428 NATURAL AND CIVIL 



discoveries in other sciences, was extremely 

 slow and precarious. Interest and reputation 

 were against the progress of this kind of knowL 

 edge. The law, the church, and the govern- 

 ment, were not only opposed to it, but they 

 punished the discoverers and writers, by whip. 

 ping, imprisonments, heavy fines, and death. 

 None but the greatest and most virtuous of men, 

 were either ab]e to investigate, or would dare 

 to assert what belonged to the nature of man, 

 and what was derived from tlie nature of society. 

 In America, every thing had assumed a dif- 

 ferent tendency and operation, The first set- 

 tiers of the colonies, had sufiered severe!}- un- 

 der the bigotry and intolerance of ecclesiastical 

 power, in the days of Elizabeth, James, and 

 Charles the first. They had not at first, any 

 more knowledge of the rights of hyman nature 

 than their neighbors, and thev were as far from 

 the spirit of candor and toleration. But when 

 they were exposed to se\ere sufferings on ac- 

 count of their religion, thty were placed in a 

 situation, in which their feelings wov.ld perform 

 for them, what their reason had not acquired 

 sufficient force to effect. They felt, and of 

 course saw, that there was no reason or righ- 

 teousness in the punishments w hich were in- 

 flicted upon their., on account of their religion. 

 In such a situation, truth occurred to them every 

 moment ; and their situation and sufferings ef- 

 fectually taught them what were the rights of 

 men : They could at once discern and under- 

 stand the voice of nature, which had no effect 

 upon those in power, and probably would liave 

 ^-iid none upon them, had they beeii in the sanie 



