of Reafon and Self-Love; and this Law is violated only by turbulent and impetuous Motions proceeding from elsewhere, which corrupt our very Nature, hinder our being obedient to this Law, and are contrary to Reafon and true SelfLove, and constitute what we call the Original Sin.

The Second Rule, which is that of Natural Affection, is founded upon this Principle, viz. We ought to love that which belongs, or has any relation to us, and is compofed of this Principle of Self-Love, viz, Because we love our Selves, we ought therefore to love the things which belong to us; as alfo of this Principle of Reason, viz. Men are our Neighbours, they bear our Image, and are united to us in Society. For were it not for SelfLove, the Knowledge of this Affinity could never be a Motive of our Affection to them: And were it not for Reason, that Difpofition we find in our felves to love the things which belong to us, would be altogether infignificant, because without it we fhould not know that Men are our Neighbours. Since therefore Reafon and Self-Love belong to Nature, we cannot poffibly doubt but this is a Natural Principle.

The Third Rule, which is that of Juftice, is contained in this Maxim, viz. We ought to do to others, what we would they should do to us. In this again, Reafon and Self-Love manifeftly appear; the force of this Law being not only contained in the light of the Understanding which allows of it, but in the Motives of Self-Love also, which further confirms it by a retaliation on it felf: And who can deny but that all this very natural?

is

The

The Fourth, which is the Rule of Grati tude, may be expressed after this Manner: We ought to love thofe that do good to us. Herein we find a retaliation of Self-Love, wishing well to those it thinks it felf oblig'd to, and a Maxim of Reason which approves of this Senfe of Gratitude, and makes us esteem those blameable, which are void of it. This Rule therefore as well as the former, does again e. vidently proceed from the Principles of Na

ture.

From all these Rules concerning Vertue and Moral Good, fprings what we call the Law of Nature: But that Law must be further fup- a ported by Natural Motives which are those of Confcience. The Natural Knowledge we have of the Wisdom, Goodness and Justice of God, is wonderfully agreeable to thofe Maxims of Equity and Juftice. We do not only reproach our felves, (as for fo many Irregularities) for all the Motions which are the cause of our Tranfgreffing against this Natural Law; but we cannot forbear dreading alfo God's Justice, after the Commiffion of fuch an Action, as has been already fhewed, when we treated of Confcience,

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Since therefore all kinds of Treasons, Murthers, Blafphemies, Parricides, &c. directly vio : this Natural Law, and thwart the Mo. fcience, it follows from thence, Actions are naturally Horrid and and have fuch an Irregularity, as meerly proceed from the Prejudices that on the contrary, thofe on which are Equal, Uthe fame in this respect

in all Men, that are or ever have been, are rather Founded upon that Natural Inhumanity which fprings from the contrariety there is be tween thefe Actions, and certain Maxims and Opinions which proceed from the very Effence of Nature, and are fo proper and fo Effential to Man, that to Annihilate them, would be wholly to Deftroy Humane Nature itfelf.

Laftly, If it be natural for Man to govern himself by thefe Four Rules in which the Law of Nature confifts, 'tis then against his Nature to violate them. And if he be bound to obey this Law, as Nature inftructs, he must needs do ill by tranfgreffing against it, and there can never be a more Effential and Natural Distination, than that which is already betwixt that Good and Evil.

CHA P. IX.

In which we shall examine the Objections of the Deifts.

WE

E fhall begin this Chapter with an Answer to the most common Objections of the Deifts: We all know well enough, fay they, that 'tis very poffible that the Prejudices of Cuftom and Education may deceive us, by making us look upon feveral Monftrous Imaginations as Sacred Mysteries. And that the dread which we are prepoffefs'd with from our Cradles of God's pretended Judgments, very powerfully deter

us from using the freedom of our Faculties, to form any any reasonable Scruples against Religion; and fo we abide in Superftition, for fear of becoming Reprobates and Unbelie

vers.

To this we anfwer, that thofe Incredulous Gentlemen are altogether unexcufable for being afraid of the pretended Prejudices of Piety and not being at all concerned at thofe of Libertinifm. I do not deny but that there are indeed an infinite number of Perfons that may be induced to believe the Religion they profefs, more by the Engagements of their Birth, Education and Custom, than by the Reflections they may have made of themselves upon the Divine Characters of it: Eut then it is to be confefs'd, that there is an infinite number likewife of Unbelievers, who frame Scruples to themselves meerly out of a vain-glorious defire they have to exalt themfelves above other Men, by not believing any thing that the Vulgar does, and by the little care they take better to inform themselves, and by the daily and intimate Converfation they have with profligate Companions, which renders their last Education contrary to the first; but above all, out of a Defire they have to gratify their Lusts and Pasfions.

But it is not fufficient to affirm that they are only as liable to Prejudices as we are; it being moft certain that they are fubject to more numerous and far more pernicious ones than we. They are liable to more numerous ones, becaufe every one of their Lufts and Paffions forms particular Prejudices to favour their feveral Pretences. And they are liable to more pernicious

pernicious ones, because it is a Thousand times easier to be reclaimed from the falfe Opinions imprinted in our Minds by Education and Birth; fuch for instance, as those we are fufpected to have, than from thofe with which we are prepossessed by the whole mutinous Crew of the Paffions of the Heart, fuch as those we juftly charge upon our Incredulous Adverfaries,

.

Thus, though Custom and the Senfes (being much stronger than Custom or Education,) had perfwaded us in our Infancy, that the Stars were no bigger than ordinary Torches, yet we have found our felves easily undeceived afterward by the folid Reasons Aftronomy produced us to the contrary. But we never faw any prefumptuous Perfon that could be reclaimed from the haughty Opinion he had conceived of himself, because this laft Prejudice fprings from infolent Pride and Misguided Self-Love.

But the Incredulous, to be just to themselves, ought to fear the Prejudices of the Heart before all others, because as we have above obferved, their Lufts and Paflions find all the fatisfaction imaginable in the Opinion embraced by them; whereas we have nothing else to fear or be jea, lous of, but the Prejudices of Birth, Custom and Education. It follows therefore from thence, that they have greater reason to fear and suspect their Prejudices than we ours.

Certainly we must be very blind, to fear that the Principles of Education, or the Objects which Religion gives us but a faint Profpect of at fo vaft a distance, fhould be more capable to circumvent our Credulity, and impose upon our Understandings, than the prefent and vigorous Idea ofVoluptuoufnefs, the lively and real Senfe