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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 15, page id 778263916:0031
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mud practicat Principles
HI A P.
No innate practical Principles.
S. T. YF thole speculatire Maxims, Whereot wediscoured in te Fore. BO
ing ChapEer, have nOt an actual universal assent trom aII Man
kind, as ve there proved, ic is much more visible concernine practicat
Principles, that ther come Bori of an univer sal Reception: and P’Think it
will be hard co instance anr one moral Rule, wtrich can pretend co (0
general and reacy an alsent as, What is, is, or eo be lo manifest a Truth as
this. That it is impossible for the same thing tobe, and not to be. Whereby
it is eridene, That chey are Partherremoved trom a ritlero be innate; and
ehe doube os their beine natire Impressions on che Mind, is Aronger a
sainst chese moral Principles than the other. NOL chat it brings their
Truch at all in question. They are equally true, thoushr not equally evi
dene. Thole speculatire Mlaxims carry cheir ovn Evidence wich ttiem.
Due moral Principles require Realonino and Discourle, and Lome Fxereile
ot the Mind, to discover the Certainer of cheir Truth. Ther lic noc
open as natural Characters ingraven on the Mind; wrtich il any such
avere, they ust necds be visible by themlelres, and by cheir ovn ligne
be certain and knOwn to ererr Bodr. Buc chis is no Derogation to cheir
Truthand Certainer, no more than it is tothe Fruth or Cerrainey oFthe
Three Anolesot a Prianole beins equal to tuo rixtut ones becaule it is not
Io erident as The whole is bieper than a parr;nor lo apt eobe asseneed eo ae
Airst hearino. Je may suttice, that chese morat Rules are capable et De-
onstration: and cheretore ic is our on Faults, iF WO COMO HOLIO a Cer-
tain Rnomledoe oF them. But che Tgnorance rherein many Men dre ot
them, and FhC NOnels OF alsent hereWitM OtHerS receire tHeMI, are
panifest Proots that they are not innate, and such as offer chemselves to
cheir riem without scarching.
5. 2. Whether there be any such morat Principles, Wrherein all Nen do
doree, Pappeal coanr, Who hare been bue moderatels convertant in the
Flistorr oF Mantind, and looled abroad beyond the Smoake of their own
Chimners. Where is thar practical Fruth, that is univertally received
wichourdoube or question, as ic must be it innare: Justice, and Keepins of
Contracts, is, thac Wrhich most Men seem to acree in. Thisis a Principle,
which is chouohe to extend it selF to the Dens ot Phieres, and ene TroOpS
OE RobberS; ard ther wrho have gone Parthest torvards the puttins otos
Flumanier ic selF, Kecp Faith and Rules ot Justice onc with anocher.
rant chat Outlas themlelres do this onc amonsst anocher: Duc tis, with.
Sut receivins chele asthe inNAFEL aWS OF Nature. THey practice chem as
Rules ot convenience wichin cheir oun Communities: But it is impossi-
ble to conceire, that he imbraces Tultice asa practical Principle, Who acts
fairiy rith his Fellon. Frigh. may. men, and at che same time plunders or
bills the next hones Man he meerswith. Jultice and Trutharechie com-
non ries oF Socieer; and cheretore, even Outlans and Villains, ho
breals with aIl thC W orId Besides, must keep Faith and Rules oF RguitY .
onost chenselves, or elle ther cannor hold togettier. Buc will any onc
PaY, Tharchole that live by Fraud and Rapine, have innare Principles of
Truch and fustice, prhichcher allo and alsent to:
9. 3. Pertaps it illbe ursed, That thetacit assent of their Minds a-
erees toWhat iheir Practice contradicts. Iansver, First, L have al ways
ChouxhE