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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 26, page id 778263916:0042
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No innate practicat Principles
rith the reproach, ertrich is every erhere prepared For thole, irho dare
venture todissent trom the received Opinions ol their Counery or Party:
And wrhere is the man to be found, thar can patienty prepare himselt
eobear thename oF Whimlical, Sceptical, or Atheist, Which he is lure to
meet ith, wrho does in the least scruple any of the common Opinions:
And he ill be much more afraid o question those Principles, Wvtien he
MalI chin them, as most men do, the Scandards set up by Ciod in his
Mindu to be the Rule and Fouchstone oFall ottrer Opinions. And ertrat
can hinder him trom chinkins them sacred, hen he finds them the
eartiest oF all his omn Thoughus, and the most reverenced byy o
thers:
5. 26. It is calie to imagine, hou by thele means it comes to pats, that
Men worthip the Idols have been set up in cheir Minds; groir tond ot
the Norions they have been lorig acquainted with there; and stamp the
Characters of Divinity, upon absurdities and Frrors, Decome Zcalous Vo-
taries to Bulls and Munkies; and contented too, Aghe, and dic in detence
oEtheir Opinions. Dum solos credit habendos esse Deos, quos ipse colii.
For lince the realonine F’aculties of the Soul, ertrich are almolt constant-
Iy, thoush not alvars arily nor wilels emploz d rould noclnor hom
tomore for rant ot a foundation, and Footins, in mostMen, whothrouxh
lazinels or arocation, donot; or for mant ol time, or truehelps, or orher
causes, cannot penetrate into the Principles ot Rnomledse, and traco
Truth, to its Fountain and original, tis natural for them, and almost
unavoidable, to takse up with lome borromed Principles; Wrhich Deing re-
puted and presumed tobe the erident proots ol other things, are thoushe
notto necd any ocher proot chemselres. Whoever Mall receire any ot
chele into their choustes, without due examination, bur belicve them,
because ther are to bebeliered, may tatce up trom his Education, and the
factrions of his Countey, any absurdity for innate Principles; and by long
porins on the same Objects, (0 dim his Lighe, as to talce Moncters lodged
in his omn brain, for the Imases ofthe Deity, and the Wortimanchip ot his
TTands.
5. 27. By this progress, hor many there are, who arrire at Principles,
Wrhich ther beliere innate, may becasils observed, in the variety ol op.
posite Principles, held, and contended For, by all sorts and degrees of
Men. And he that Mall deny this to be the method, rherein most Men
proceed, tothe alturance thes have of the unalterable truth and evidence
OEcheir Principles, ill, perhaps, find it a hard matter, ans other way to
account For the contrary Tenets, which are trmls beliered, contidentiy
asserted, and ertrich great numbers are reads at any time to seal with their
Blood. And, indecd, if it be the privilese of innate Principles, to be re-
ceiredupontheir own Authoritr, without examination, lkno not what
may not be beliered, er hor ans ones Principles can De queltioned. IE
thermaz, and ouche ro be examined, and tried, I desire to tnom ho Airst
and innate Principles can Detried; or at least it is reasonable to demand
the martes and characters, whereby che genuine, innate Principles,
may be distinguited trom ochers; that lo, amidit the great variety ot
Pretenders, Imar be kepe trom miltatces, in lo material a point as this.
When this is done, I Mall be ready to embrace such elcome, and usetul,
Propositions; and till then I may ith modesty doube, since I Fear uni-
versal Consent, Which is the onty one produced, rill scare prove a susti-
cient marie to directmy Choice, and alture me of any innate Principles.
From irhat has been laid, Ithinte it is past doube, that there are nO Pra-
Aieul Principles wherein all Men aeree; and theresorenoneinnate.
DTTAP