BOOK I. what he himself commands," for an innate moral principle writ on the minds of all men (however true and certain it may be) fince it teaches fo little. Whofoever does fo, will have reafon to think hundreds of propofitions innate principles; fince there are many, which have as good a title as this, to be received for fuch, which nobody yet ever put into that rank of innate principles. § 19. NOR is the fourth propofition, (viz.) "men must repent of their fins," much more inftructive, till what those actions are, that are meant by fins, be fet down: for the word " peccata," or fins, being put, as it usually is, to fignify in general ill actions, that will draw on punishment upon the doers; what great principle of morality can that be, to tell us we should be forry, and cease to do that which will bring mischief upon us, without knowing what thofe particular actions are that will do fo? Indeed, this is a very true propofition, and fit to be inculcated on, and received by those who are supposed to have been taught what actions in all kinds are fins: but neither this nor the former can be imagined to be innate principles; nor to be of any ufe, if they were innate, unless the particular measures and bounds of all virtues and vices, were engraven in men's minds, and were innate principles alfo, which, I think, is very much to be doubted. And therefore, I imagine, it will scarce feem poffible, that God fhould engrave principles in men's minds, in words of uncertain fignification, fuch as virtues and fins, which, amongst different men, stand for different things: nay, it cannot be supposed to be in words at all, which, being in moft of these principles very general names, cannot be understood, but by knowing the particulars comprehended under them. And in the practical inftances, the measures must be taken from the knowledge of the actions themselves, and the rules of them abstracted from words, and antecedent to the knowledge of names ;: which rules a man must know, what language foever he chance to learn, whether English or Japan, or if he should learn no language at all, or never fhould understand the use of words, as happens in the cafe of dumb and deaf men. When it shall be made out, that men ignorant of words, or untaught by the laws and customs of their country, know that it is part of the worship of God, not to kill another man; not to know more women than one; not to procure abortion; not to expofe their children; not to take from another what is his, though we want it ourselves, but on the contrary, relieve and supply his wants; and whenever we have done the contrary, we ought to repent, be forry, and refolve to do so no more: when, I fay, all men fhould be proved actually to know, and allow all these and a thousand other fuch rules, all which come under these two general words made use of above, viz. "virtutes & peccata," virtues and fins, there will be more reafon for admitting thefe and the like for common notions, and practical principles. Yet after all, univerfal confent (were there any in moral principles) to truths, the knowledge whereof may be attained otherwise, would fcarce prove them to be innate; which is all I contend for. Obj. Innate principles may be corrupted, anfwered. § 20. NOR will it be of much moment here to offer that very ready, but not very material answer, (viz.) that the innate principles of morality, may, by education, and custom, and the general opinion of those, amongst whom we we converse, be darkened, and at last quite worn out of the minds of men. С н a p. Which affertion of theirs, if true, quite takes away the argument of univer- III. fal confent, by which this opinion of innate principles is endeavoured to be proved; unless those men will think it reasonable, that their private perfuafions, or that of their party, should pafs for univerfal confent; a thing not unfrequently done, when men, prefuming themselves to be the only masters of right reason, caft by the votes and opinions of the rest of mankind, as not worthy the reckoning. And then their argument ftands thus: "the principles which all mankind allow for true, are innate; thofe that men of right reafon admit, are the principles allowed by all mankind; we and "thofe of our mind are men of reafon; therefore we agreeing, our prin❝ciples are innate;" which is a very pretty way of arguing, and a short cut to infallibility. For otherwife it will be very hard to understand, how there be fome principles, which all men do acknowledge, and agree in; and yet there are none of those principles, which are not by depraved cuftom, and ill education, blotted out of the minds of many men; which is to say," that all men admit, but yet many men do deny, and diffent from them.' And indeed the fuppofition of fuch firft principles will ferve us to very little purpofe; and we shall be as much at a lofs with, as without them, if they may by any human power, fuch as is the will of our teachers, or opinions of our companions, be altered or loft in us: and notwithstanding all this boast of first principles, and innate light, we shall be as much in the dark and uncertainty, as if there were no fuch thing at all; it being all one to have no rule, and one that will warp any way; or, amongst various and contrary rules, not to know which is the right. But concerning innate principles, I defire these men to fay, whether they can, or cannot, by education and custom, be blurred and blotted out: if they cannot, we must find them in all mankind alike, and they must be clear in every body: and if they may fuffer variation from adventitious notions, we must then find them cleareft and moft perfpicuous, nearest the fountain, in children and illiterate people, who have received leaft impreffion from foreign opinions. Let them take which fide they please, they will certainly find it inconfiftent with visible matter of fact, and daily observation. the world. § 21. I eafily grant, that there are great numbers of opinions, which, by Contrary men of different countries, educations, and tempers, are received and em- principles in braced as first and unquestionable principles; many whereof, both for their abfurdity, as well as oppofitions to one another, it is impoffible fhould be true. But yet all thofe propofitions, how remote foever from reason, are fo facred fomewhere or other, that men even of good understanding in other matters, will fooner part with their lives, and whatever is dearest to them, than fuffer themselves to doubt, or others to queftion, the truth of them. $22. THIS, however strange it may feem, is that which every day's ex- How men perience confirms; and will not, perhaps, appear fo wonderful, if we con- commonly come by fider the ways and steps by which it is brought about; and how really it may their princicome to pass, that doctrines that have been derived from no better original ples. than E 2 Book I. than the fuperftition of a nurse, or the authority of an old woman, may, by length of time, and confent of neighbours, grow up to the dignity of principles in religion or morality. For fuch, who are careful (as they call it) to principle children well (and few there be who have not a fet of those principles for them, which they believe in) inftil into the unwary, and as yet unprejudiced understanding (for white paper receives any characters) thofe doctrines they would have them retain and profefs. These being taught them as foon as they have any apprehenfion; and ftill as they grow up, confirmed to them, either by the open profeffion, or tacit consent, of all they have to do with; or at leaft by thofe, of whose wisdom, knowledge and piety, they have an opinion, who never fuffer thefe propofitions to be otherwife mentioned, but as the bafis and foundation on which they build their religion and manners; come, by these means, to have the reputation of unqueftionable, felf-evident, and innate truths. $23. To which we may add, that when men, fo inftructed, are grown up, and reflect on their own minds, they cannot find any thing more ancient there than thofe opinions which were taught them before their memory began to keep a register of their actions, or date the time when any new thing appeared to them; and therefore make no fcruple to conclude, that thofe propofitions, of whofe knowledge they can find in themselves no original, were certainly the imprefs of God and nature upon their minds, and not taught them by any one else. These they entertain and submit to, as many do to their parents, with veneration; not because it is natural; nor do children do it, where they are not fo taught; but because, having been always fo educated, and having no remembrance of the beginning of this respect, they think it is natural. $24. THIS will appear very likely, and almoft unavoidable to come to pafs, if we confider the nature of mankind, and the conftitution of human affairs; wherein most men cannot live without employing their time in the daily labours of their callings; nor be at quiet in their minds without some foundation or principle to reft their thoughts on. There is scarce any one fo floating and fuperficial in his understanding, who hath not fome reverenced propofitions, which are to him the principles on which he bottoms his reafonings; and by which he judgeth of truth and falfhood, right and wrong: which fome, wanting skill and leisure, and others the inclination, and fome being taught, that they ought not to examine; there are few to be found who are not expofed by their ignorance, laziness, education, or precipitancy, to take them upon truft. § 25. THIS is evidently the case of all children and young folk; and cuftom, a greater power than nature, feldom failing to make them worship for divine what he hath inured them to bow their minds, and fubmit their understandings to; it is no wonder that grown men, either perplexed in the neceffary affairs of life, or hot in the purfuit of pleasures, fhould not seriously fit down to examine their own tenets; efpecially when one of their principles is, that principles ought not to be queftioned. And had men leifure, parts, and will, who is there almoft that dare shake the foundations of all his past thoughts III. thoughts and actions, and endure to bring upon himself the shame of having C HA P. § 26. It is eafy to imagine how by these means it comes to pafs, that men worship the idols that have been set up in their minds; grow fond of the notions they have been long acquainted with there; and stamp the characters of divinity upon abfurdities and errors, becoine zealous votaries to bulls and monkeys; and contend too, fight, and die in defence of their opinions: "Dum folos credit habendos effe deos, quos ipfe colit." For fince the reafoning faculties of the foul, which are almoft conftantly, though not always warily nor wifely, employed, would not know how to move, for want of a foundation and footing, in moft men; who through laziness or avocation do not, or for want of time, or true helps, or for other caufes, cannot penetrate into the principles of knowledge, and trace truth to its fountain and original; it is natural for them, and almost unavoidable, to take up with fome borrowed principles: which being reputed and prefumed to be the evident proofs of other things, are thought not to need any other proof themfelves. Whoever shall receive any of these into his mind, and entertain them. there, with the reverence ufually paid to principles, never venturing to examine them, but accuftoming himself to believe them, because they are to be believed, may take up from his education, and the fashions of his country, any abfurdity for innate principles; and by long poring on the fame objects, fo dim his fight, as to take monsters lodged in his own brain, for the images of the Deity, and the workmanship of his hands. amined. 27. By this progrefs, how many there are who arrive at principles, Principles which they believe innate, may be easily obferved, in the variety of oppofite must be exprinciples held and contended for by all forts and degrees of men. And he that fhall deny this to be the method, wherein moft men proceed to the affurance they have of the truth and evidence of their principles, will perhaps find it a hard matter any other way to account for the contrary tenets, which are firmly believed, confidently afferted, and which great numbers are ready at any time to feal with their blood. And, indeed, if it be the privilege of innate principles, to be received upon their own authority, without examination, I know not what may not be believed, or how any one's principles can be queftioned. If they may, and ought to be examined, and tried, I defire to know how first and innate principles can be tried; or at least it is reasonable to demand the marks and characters, whereby the genuine innate I principles |