iftheyhaveestablishedidlenessbyalaw，ithasbeennotbecauseidleness，themotherofviceandmisery，isitselfavirtue，butbecauseidlenesssaytheyistheroadtoholiness。Ifunderthenotionoffasting，theyhavejoinedintheplanofconfiningtheirsubjectstoadiet，thoughtbysometobeofthemostnourishingandprolificnature，ithasbeennotforthesakeofmakingthemtributariestothenationsbywhomthatdietwastobesupplied，butforthesakeofmanifestingtheirownpower，andexercisingtheobedienceofthepeople。Iftheyhaveestablished，orsufferedtobeestablished，punishmentsforthebreachofcelibacy，theyhavedonenomorethancomplywiththepetitionsofthosedeludedrigorists，who，dupestotheambitiousanddeep-laidpolicyoftheirrulers，firstlaidthemselvesunderthatidleobligationbyavow。
IX。Theprincipleofasceticismseemsoriginallytohavebeenthereverieofcertainhastyspeculators，whohavingperceived，orfancied，thatcertainpleasures，whenreapedincertaincircumstances，have，atthelongrun，beenattendedwithpainsmorethanequivalenttothem，tookoccasiontoquarrelwitheverythingthatoffereditselfunderthenameofpleasure。Havingthengotthusfar，andhavingforgotthepointwhichtheysetoutfrom，theypushedon，andwentsomuchfurtherastothinkitmeritorioustofallinlovewithpain。Eventhis，wesee，isatbottombuttheprincipleofutilitymisapplied。
X。Theprincipleofutilityiscapableofbeingconsistentlypursued；
anditisbuttautologytosay，thatthemoreconsistentlyitispursued，thebetteritmusteverbeforhuman-kind。Theprincipleofasceticismneverwas，norevercanbe，consistentlypursuedbyanylivingcreature。Letbutonetenthpartoftheinhabitantsofthisearthpursueitconsistently，andinaday\'stimetheywillhaveturneditintoahell。