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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 32, page id 778263916:0048
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Woinnate Principles.
unt
rels, and other mean Oualities, actributed by them to their sods; e
Phall have licelereason to chink, that the heartien Wortd, i. c. ehe crcatest
Part oF Mankinc, had such Ideas of Cod in their Minds, a5 he himsolE, OuE
OEcare, that thes Mould not be miltaten abour him, ras Author oF. And
this unirertalie ofconsent, (o much argued, it it prove ans native im-
prestions, twillbe onls this: Fhat God imprinced on the Minds oF aII
Men Spealcins the same Languase, a Name for Fimsels, but not any
Idea: Since those People, Who agreed in the Name, had at the lame
time, Par difterent apprehensions about the chins signitied. IF they (a7,
That the variets oF Deities Worthipped by cheheathen Worid, verebut
ficuratire ars oF expressins the several Attribures of that imcomprehen-
sible Beins, or several parts oEhis Providence: Pansiver, Whatther mighe
be in their orisinal, LWill not here enquire; but chat they rere lo in the
Thoughus oF the Vulsar, P thinkno body will aftirm: And he that ill
consule the Voyase ot the Bihop ot Beryre, C. I3. (not co mention othier
Teltimonies) ill tind, that the Theology oFthe Siamires, prolessedly oWns
pluraliey oE Crods: Or, as the abbé de Choisy more judicioully remarks,
in his Tournal du Voiase de Syam,  it conlilts properlr in ackroleds.
ins no Ciod at alI.
8. 15. IP it Be said, That wise Men OE alI Pations came tOhave true Con-
cextions, oE the Onity and Intinies of the Deity, Lgrant it. But then
this,
First, Exeludes universaliey oE Consent in any thins, but the name.
For those wiseMen beins very ser, perhaps onc ot a thouland, this uni
versalits is very narroW.
Secondly, ut scems to me plainly to prove, Fhat the cruest and best
Notions Menhrad of Crod, vere nor imprinted, but acquired by thouehe
and meditation, and a richruse oP eheir l’aculties: since the isc and con-
Tiderate Nen oF the Worla, by a ristut and caretul emplorment oltheir
Thoughes, and Rcason, attained true Nocions in chis, a5 Well aS Other
chings; Whil the lazy and inconsiderare part os Men, mattins the lar
sreater number, t00lc uptheir Notions, by chancc, trom common Praci
tion, and vulsar Conceptions, without much beatine their heads about
them. And if it be a realonto thinke the notion of 6od innate, because aII
ise Nen had ic, Vercue must be chousli innate; for thar alio wise Men
have alvazs had.
6. 26. Thiswas eridently the case oE all Centilism: Nor hath even a-
monost Feus, Christians, and Mahometans, Wrho actenoirledse but One
Crod, this Doctrinc, and the care is talien in thole Nations, to tcact
Nen tohare true notions oF a CO D, prevailed (o Far, as to matie Men tO
trave the same, and true Ideas oF Flim. TTo mans, even amongst us
will befound upon enquirs, to fansie hum in the Mhape of a Man, LIEEINE
in Flcaven; arid to have manz other absurd and unfit conceptions ot
tim: Christians, as Well as Turles, have had wrhole Sects ornins, and
contendins carnestly for it, That the Deirs as corporcal, and ot hu-
ane Chape: And choushive lind ser nom amonsle us, ntio protels
themselves Anthropomorphites, (though lome lhave met with that own
iF) rer Ibeliere, hechat ill matce it his bulinels, maz find amonsst thc
isnorant, and uninstructed Christians, mans of that Opinion. Talk but
ith Counery- people, almost ol any Aee; or zouns people almostans
rhere, and rou Pall find, that though the Name oF GOD DC Freguent-
ly in their mouths; yet the notions ther apply this Name to, are (0 odd.
lor, and pitisul, that no bodr can imagine thes vere taushe by a ratio.
nal Man; muck tels, chac chey vere ite Characters urit by chefineer