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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 6, page id 778263916:0022
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Voinnate Principles in tbe alin.
Itheresore these ErrO Proposirions, Whatsoever is, is and, IY is impossible
for the same thine tn be, and not to bei are by Nature imprinted; Chil
dren CanHoE De ignOranE OF them: INFaHES, and aIL thac have souls must.
necessarils have them in their Onderstandinss, knom the Truth oF them,
and assent to it.
5. 6. Toaroid this, tis ulualIY ansiver d, that all Nen bnoi and assent
to them, when they come to the use os Reason, and this is enoush to prove
them innate. Pansiver,
6. 7. Doubetul Exprestions, chat hare scarce any lisnitication, so for clear
Reasons tothose, rho beins prepossessed, takre not tne pains to exammirie e
ven wrtrat cher chemselreslaz. For to apply chis Ansiver with any tolera-
ble Sence to our present Purvose, it must signitie one of these tro things;
cither, Thac as Coon as Men come to the ule ot Reaton, these suppoled
native Inscriptions come tobe lnomn, and observed by them: Or else, that
cheese and Fxereile oFMenSRealons alsict them in theDiscorery ot chele
Principles, and certainsy makce them LnOWR EO FHCIM.
5. 8. IFcher mean that by che 2se of Reason Nen may discover these
Principles, and that thisis sufticient to prove them innate; their way ot
arguino ill sand EhuS, (Vi2.) Thac whatever Fruths Reason can certain-
Ir discover tous, andmakie us Armly assent to, those are all naturally im-
printed on the Mind; since that universal APent, Which is made the
MarH OF thCMI, amOunES tono more but this; That by the use oF ReaIOM,
reare capable to come toa certain Rnomledse oF, and altent to them;
and by chis Means there ill be no difference betreen the Maxims oF the
Mathemaricians, and Theorems ther deduce trom them: AII must Be C
qually allow d’innate, chey beins all Discoveries made by the usc ot
Realon, and Truchs thac a rational Creature may certainty come tO knOW,
if he applr his Thoughes righely that Way.
5. 9. But hor can thole Men think the use of Reason necelsary to dilco-
ver Principles that are suppoled innate, irtren Realon (it ve mar believe
ehem) is nothine else, but the Facults ot deducins untnomn Truchs
trom Principles Or Propolitions, that are already KnoWn: That Cer-
caint can never be thouche innate, irhich re have necd of Reason
eo discover, anless as Thave Laid, e will have aIl the certain TrurHS, FhaE
Reason ever teaches us, to be innate. We mar a5 well chink the use ot
Reason necellarr to makre our Lses dilcorer vilible Obiects, 25 chat there
Bould be necd oF Reason, orthe Exereise thereot to makre the Inderstan-
dins sec erhat is Originally engraven in it, and cannot be in theVnder-
Candine Cetore it be perccired by ic. S0 that to malie Realon dilco.
ver thole Truchs chus imprinted, is ro lar, that the ule oF Rcalon dilco-
vers to a Mlan, What he lnew betore, and il Men have thele innate, im
pressed Fruchs Originally, and belore theusc of Reason, and yet arc 2l-
varsienorant of them, till ther come to cheuse of Reason, tis in cfect
tolar, chatMen lnow, and bnom them not at the same timme.
5. 20.Twill here perhaps besaid, that Machematical Demonstrations,
and ocher Tructs, that are not innace, are not allented to a5 loon a5 pro-
Dosd, Wherein ther are distinsuistrd trom these Maxims, and ocher in-
A2tC Truths. TMal haveoccasion to speak ot asent uxon the trst pro-
posins, more particulariy by and by: PMall here only, andthat very rea
dily, allor, Thac chele Mlaxims, and Mathematical Demonstratiors are
in this ditterent; Thar the one has necd of Reason, ulins ot ProdIs, t0
make eliem out, and to gain our Allent: but che orher, as loon as under-
Aood, are, withourany the least reasonins, emibraced and altented to.
Buc l’wirhal bes leare ro obserre, Fhar ic lays open che Wealiness ot
ehiis.