otherwise than they do, which would already prove a very pernicious Consequence. For to think that all Outrages, Adulteries, Assassinates, Parricides, Sacriledges, killing ones Father and Children, and all manner of Impieties and Blafphemies against the Deity we acknowledge; to think, I say, that all these Crimes are not repugnant to our Duty, is so vicious a Proposition, as to make our Natural Light immediately rise in opposition against it.

Perhaps some will object, that it is a Prejudice of Education, which makes us esteem all these Actions as Crimes. But we answer that it is not a meer Prejudice of Education, because this Notion is founded upon several Principles which belong also to Nature,

I. It is established on the consent of Men of all Times and of all Places, who all unanimously agree in the Judgments they make of those Actions we have just now mentioned. Now 'tis true, (as has been already shewed,) that all Men perfectly agree in the Principles of Nature, but never in the Principles of Education; unless Education it self be grafted on Na

ture.

II. This Notion is founded upon the natural Order of publick Society; and the better to make it appear, I shall instance only these Two evident and undeniable Principles. First, That Men were naturally better adapted for Society than Brutes. Secondly, That Men being better adapted for Society than Brutes, they ought to be more govern'd by Reason than they, and not confound the mselves with them, and much degrade themselves beneath them, by so trange Irregularities. For if all this may pass for

for Truth, 'tis evident there is a Duty incumbent upon us, and confequently there is such a thing as Vertue which consists in the performance of that Duty.

III. It is founded upon the Natural Obligation we lie under to obey our Reason. For 'tis true that we have a Natural Light which preceeds our Education, and is very useful to make us perceive the Principles of the latter, without which we should be altogether incapable of any instruction whatever. It is certain also, that that Natural Light which we call Reason, does always dictate and perswade us to something or other. We are then either obliged to obey this Reason, or we are not; if we are not obliged to obey this Reason, it is useless to us, and we must needs become thereby uncapable of all Education and Discipline whatever. Nature was deceived in imparting it to us, and we must renounce both the Name and the Definition of Men. But if we are obliged to obey this Reason, there is then a Duty and a first Law which consists in following the Dictates of our Reason; and if there be such a Duty, 'tis good to perform, and evil on the contrary to neglect it, and confequently there is still a natural Distinction betwixt Good and Evil, far ancienter than Education, the Foundation of all Discipline, and the Principle of all Instruction.

IV. This Principle which establishes a real distinction betwixt Moral Good and Evil, is founded either on the right or ill use which Men must necessarily make of their Reason. They cannot all make a right use, nor all make an ill use of it, because some of them make quite a contrary use of it to what others do. For some make

ufe

use of their Reason meerly to fatisfy their Paffions, though at other Mens Costs. Others make use of the Light of their Reason, to give every one their due, against the biass of their Pafsions, which Two uses of Reason are diametrically opposite; and consequently if one of them be Good, the other must necessarily be Evil; and then who can doubt but that the good use is to be preferred before the bad one? And if we ought to make a right use of our Reason then it becomes a Duty; if it be a Duty, 'tis Vertue to perform, and Vice to neglect it; fo that there is a Distinction betwixt Moral Good and Evil, which evidently flows from the Principles of Nature.

V. But the more particularly to demonstrate this Truth, it will be needful here to Anatomize the Law of Nature, if I may so speak, which consists, First, In Self-Love. Secondly, In that we are endued with a Reason which is capable to direct us. Thirdly and Lastly, In the right use of that Reason, in ruling and directing that Self-Love which of it self is Blind and Ignorant.

Now all this is very natural; 'tis natural to love our Selves, 'tis natural to be endued with Reason, and it is natural to rule and direct that Self-Love by Reason.

I. 'Tis natural to love our Selves, because we cannot be sensible of any Joy or Pleasure, without loving ones self, which is the subject of it; nor likewise be sensible of any Misery and Affliction, without hating that Affliction and Miserv with respect to ones self that is sensible of it, ich is necessarily united to Self Love.

II. 'Tis

II. 'Tis natural to be endued with Reason,

which naturally assents to the truth of certain Principles that are the Rules of the Evidence and Certainty of all our Knowledge. Hence it is we call it the Natural Light.

III. Lastly, 'Tis natural likewise to obey this Reason, and the strength of this Law is founded upon the Principles of Self-Love; for because we love our Selves, we defire our own Preservation and Welfare ; and if we desire our Preservation and Welfare, we are glad when we find out such a Light as may lead us to either. Now this Light is nothing else but our Reason. We desire therefore to be Reasonable, by the very same Principle which makes us desire our Preservation and Welfare. Thus this first Law which obliges us to follow the Dictates of our Reason, derives its Original Force and first Motives from Self-Love, which of all Principles, is the most Natural, since it is the most Lawful and the most Innocent, when it is well directed.

And if we proceed after this, to examine all the other Principles of the Natural Law, we shall find it is composed of the surest Maxims of Reason, and the most innocent Affections of Self-Love.

This Natural Law principally confifts of Four Rules, viz. First, The Rule of Temperance. Secondly, The Rule of Natural Affection. Thirdly, The Rule of Justice. And Fourthly, The Rule of Gratitude: And each of these Rules is compofed of what is most pure in our Natural Light, and most innocent in Self

Love.

The

The First may be expressed by these Four Maxims. First, we ought to prefer a great Good before a Lesser. Secondly, We ought to fuffer a less Evil to avoid a greater. Thirdly, We ought to lose a less Good, to avoid a great Evil. Fourthly, we ought to suffer a little Evil, to obtain the possession of a great Good. In these are contained the Rules of Sobriety, of Temperance, of Patience, and of all other Vertues which engage us to fuffer, or abandon any thing in prospect of some good. And that we find in these Rules what is most natural in SelfLove, and most undeniable in the Maxims of Common Sense, is not very hard to prove. There is something in it precedent to Education, and we are apt to upbraid our selves by some Natural Instinct, when ever we neglect to perform those Natural Duties. We think our selves guilty of Voluptuousness, if we have preferred the pleasure of Intemperance before the real and solid good of our Preservation; of Cowardise, if we could not bear with a little Evil, such as Cares, Labours and Fatigues, to prevent a greater; which for Example, may be perhaps the ruin of our Family, or the lofs of our Country; of a fordid and blind Selfishness, if we are unwilling to part with a small portion of our Estate, to prevent lofsing our Honour, nay, or our Life it felf, &c. And lastly, of shameful Effeminacy, if we are afraid to incommode our selves a little to obtain a most confiderable Good, when we may by a little pains lawfully possess it. Now by thus transgressing against the Natural Law, we are accountable for our selves to our selves. We have then a Maxim or a Rule

which is Natural, and grounded on the Principles

of