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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 159, page id 778263916:0175
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Noral Relations.
is thoushe Praise worchr; and nochins elle bur that, whieh has the alloW
ance et publick Fleem, is Vertue. Vertue and Praise are (o united, chatther
arecalledosten by the lame Narrie. Sunt sua praemia L audi, Cays Virsil; and
SoCicero, nihil habet natura praestantius, quam Tonestatem, quam L. audem-
quam Dignitatem, quam Decus, Wrhrich he rells vou, aro all Names lor the
same thins, Tusc. l. 2. This is the Languase ot the FTcathen Philoso
phers, Wrho ell understood wherein their Notions oF Vertue and Vice
conlilted. And thoush, Perhaps, by the ditterent Temper, Fdlucation,
Fathion, Maxims. Or Interest ot difterent Pores ofMenit Fell out, thac ivhar
Was thoughe Praise. worthy in one Place, escaped not censure in another;
and so in ditterene Societies, Vertues and Vices ivere chansed: Vet a5 to
the Main, ther For themost part Kept the lame every wtere. For lincc
nothins ean be more natural, than to encourase rith Fltcem and Repu-
tation, thac wrherein evers one tinds his Advantase; and to blame
and discountenance the contrarr: tis no Wonder that Fsteem
and Discredie; Vertue and Vice, Mould in a great measure every wrtiere
correspond rith the unchranscable Rule os Rislt and Wrons. Which the
Ta oF Ciod hath establisted; there being nothing, that (o directlY, and
visibly secures, and adrances the general Cood of Mankind in this Worid,
25 Obedience to the Laws hc has set them, and nothins that breeds suctr
Mischiets and Contusion, asthe neslect of them. And cheretore Men,
without renouncins all Sense and Reason, andtheir omn Interest, Wrhich
they are (o constanel true to, could noc generall mistale, in placins
their Commendation and Blame on that lide, that really deserved it nor.
Nar, even those Men, Whole Practice as otherwile, ailed not to sive
their Approbation riglt, Ter beins depraved to chat Dogrec, as noc to
condemn, at lealt in others, the Faules ther chemselres eere suiler of.
Wrhereby even in the Corruption oF Manners, the true Boundaries oF the
the Lar ofNature, Which oushtto be the Rule of Vertue and Vicc, vere
pretty vell preserved. S0 that even the Exhortations of inspired Tca-
chers, hare not seared to appeal to common Repute. Whatsoever is love-
ly. Whatsoever is of e00d report, if there be any rertue, if there be any
praise, (55. Phil. 4. 8.
8. 12. IFany one Mall imagine, chat Phave forgot my omn Notion ol à
Lar, When Imalce the Lau, Whereby Nen judge of Vertue and Vice, 10
be nothins else, but the Consent ol prirate Men, Wrho have noc Autho-
rity enouoh to malce a Law: Especially wantins chat, Whichis lonecellary.
and essential to a LaWr, a Pover tointorce it: l chinkE, P may Pay, that he
Who imagines Commendation and Disgrace, not to be Arons Motires on
Men, to accommodate themselves to the Opinions and Rules ot those
rici whom ches converse, seems little slrilld’in the Nature, or Iistory oF
Mantcind, the greatest part whereot, he Mall find to sovern chemselres
chieAy, it nor solely, by chis TaWr ot Fachion; and so thes do that, Wrhrich
lcepsthem in Repuration ich cheir Companz, licele recard the Larrs ot
Cod, Or theMasiltrate. The Penalties, that attend the breach ot 60d5
Lars, Lome, nay, perhaps, most Men seldom scrioully reflect on: and a-
monss thole chiat do, mans wwhilathes break the Law, entertain Thoughis
Ot fucure reconciliation, and mattins their Peace For such Breaches: And
as tothe Punistiments, due trom the Laurs otthe C ommon. Wealch, chey tre-
quenely Aarter themselves rith chehopes ot Impunitr. But no Man scapes
the Punistiment ol cheir Censure and Distikce, ivlo obtends acainst Fhe F2-
Aion and Opinion of the Compans he lceps, and mould recommend
himseltto. Pdoris there one of ten thouland, whois stist and insensible
enoush, e0 bear up under ehe constant Dillilie, aud Condemnation ot his
OWI