34. No Innate‘ Traclical Trincipler. B. I.

y]?! 15?)’ 41211311‘ thought the Actions of Men the belt Interpre- c ‘W’ m t .5” ters of their Thoughts. But fmce it is certain, T/zoug/Jtr, a/z- , fwemi that molt Mens Practice, and fome Mens open

_ . Profelfions have either queltioned, or denied, thefe Principles, 1t is impoffible to eftablilh an univerfal Confent, (tho’ we fhould look for it only amongft grown Men) with- out which, it is impollible to conclude them Innate. Secondly, ’T is very itrange and unreafonable, to fuppofe Innate Practical Principles, that terminate only in Contemplation. Practical Principles, derived from Nature, are there for Operation, and

muit produce Conformity of Action, not barely fpeculative Af-

fent to their Truth; or elfe they are invain diltinguilhed from ~

fpeculative Maxims. Nature, Iconfefs, has put into Man aDe- fire of Happinefs, and anAverfion to Mifery: Thefe, indeed, are Innate Practical Principles, which (as PracticalPrinciples ought) do continue conitantly to operate and influence all our Actions, WiIlhOIIt ceafing. T hefe may be obferved in all Perfons and all Ages, fteady and univerfal; but thefe are Inclinations of the Appetite to Good, not Impreffions of Truth on the Under- Handing. I deny not, that there are natural Tendencies, im- printed on the Minds of Men; and that from the very firit In- ftances of Senfe and Perception, there are fome things that are grateful, and others unwelcome to them; fome things that they incline to, and others that they fly: But this makes nothing for Innate Characters on the Mind, which are to be the Principles of Knowledge, regulating our Practice. Such natural Impref- {ions on the Underltanding, are f0 far from being confirmed thereby, that this is an Argument againit them; lince, if they were certain Characters, imprinted by Nature on theUnderftand- ing, as the Principles of Knowledge, we could not but perceive them conftantly operate in us, and influence our Knowledge, as we do thofe others on the Will and Appetite; which never ceafe to be the conltant Springs and Motives of all our Actions, t0 which we perpetually feel them ftrongly impelling us.

ATOM! ELI/w §. 4. ANOTHER Reafon, that makes me doubt 7156,; a proof’ of any Innate Practical Principles, is, That I

Crgo, 1m‘ 111-, think there cannot any one moral Rule bepropofa’; 72:116. u, 1,6,8?!‘