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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 20, page id 778263916:0036
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Vo innate practicat Principles.
casions, excites and directs the ACtions oFaH Nen: Or else, that it i5 a
Truth, Wrtrich al Men have imprinted on their Minds, and wtrich there.
Forether Hno, and alsene to. But in neither of thele Sences is it innare.
First, That it is nor a Principle, Which instuences all Mens ActiOns, 15,
Wrtrat Ihare proved by the Lxariples belore cited: Nor need Wve seck (0
Far es Minerelia or Peru, to And instances of such as neslest, abuse, nay
and destroy cheir Children; or look on it only as the more than Bruta-
lity of lorme Pavase and barbarous Nations, When e remember, that it
ras a familiar, and uncondemned Practiceamong(t the Grecks and Romans,
to expole, without piey or remorse, cheir innocene Intants. Secondly. Lhat
it is an innare Truth, knomn eo all Men, is als0 FalsC. FOr, Parents
preserve jour Children, is (otar trom an innate Fruth, that it is no Prurt
at all; it beins a Command, and noc a Propolition, and (o not capable ot
Truth or Falshood. T0 malie it capable oF beins assented t0 as truc, it
must be reduced to some such Propolition as this: It is the Ducy of Pa-
renes to preserve their Children. But What Duty is, cannot be understood
Without a Larr; nor a Larr be hnon, or supposed mithout a Lavalier,
or without Remard and Punistiment: So thac it is impossible, that chis,
or anr other practical Principle Phould be innate; i. e. De imprinced on
the Mind as a Duer, ithout supposins the Ideas oF Cod, oF LaWV, Ot
Obligation, of Punistiment, ola Lise alter this, innate. For that Punistr-
ment Follors not, in this Lise, the breach ol this Rule; and consequentlr,
that it has not the Force ot a Larr in Conneries, where the generally al.
lon d Practiceruns counter to it, is in it selE evident. But thele Ideas
Certrich mmust beall os them innato, il any thins as a Duts b0 (0) are (0
tar From being innate, that tis noc every ltudious or thinking Man, mucti
dels every one that is born, in irtrom they are to De Found clear and di-
stinct: And that one of them, wrhich ot all others scems most likcelr to
De innate, is nOt (0, (I mean thC Sdea of C0d) Pchink, in tho next Cha-
Pter, rill appear very evident to any considering Man.
9. 13. From What has been laid, I think wemar lasels concludo, That.
vhatever practical Rule is, in any Place, generally, and voith allovance broken,
cannot be sapposed innate, it beins impostible, that Men Mould, ithout
Strame or Fear, contidently and serenely break a Rule, irhich ther could
noc but evidenels bnor, that God had set up, and rould certainly pu-
nistr thebreach oF (Which chey must il it vere innate) to a degrec to malce
ic a very ill Barsain to the Fransgressor. Wichout such a Rnowledse as
this, a Man ean never becertain, chat ans thins is his Duty. Tenoranco
Or Doubt ot the Lar; hopes to escape the Rnomledse or Porver oF the
Tar-mater, or the like, may makie Men sire ray to a prelent Appetite:
But let ans onesee the Fault, and theRod by ic, and wich the Transorelli
On, a Pire ready eo punistr it; a Pleasure tempting, and the FTand oF ehO
Almioher visibly heldup, and prepared cotatie Vengeance EForthis must
be che Case, irhere any Duer is imprinted on the Mind) and then tolt.
me, Wrhether it De possible, for People, with tuch a Prospect, such a cer-
tain Rnowledse as this, rantonlr, and without scruple, to oftend asainst
a Ldr, erhich chey carry about ehem in indelible Characters, and that
Cares themin the Face, Wrhilst ther are brealcins it: Whecher Men, at
the same time that cher seel in themselres the imprinted Fdicts oF an
Omniporent LaWr-malcer, can, Wrich alturance and saitr, Aight and tram.
ple under Looc his most sacred Injunctions: And lastly, Whether it b0
Possible, that nhilt a Nan thus openty bids defrance to this innate LaW
and supreme Lar-siver, all the by-Randers; zea even the Governors and
Rulers OFche PeoplC, FuI of the same Sense, Voth ot the Law and LaV-
mater
BOC