An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, fol. 21
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The machine reads it as
- Wo innate practicat Princioles.
- matcer, Mould Silently connive, without restisy ins cheir distitce, or layine
- ehe least blame on it: Principles of Actions indced there are lodsed in
- Nens Appetites, but these are so far from beins innate Moral Principles.
- chat is cher vere lest to their Full Twins, chey would carry Men tO thO
- overeurniries ot alI Moralies. Moral Lars are let as a curo and rectraint
- tothese exorbitant Desires, Which ches cannor be bur by Rerrards and
- Punistimenes, that ill over-balance the latisfaction aur one MaII pro-
- pole tohimselF in the breach oE the Law. IF theretore an ctiins beim-
- princed on the Mind oF alI Ben as a LaWV, aIl Nen must have a cerrain
- and unaroidable bnomledse, thiac certain, and unavoidable punistiment
- Will atrend the breachiof it. For ifMen can be ionorant or doubetul ot
- Wrhac is innate, innare Principles are insicted on, and urs ed to no vurpole;
- Pruth and Gertainty (chethings pretended) are notat all secured by Fhem:
- ButNlen are in the lame uncertain, Aoatins estate with, as WithouF LHCM. AN
- evident indubitable bnomledse os unavoidable punistimene, erear enouol
- eomakse the transcrestion very unelisible, must accompany an innate
- LaW: Ontels ithaninnate Lar, they ean suppole an innate Gospel 100.
- Pould not be here mistateen, a5 il, because I deny an innate LaW, B
- thoughe there vere none but politire Laus. There is a greac deal oF
- difference etreen an innate P aiv, arid a LaWw oF Nature: Detrreen fome-
- thing imprinted on our Minds in cheir very original, and Comethins thaE
- e may attain eo the knowledge of, by our natural FaculrieS FrOM naLU-
- ral Principles. And Tchink chey equally Forsalce the Fruch, who run-
- nins intothe contrary extreams, cicher attirm an innare L aW, or deny chat
- there is a Larr, lnomable by che light oF Nature; i. e. Wichour the help
- oF positive Revelarion.
- 5. Fg. Thedisterence there is amoneAt Men in thoirpractical Principles,
- is soevident, chat, TThink, Ineed Cay no more toevince, chatit rill be imposi-
- sibleto ind anr innate Moral Rules, by chismark of generalallent: And tIS
- enoueh to make one suspect, thac the supposition ofluch innate Principles
- isbut an Opinion taken up at pleature; Tince those wtio talk (oconsidenelr
- OEthem, are (0 sparins to rell us, which theyare. This mighe with fultice
- De exrected troim thole Men, vlo lay Ctress uxon chis Opinion: and ir
- sires occasion to distrust cither their Rnomledee or Charies, Who decla-
- rine, Thac Cod hasimprinted on the Minds ot Men, the Foundations ot
- Rnomledse, and che Rules oF Livins, are vet (0 lieele Pavourable eo the
- Information oF cheir Neighbours, Or the Ouiet OF Mankind, aS ROEEO
- point out rothem, Wrhich ther are, in the varietr Men are distracted
- rith. Bur in truth, vere chereans such innate Principles, there rould
- Denoneed to teach them. Did Nen find such innate Propolitions cam
- ped on their Minds, ther ould casily be able to distinguim them from
- Other FrutHS, that eher altermards learned, and deduced Trom chem;
- and chere vould benothins more easie, than eo kno Wwhac, and ho man
- ty they vere. There couldbe nomore doube about their number, than
- thereis about the number oE our Fingers; and’eis litte then, erery system
- vould bereacy to sive themus by tale. Bur lince no body, that lkno.
- hasventured y et to sire a Catalosue oE Flem, they cannot blame thole
- rtro doube os these innate Principles; since even thes erho require Men
- to beliere chat there are such innate Provosirions, do not tellus What they
- 2r0. Fis calie ro Torelee, chat if diterent Nlen os different Sects ovId
- Se about ro rire us a List of tholeinnare prastical Principles, cher vould
- Tet donn oniy such as suited cheir distinet Hypocheles, and vere fIF 1O
- suppore the Doctrines oftheir particular Schools or Churches: A plain evi-
- dence, thac chere are no suchr innate Fruchs. Nay, 2 Great part oF Men arC
Cite
An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, fol. 21. Machine transcription, not an edition: Leibniz Legible (model FoNDUE-GD_v2_ft_Leibniz, run 74). https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0037?run=74