And mankind are no more left to find out a God, or the fitness of virtue, by their own reason, than they are left by their own reason, to find out who are their parents, to find out the fitness of speaking an articulate language.
Now if this is the state of reason, as it is in man; if this is all the light that we have from our own nature, a bare capacity of receiving good or bad impressions, right or wrong opinions and sentiments, according to the state of the world we fall into; then we are but poorly furnished, to assert the _absolute perfection_ of our own reason.
If our light is little more than the opinions and customs of those amongst whom we live, and it be so hard for a man to arrive at a greater wisdom, than the common wisdom of the _country_ which gave him birth and education; how unreasonably do we appeal to the perfection of our reason, against the _necessity_ and _advantage_ of divine revelation?
* If we are nothing without the assistance of men; if we are a kind of foolish, helpless animals, ’till education and experience have revealed to us the wisdom and knowledge of our fellow-creatures; shall we think ourselves too wise and full of our own light, to be farther enlightened with a wisdom revealed to us by God himself?
This gentleman, speaking of education, saith, “Education is justly esteemed a second nature; and its force is so strong, that few can wholly shake off its prejudices, even in things unreasonable and unnatural.”
All that I shall add to this account, is, that we are by the condition of human life, necessarily subjected to this _second nature_, and cannot avoid coming under its power.
And here let me ask this pleader for the sufficiency of the light of nature, how those that resign themselves up to the light of their _own nature_, shall know, whether it is their _first_, or their _second_ nature that directs them?
Here are, it seems, _two natures_; they may be as different as good and evil; yet as they are both _natures_, both _internal light_, how shall a man know which he follows? He does not know which was first, or why he should call one first, and the other second; they are both internal, and without any thing to distinguish them. And as he is not to resist the motions of nature, or stifle its directions; so he must be as obedient to the directions of the second, as of the first nature, because he does not perceive their difference, nor has any means to distinguish their operations.
He therefore that asserts the light of nature to be a sufficient unerring guide in divine matters, ought either to shew, that our _second_ nature is as _safe_ a guide as the first; or that though it is nature, yet it has no _natural powers_ over us.
For since every man is _necessitated_ to take upon him a second nature, which he does not _know_ to be a second, or _when_ it began, or _how far_ it has proceeded, or how _contrary_ it is to his first nature; he that would prove the light of nature to be so perfect, that nothing can be added to it, is obliged to prove, that our second nature, which we receive by education, has the same degree of perfection. For so far as our second nature is different from the first, so far it has changed the first; and if we are to follow nature exclusive of revelation, we may take _revenge_, _self-murder_, _incontinence_, _sensuality_, _pride_, _self-conceit_, and a _contempt_ of all things sacred, to be the true dictates of nature.
For it often happens to people, to be thus educated; so if education is a second nature, and nature is to be esteemed a _true_ and _perfect_ guide; a man thus educated, has all his vices made so many glorious laws of nature; and thro’ the strength of his natural light, he condemns humility, self-denial, and devotion, as foolish bigotry.
This writer says, “Natural religion, _that is, the religion of nature_, is a perpetual standing rule for men of the meanest, as well as the highest capacities, and carries its own evidence with it, those internal, inseparable marks of truth.¹ _But if education is a |second nature|, and, as this writer affirms, |has the force of a second nature even in things unreasonable and unnatural|; then this second nature has not only its natural religion, which is also |a perpetual standing rule for men of the meanest, as well as the highest capacities; which carries its own evidence with it, those internal, inseparable marks of truth|; but it may also have a natural religion, both |unreasonable and unnatural|; since education has the force of nature even in things of this kind._”
¹ Page 243.
Again: If education has this force of nature even in things unreasonable and unnatural; if it is also absolutely necessary for all men to come under the power of some second nature; what can be more vain, than to pretend to state the light, or rectitude of human nature, since it must be for the most part in every man, as the uncertainty, variety, happiness or unhappiness of education has rendered it?