Book I. however got, will ferve to fet confcience on work, which is nothing else but our own opinion or judgment of the moral rectitude or pravity of our own actions. And if confcience be a proof of innate principles, contraries may be innate principles; fince fome men, with the fame bent of conscience, profecute what others avoid.

Inftances of enormities practifed without re

morfe.

с

b

a

§ 9. BUT I cannot fee how any men fhould ever tranfgrefs those moral rules with confidence and ferenity, were they innate, and stamped upon their minds. View but an army at the facking of a town, and fee what observation; or sense of moral principles, or what touch of conscience for all the outrages they do. Robberies, murders, rapes, are the fports of men fet at liberty from punishment and cenfure. Have there not been whole nations, and those of the most civilized people, amongst whom the expofing their children, and leaving them in the fields to perish by want or wild beasts, has been the practice, as little condemned or fcrupled as the begetting them? Do they not still, in fome countries, put them into the fame graves with their mothers, if they die in child-birth; or dispatch them, if a pretended aftrologer declares them to have unhappy ftars? and are there not places where, at a certain age, they kill or expofe their parents without any remorfe at all? In a part of Afia the fick, when their cafe comes to be thought defperate, are carried out, and laid on the earth before they are dead, and left there, expofed to wind and weather, to perish without affiftance or pity. It is familiar among the Mingrelians, a people profeffing Chriftianity, to bury their children alive without fcruple. There are places where they eat their own children. The Caribbes were wont to geld their children, on purpose to fat and eat them. And Garcilaffo de la Vega tells us of a people in Peru, which were wont to fat and eat the children they got on their female captives, whom they kept as concubines for that purpose; and when they were paft breeding, the mothers themselves were killed too and eaten. The virtues whereby the Tououpinambos believed they merited paradife, were revenge, and eating abundance of their enemies. They have not so much as a name for God, and have no religion, no worship. The faints, who are canonized amongst the Turks, lead lives, which one cannot with modesty A remarkable paffage to this purpose, out of the voyage of Baumgarten, which is a book not every day to be met with, I fhall fet down at large in the language it is publifhed in: "Ibi (fc. prope Belbes in Ægypto) "vidimus fanctum unum Saracenicum inter arenarum cumulos, ita ut ex utero matris.prodiit nudum fedentem. Mos eft, ut didicimus, Mahometiftis, ut eos qui amentes & fine ratione funt, pro fanctis colant & venerentur. Infuper "et eos qui cum diu vitam egerint inquinatiffimam,, voluntariam demum pœnitentiam & paupertatem, fanctitate venerandos deputant. Ejufmodi "verò genus hominum libertatem quandam effrænem habent, domos quas "volunt intrandi, edendi, bibendi, & quod majus eft, concumbendi GC quo concubitu, fi proles fecuta fuerit, fancta fimiliter habetur. His ergo

relate.

·6.6.

d

a Gruber apud Thevenot, part iv. p. 13.

• Voffius de Nili origine, c. 18, 19.

• Hift. des Incas, 1. i. c. 12..

III.

"hominibus, dum vivunt, magnos exhibent honores; mortuis verò vel tem- CHA P. "pla vel monumenta extruunt ampliffima, eofq; contingere ac fepelire maximæ fortunæ ducunt loco. Audivimus hæc dicta & dicenda per interpretem "à Mucrelo noftro. Infuper fanctum illum, quem eo loci vidimus, publi"citus apprimè commendari, eum effe hominem fan&tum, divinum ac inte"gritate præcipuum; eo quod, nec fœminarum unquam effet, nec puerorum, "fed tantum modo afellarum concubitor atque mularum." Peregr. Baumgarten, 1. 2. c. I. p. 73. More of the fame kind, concerning thofe precious faints of the Turks, may be seen in Pietro della Valle, in his letter of the 25th of January, 1616. Where then are those innate principles of juftice, piety, gratitude, equity, chastity? Or where is that univerfal confent, that affurès us there are fuch inbred rules? Murders in duels, when fashion has made them honourable, are committed without remorfe of confcience; nay, in many places, innocence in this cafe is the greatest ignominy. And if we look abroad, to take a view of men, as they are, we fhall find that. they have remorse in one place for doing or omitting that, which others, in another place, think they merit by.

feveral moral

§ 10. HE that will carefully peruse the hiftory of mankind, and look. Men have abroad into the several tribes of men, and with indifference furvey their ac- contrary practical tions, will be able to fatisfy himself, that there is fcarce that principle of mo- principles.. rality to be named, or rule of virtue to be thought on (thofe only excepted,. that are abfolutely neceffary to hold fociety together, which commonly too are neglected betwixt diftinct societies) which is not, fomewhere or other,. flighted and condemned by the general fashion of whole focieties of men,, governed by practical opinions, and rules of living, quite oppofite to others. S11. HERE perhaps it will be objected, that it is no argument that the Whole narule is not known, because it is broken. I grant the objection good, where. tions reject men, though they tranfgrefs, yet difown not the law; where fear of fhame, rules. cenfure or punishment carries the mark of fome awe it has upon them. But it is impoffible to conceive, that a whole nation of men fhould all publickly reject and renounce what every one of them, certainly and infallibly, knew to be a law; for fo they muft, who have it naturally imprinted on their minds. It is poffible men may fometimes own rules of morality, which in their private thoughts they do not believe to be true, only to keep themselves in reputation and esteem amongst those who are perfuaded of their obligation, But it is not to be imagined that a whole fociety of men fhould publickly and profeffedly disown, and caft off a rule, which they could not, in their own minds, but be infallibly certain was a law; nor be ignorant that all men they should have to do with, knew it to be fuch: and therefore must every one of them apprehend from others all the contempt and abhorrence due to one, who profeffes himself void of humanity; and one, who confounding the known and natural measures of right and wrong, cannot but be looked on as the profeffed enemy of their peace and happiness.. Whatever practical principle is innate, cannot but be known to every one to be just and good. It is therefore little less than a contradiction to fuppofe, that whole nations of men should, both in their profeffions and practice, unanimously

and

Book I. and univerfally give the lye to what, by the most invincible evidence, every one of them knew to be true, right and good. This is enough to fatisfy us, that no practical rule, which is any where univerfally, and with public approbation or allowance tranfgreffed, can be fuppofed innate. But I have fomething farther to add, in anfwer to this objection.

..

§ 12. THE breaking of a rule, fay you, is no argument that it is unknown. I grant it but the generally allowed breach of it any where, I fay, is a proof that it is not innate. For example; let us take any of these rules, which being the most obvious deductions of human reason, and conformable to the natural inclination of the greateft part of men, fewest people have had the impudence to deny, or inconfideration to doubt of. If any can be thought to be naturally imprinted, none, I think, can have a fairer pretence to be innate than this; "parents, preferve and cherish your children. When therefore you fay, that this is an innate rule, what do you mean? either that it is an innate principle, which, upon all occafions, excites and directs the actions of men; or else that it is a truth, which all men have imprinted on their minds, and which therefore they know and affent to: but in neither of these fenfes is it innate. Firft, That it is not a principle, which influences all men's actions, is what I have proved by the examples before-cited; nor need we seek fo far as Mingrelia or Peru, to find inftances of such as neglect, abuse, nay and destroy their children; or look on it only as the more than brutality of fome favage and barbarous nations, when we remember that it was a familiar and uncondemned practice amongst the Greeks and Romans, to expose, without pity and remorse, their innocent infants. Secondly, That it is an innate truth, known to all men, is alfo falfe: For, " parents, preferve your children," is fo far from an innate truth, that it is no truth at all; it being a command, and not a propofition, and fo not capable of truth or falfhood. To make it capable of being affented to as true, it must be reduced to some fuch propofition as this; "it is the duty of parents to preserve their children." But what duty is, cannot be understood without a law; nor a law be known or fuppofed without a law-maker, or without reward and punishment: fo that it is impoflible that this, or any other practical principle, fhould be innate, that is, be imprinted on the mind as a duty, without fuppofing the ideas of God, of law, of obligation, of punishment, of a life after this, innate: For that punishment follows not, in this life, the breach of this rule, and confequently that it has not the force of a law in countries, where the generally allowed practice runs counter to it; is in itself evident. But thefe ideas which must be all of them innate, if any thing as a duty be fo) are fo far from being innate, that it is not every ftudious or thinking man, much less every one that is born, in whom they are to be found clear and distinct: and that one of them, which of all others feems most likely to be innate, is not fo, (I mean the idea of God) I think, in the next chapter, will appear very evident to any confidering man. $13. FROM what has been faid, I think we may fafely conclude, That whatever practical rule is, in any place, generally, and with allowance broken, cannot be supposed innate; it being impoffible that men should, without fhamę

III.

fhame or fear, confidently and ferenely break a rule, which they could not € HA P. but evidently know that God had fet up, and would certainly punish the breach of (which they muft, if it were innate), to a degree to make it a very ill bargain to the tranfgreffor. Without fuch a knowledge as this, a man can never be certain that any thing is his duty. Ignorance or doubt of the law, hopes to escape the knowledge or power of the law-maker, or the like, may make men give way to a prefent appetite: but let any one fee the fault, and the rod by it, and with the tranfgreffion a fire ready to punish it; a pleasure. tempting, and the hand of the Almighty vifibly held up, and prepared to take vengeance (for this must be the cafe where any duty is imprinted on the mind) and then tell me, whether it be poffible for people with fuch a profpect, fuch a certain knowledge as this, wantonly, and without fcruple, to offend against a law, which they carry about them in indelible characters, and that ftares them in the face whilst they are breaking it? whether men, at the fame time that they feel in themselves the imprinted edicts of an omnipotent law-giver, can, with affurance and gaiety, flight and trample under foot his moft facred injunctions? and lastly, whether it be poffible, that whilst a man thus openly bids defiance to this innate law and fupreme lawgiver, all the by-ftanders, yea even the governors and rulers of the people, full of the fame fenfe both of the law and law-maker, fhall filently connive, without teftifying their dislike, or laying the leaft blame on it? Principles of actions indeed there are lodged in men's appetites, but these are fo far from being innate moral principles, that if they were left to their full fwing, they would carry men to the over-turning of all morality. Moral Laws are fet as a curb and restraint to these exorbitant defires, which they cannot be but by rewards and punishments, that will over-ballance the fatisfaction any one fhall propose to himself in the breach of the law. If therefore any thing be imprinted on the minds of all men as a law, all men must have a certain and unavoidable knowledge, that certain and unavoidable punishment will attend the breach of it: for if men can be ignorant or doubtful of what is innate, innate principles are infifted on and urged to no purpose. Truth and certainty (the things pretended) are not at all fecured by them; but men are in the fame uncertain floating estate with, as without them. An evident indubitable knowledge of unavoidable punishment, great enough to make the tranfgreffion very uneligible, must accompany an innate law; unless with an innate law, they can fuppofe an innate gospel too. I would not here be mistaken, as if, because I deny an innate law, I thought there were none but pofitive laws. There is a great deal of difference between an innate law, and a law of nature; between fomething imprinted on our minds in the very original, and something that we being ignorant of may attain to the knowledge of, by the ufe and due application of our natural faculties. And I think they equally for fake the truth, who running into the contrary extremes, either affirm an innate law, or deny that there is a law knowable by the light of nature, that is, without the help of pofitive revelation. §14. THE difference there is amongst men in their practical principles, is fo evident, that, I think, I need fay no more to evince, that it will be im- maintain in

Thofe who

nate practical

principles, tell us not what they

are.

Book I. poffible to find any innate moral rules by this mark of general affent: and it is enough to make one fufpect, that the fuppofition of fuch innate principles, is but an opinion taken up at pleasure; fince those who talk fo confidently of them, are fo fparing to tell us which they are. This might with justice be expected from thofe men, who lay ftrefs upon this opinion: and it gives occafion to diftruft either their knowledge or charity, who declaring, that God has imprinted on the minds of men the foundations of knowledge, and the rules of living, are yet fo little favourable to the information of their neighbours, or the quiet of mankind, as not to point out to them which they are, in the variety men are distracted with. But, in truth, were there any fuch innate principles, there would be no need to teach them. Did men find fuch innate principles ftamped on their minds, they would eafily be able to distinguish them from other truths, that they afterwards learned and deduced from them; and there would be nothing more eafy than to know what, and how many they were. There could be no more doubt about their number, than there is about the number of our fingers; and it is like then, every system would be ready to give them us by tale. But fince no-body that I know has ventured yet to give a catalogue of them, they cannot blame those who doubt of thefe innate principles; fince even they who require men to believe that there are fuch innate propofitions, do not tell us what they are. It is easy to forefee, that if different men of different fects fhould go about to give us a lift of those innate practical principles, they would fet down only fuch as fuited their diftinct hypothefes, and were fit to fupport the doctrines of their particular schools or churches; a plain evidence that there are no fuch innate truths. Nay, a great part of men are so far from finding any fuch innate moral principles in themselves, that by denying freedom to mankind, and thereby making men no other than bare machines, they take away not only innate, but all moral rules whatsoever, and leave not a poffibility to believe any fuch, to those who cannot conceive how any thing can be capable of a law, that is not a free agent: and upon that ground they must neceffarily reject all principles of virtue, who cannot put morality and mechanifin together, which are not very easy to be reconciled, or made confiftent.

Lord Her

bert's innate principles examined.

S15. WHEN I had writ this, being informed that my lord Herbert had, in his books, "de Veritate," affigned these innate principles, I prefently confulted him, hoping to find, in a man of fo great parts, fomething that might fatisfy me in this point, and put an end to my enquiry. In his chapter "de Instinctu Naturali," p. 76, edit. 1656. I met with these fix marks of his Notitiæ Communes. 1. Prioritas. 2. Independentia. 3. Univerfalitas. 4. Cer❝titudo. 5. Neceffitas; i. e. as he explains it, "faciunt ad hominis confer"vationem." 6. Modus conformationis, i. e. "affenfus nullâ interpofitâ "morâ." And at the latter end of his little treatise, "De Religione Laici," he fays this of thefe innate principles, "Adeo ut non uniufcujufvis religionis con"finio arctentur quæ ubique vigent veritates. Sunt enim in ipfa mente cœlitus defcriptæ nullifque traditionibus, five fcriptis, five non fcriptis, ob"noxia." p. 3. And, " veritates noftræ catholicæ, quæ tanquam indubia