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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 31, page id 778263916:0047
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Noinnate Principles
tiath furnisted Nan wichthole Faculties, wrtrick will serve Forthe sussiciend
discovery oF all thinss requisite to the end of luch a Beins; and P douDe
not but io Mher, that a Man by the rightule oFhis natural Abilicies, may.
vithout any innate Principles, attain the bnomledse of a God, and ottier
thines that concern him. Ciod having endued Man ith thole Laculties ot
tnorring which he hath, Was no more obliged by his Coodnels, to im-
plant thole innate Notions in his Minc, chan that havins siven him RCaIOr,
Fands, and MaterialS, he Bould build him Bridses, or FTouses; Wrtrieh
some people in the World, horever of good paris, do cither totally rant, or
arebut illprorided of, as Wellas others are wrholly rithour Ldea 5of God, and
Principles otMoraliey; or at leasthave but very ill ones. The reason in
boch cales Deins; That ther never employ d their Parts, Faculties, and
Povers, industriousy that ay, but contented themlelre W ith the Opi
nions, Fastions, and Thines ot cheir Country, as ther tound them, with.
ont looline any sarther. FTad you or lbeen born at the Bar ol Soldania-
possiblr oux ThousHES, and Notions, had not excecded those bruitilli ones
oF the FTorentors that inhabit chere: And had the Verginia RinS Apo-
chancana, been educated in Fncland, he hac, perhaps, been as tnomiro a
Dirine, and as g00d a Mathematician, as any in IF. The difference Be-
crcenhim, auda more improved Finglist. man, lyins Barely in this, That
the exercise of his Faculties, as bounded within the Ways, Modes, and
Notions of his omn Connery, and nerer directed to any otter, or Farther
Enguiries: And if he had not any Idea ol a Giod, it ras onty becaule he
pursued not those Thoussus that irould have led him toit.
6. 23. PSrant, That is there vere any Ideas to be Found imprinted on
EEMInAS OFMen, We have reaIOn LO exPECt, it Bould be the notion of his
Maker, as a arks GO D sec on his orn Worhmanctix, eo mind Man
ofhis dependence and Dury; and that herein ould appear the sirst in-
stances ofhumane Rnomledoe. Buthor lateisit belore any such notion
is discoverable in Children: And when we sind it there, PTo much
more dees it relemble the Opinion, and Norion, of the Teacher, than re-
presentthe Fruc Cod. Ise that Mall observe in Children, tho proeress
Whereby cheir Minas actain the bnomledse ther have, will think, THaE
the Objects cher do tirst, and most tamiliarty converse wich, are thole
chac matce ehe tirst impressions on their Understandines: Nor will he
find the least sootsteps os any other. It is calie totatre notice, hou thoir
Thouxhrs enlarse chiemlelves, only as ther come to be acquainted itha
greater variets ot sensible Objects, to retain the Ideas oF them in their
memories; and to get thestill to compound and enlarse them, and several
vazs put them together. Irow by chelemeans, tliey come to frame in
their minds an Ldea of a DeitY, P Mallhereaster Mew.
8. 29. Can it De thouBHE, that the Ldeas Men hare oF God, are the
Characters, and Marts oF FTim(elF, engraren in their Minds by his omn
singer, Wten ve seo, chat in the same Country, under one and the same
Name, Nen have far different, nay, Otten contrary and inconsistent Ideas,
and conceptions of him: Their aerecins in a name, or Pound, ill (CarCe
prove an innate notion of LTim.
5. F5. What true or tolerable notion oF a Deity, couldther have, rho aC.
Hnorledsed, and worthirped hundreds: P.very Deiry that they orned
abore one, Was an infallible evidence ot their ignorance of Him, and
a proot thar they had no true norion of Ciod, Where Units, Infinier, and
Fiternity, vere alrars excluded. To ihich il we add their grols COn
ceptions oF Corporieer, expressed in their Imases, and Representari-
Ons oFTheir Deities; Fhe AmOUrS, Marriases, Copulations, Lusts, Ouar-