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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 30, page id 778263916:0046
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Noinnate Principles.
BoOkL.
it far and vide; ard continue it donn to all Gienerations: thoush y et the
generat reception of this Name, and some imperfect and unsteady lotions,
convered thereby to the unthirkins part of Marileind, prove not the Idea
to be innate; but only that they, irtio made the Discovery, had iriade a
rioht ule oftheir Rcalon, thoucht maturelr of thie Causes ot ehinzs, and
traced them to their Original; trom ihom ocler less consicerins Pcoplc,
havins once receired so important a Notion, it could not casily be los
28aIM.
D. IF. This is all eould be interr d From the Notion OF a God, WerC IF 1O
De Found universally in allthe Pribes oF Mankind, and generaliy aCknOW-
ledged, by Men grovn to maturier in aII Countries. For the generali:
ty oFthe actrom ledgins ot a Crod, as Piriagine, is extended no Farther
than that; Wrhich it it be sufficient to prove the Idea of Cod, innate, Will
as vell prove the LdeaotFire, innate; since, L thinke, it may truls Desaid,
That there is not a Perton in the Worid, wto tias a Noriori ot a God, Who
tias not also the Ldea oF Fire. I doubt not, but il a Colony oF rourie
Children Mould be placed in an Itand, irhere no Pire as, they rould
certainty neither have anr Notion ot tuch a thino, nor Name For iE, hov
generally Poerer it rere received, and knomn in all the Worid Besides;
and, perhraps t00, their Apprehensions, vould be as tar removed trom anis
Wame, or Notion of a Croc, till some one amonsst them had imploved
his Thoughes, to enquire intothe Constitution and Causes of things, etich
vould easils lead him to the Notion oF aC0d; Wrhich hiavins once caughé
to ochers, Reason, and the natural Propensits of cheir oiin Thougtis,
Wouldastermards propasare, and continie amongst chem.
5. +2. Indced it is urged, That it is suitable to the goodness of 60d, +0
imprint uxon the Minds of Men, Characters and Notions of himself, avd
not leavethem in the dart, and doube, in (0 grand a Concernmene; and
alloby that means, to secure to himself the Fromase and Veneration, due
trom (0 intellisent a Creature a5 Man; and cherelore he hasdone it.
This Argument, it it BC ot any Force, will prove much more than
thole, irhro use it, in this case, expect trom it. For il re max conclude-
that 6od hath done for Msen, all that Men MaII judee is best for them, Be.
cause it is suitable to his goodnels (o todo, it vill prove, not ontr, Fhat
God has imprinted on the minds oF Men an Ldea ot himselE; buF thaE he
hach plaints Camped there, in Fair Characters, all that men ousht toknor,
or beliere of him, aIl that ther oughe to do in obedience rohis Will
and chat he hath siven ehem a Will and Afection consormable to it. This,
nodoubt, erery onc will chinss it better for men, than chat they Mould, in
che darts, grope alter Rnow ledge, a5 St. P aul telIS us alI Nations did atter
God, Ats ZVII. 27. than thac cheir Wills Mould clast rith their VN-
derstandines, and their Appetites crolstheir Dury. The Romanists lay.
Tis Best For men, and so, luitable ro the goodness oF Crod, that there Mould
be an infallible Judse ot Controversies on Farth; and cherctore there is
Onc: and I, By the same Reason, Cay, Tis Berter For men, that every man
himselF MouldBeinfallible. Fleave themro consider, Wvhether by theforce et
this Aroument cher Mall chinke that everz man is so. I chink it a verr g00d
Arsument, to lay, the infinirely ise God hath made it s0: And there
fore it is best. But it seems to me a little t0o much C’onfidence of our oonris-
dom, to sar, L thint it best, and therefore 60d hath made it so; andinthe
Matter in FTand, it Will Be in vain to aroue trom such a Topick, that Cod
hath done so, irhen certain Fxperience thews us, that he hath noc. Buc
etre Croodness oF Ciod hath not been rantino to men without Tuch Origi-
nal imprettions oE nomledec, or Lacas Mamipe on ihemind: since e
hath