now receive as axioms, and without hesita- Dr. Priestley "tion act upon them," fays Dr. Friestley, recommends the adoption of principles with after having laid down, what he supposes to out hesitations be the fundamental or firft principles of goverment, according to Somers, Locke, and Hoadley. However, this fort of unqueftioning deference in the blind adoption of principles is pointedly reprobated by Mr. Locke. «Such as are careful (as they call Mr. Locke re it) to principle children well (and few there probates it. be, who have not a set of those principles "for them, which they believe in) inftil into "the unwary, and as yet unprejudiced un"derstanding (for white paper receives any "characters) those doctrines, they would have "them retain and poffefs. These being "taught them, as foon as they have any ap prehenfion, and still, as they grow up, con"firmed to them, either by the open profef"fion or tacit confent of all they have to do "with, or at least by thofe, of whose wisdom, knowledge, and piety, they have an opi nion, who never fuffer thefe propofitions "to be otherwife mentioned, but as the bafis ❝ and foundation, on which they build their religion or manners, come by these means + Locke upon the Human Understanding, 1. 1. p. 21. in the folio edition. B 3 " to "to have the reputation of unquestionable, "felf-evident, and innate truths. "This is evidently the cafe of all chil"dren and young folk; and cuftom, a greater <c power than nature, feldom failing to make "them worship for divine, what he hath "inured them to bow their minds and fub"mit their understandings to, it is no won"der that grown men, either perplexed in "the neceffary affairs of life, or hot in the pursuit of pleasures, should not seriously fit "down to examine their own tenets, efpe cially as one of their principles is, that principles ought not to be queftioned. "And had men leifure, parts, and will, who "is there almoft, that dare shake the foun"dation of all his past thoughts and actions, "and endure to bring upon himself the "fhame of having been a long time wholly « in mistake and error? Who is there hardy enough to contend with the reproach, which " is every where prepared for those, who dare to venture to diffent from the received opi"nions of their country or party?" Thus doth this great philofopher not only recommend, but infift upon, the neceffity of every one's freely examining the principles of his own political and civil conduct. And when when I enter upon the awful task, I fhield myself under the duty of patriotism, against the difheartening efforts of oppofition, and the galling taunts of arrogance and prefumption. I am fully aware of the hackneyed affectation, with which many modern writers affume the exclufive privilege of illuminating mankind; as if our predeceffors had worked through their lives, like moles in the dark, and had never rifen into the light, but by the chance of their own blind direction, or to injure the ground, through which they had emerged from their dark receffes. Impreffed, I prefume, with this idea, did the late Dr. Price thus addrefs himself to his audience, in a difcourfe, which has been fince printed*: Why are the nations of the world fo "patient under defpotifm? Why do they "crouch to tyrants, or fubmit to be treated, Modern writers nate mankind, affect to illumi, "as if they were a herd of cattle? Is it not "because they are kept in darkness, and want knowledge?-Enlighten them, and 35 39 k you will elevate them; fhew them they are men, and they will act like men; give "them juft ideas of civil government, and "let them know, that it is an expedient for *Dr. Price's Difcourfe on the Love of our Country, P. 12. B 4 "gaining The true prin gaining protection against injury, and defending their rights, and it will be impoffi"ble for them to fubmit to governments, "which, like most of those now in the world, are ufurpations on the rights of men, and "little better than contrivances for enabling "the few to opprefs the many.' The first principle of the true equalization ciple of equali- of mankind is to affume no right to our zation is to al low to others what we claim ourfelves. Truth to be fought imparti parties. felves, which we deny to others. As, therefore, I am unwilling to fubmit my own affent to any principles, or doctrines grounded upon them, without previous investigation and discuffion;.fo do I prefume and admit the fame right in others, in the most unexceptionable latitude. To them I allow the most unbiaffed freedom of judgment, because the fame I claim to myfelf. And as I experience no small degree of indignation, when the difference of my opinion from that of others is attributed to ignorance; fo do I feel an equal degree of indelicacy, in ascribing the difagreement of that of others from my own to ignorance of the queftion in agitation be tween us. In forming my mind upon the great and ally from all important fubject of the Rights of Man, I have endeavoured to draw knowledge and information from every fource, from which I thought I thought it likely to fpring. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magiftri, I as readily admit of a true propofition laid down by a tory, as by a whig, by a puritan as by a church-man, by a leveller as by a royalift. If my labours, and researches do in the fmallest degree contribute to fettle the minds of my countrymen upon the fubject, that reward will fatisfy my proudest expectations. "Whenever "the interefts of truth and liberty are at "ftand up tacked, it is to be wifhed, that fome would in their defence, whether they acquit themselves better, than their prede"ceffors in the fame good old caufe or not. "New books, in defence of any principles whatever, will be read by many persons, "who will not look into old books for the proper answers to them." We are affured, from the unerring authority of the holy Bible, that the days of man have been much curtailed, fince he was first formed by his creator; and we may rationally infer, that the natural ftrength, vigor, and power of that body, which was to last many hundred years, were greater, than what are merely requifite to fupport it through a tenth part of that period; but I can no where Preface to Dr. Prielley's Effay on the First Principles of Government. trace |