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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 160, page id 778263916:0176
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Morat Relation.
omnClub. He must Be oFa strange, and unusual Constitution, irho can
content himselt, to live in constant Diserace and Ditrepute w ith his omn
particular Socierr. Solitude mans Men hare soughe, and been reconciled
to: Buc no Bodr, chat has the lealt Phoustus, or Sense ol a Nan about
him, can live in Society, under the constane Distitre, and ill Opinion ot
his Familiars, and chole he converses rith. This is a Burthen to0 heavy
For humane Sufterance: And he must De made up ot irreconcileable
Contradictions, wrho can takce Plealure in Companr, ard ret be insensiblo
ot Contempt and Disgrace trom his Companions.
6. F3. These Three Fhen, First, THCLaW OFGOd. Secondly, thCL aW
OF politick Socieries. Thirdly, the LaW oFFaction, or privare Cenlure,
arethole, to which Nen varioussy compare their Actions: And ris by
their Conformity to onc ofthese LaWrs, that ther tale their meatures
when thes vould judse of their Moral Rectitude, and denominate ehcir
ACtions gooc or bad.
5. F4. Whether che Rule, co wtrich, as to a Touch- Rone, We brino our
voluntary actions, to examine themby, and eri their Coodnels, andaccor.
dingly to name them; Which is, as it ivere, the Mark of the value re fer
uxon them. Whether, ICay, re talre that Rule trom the Fastrion of the
Connter, or the Will oF a Law-mater, the Mind is casily able to oblerve
the Relation auy Action hath eo itiand to judse, whecher ehe ACtion aGrCCS,
or dilaorees ith ehre Rule; and so hach a Notion oF Moral Coodness or
Fvil, Wrhich is cither Contormitr, or not Contormity ot any Action to
that Rule: And cherelore, is olten called Moral Rectitude. This Kule
beins nothins bur a Collection of several simple Ideas, the Conformity
chereto is bur (0 orderins the Action, char the simple Ideas, belongire t0
it, may correlpond rothole, Wtieh the Lau requires. And ehus we sec
ho Moral Beines and Notions, are founded on, and terminated in thele
Simple Ldeas, We hare receired trom sensation or Reflection, belides Wwhict,
re hare nothine at all in our Onderstandings, to emplor our ThouxHES
about. FOr Fxample, let us consider the complex idea, re lignitiebr che
Word Nurther; and wrhen ire have taken it alunder, and examined ail the
Particulars, We Mall Aind them to amount to a Collection of Cimple Ideas,
derired trom Reflection or Senlation, viz. First, From Rellection on the
Operations oFouromn Minds, re have the Ldeas of Willine. Considerine,
Purposins belore hand, Malice, or Wistrins III to another; and aII0 oF
Lite, or Perception, and SclF.motion. Secondlr, FromSenlation, e have
the Collection oFthe simple sensible Ldeas oF a Nan, and oF Pome ACtiOn,
Wvhereby re put an end to chat Perception, and Morion in the MTan; 2II
Which simple Ldeas, are comprehended in the Word Murcher. Fhis
Collection oF simple Ideas, Beins found by me to aoree or disagree, Wirir
the F.Scem oF the Counery Thare been bred in; and to be held by most
Menthere, orthy Praise, orBlame, Pcall the Action vertuous or virious:
IEThare the Will of a supreme, invisible LaW. matier for my Rule; chen,
a5 Ilupposed the Action commanded, or Forbidden by Crod, Icall it Gi00d
Or Evil, Sin or Dutr: and il L compare it to civil Larr, the Rule mare
by che Legillatire ot the Counerr, ICaIL it lavtul, or unlantul, a Crime,
Or no Crime. So that Whenceloever, e tatre the Rule oF Moral ACtiONS;
Or By What Scandard soever, we trame in ourMinds the Ldeas OF Vertues or
Vices, cher consist ontr, and are made up of Collections ot simple Ideas,
erhich re originalls receired trom sense or Relection; and cheir Recti-
tude or Obliquier, consilts in the Aereement or Dilagreement, Writh thole
Patterns preleribed by lome L arV.
5. 15. Lo conceire a Rieht or Moral Actions, We must talie notice ot
them,