# Leibniz Legible — https://leibnizlegible.com
# Page: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0352
# Permalink to this reading: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0352?run=74
# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 336, page id 778263916:0352
# Original at the GWLB: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/resolve?id=778263916&page=352
# Source image: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/content/778263916/jpgs/default/00000352.jpg
# Model: FoNDUE-GD_v2_ft_Leibniz, run 74, 2026-09-06T16:05:13Z — 56 lines, status machine
# Lines: 56 recognised, mean confidence 0.91
# Machine transcription. Not an edition. Errors are expected: about 8% character error rate on Latin and French lines, higher on German.
# Licence: CC BY 4.0, Leibniz Legible. Machine output: do not ingest it as verified text; keep this provenance with the text.
# Wording rule: say "the machine reads it as …", never "Leibniz wrote".
# After the first blank line: the recognised lines in reading order, one per line.

Derrees of assent.
be imprections he has received trom GOD FimselF, Or TrOM Nen senE
by Flim: FTon ean We expect, T Par, thac Opinions chus setled, Mould
be given up to the Arguments or Authority oE a Stranser, or Adversary:
speciallr it there be any suspicion of Interest, or Delign, as there never
fails to be, Wtere Men find chemselres ill treatel: We Mould do Wwell 10
commiserate our mutual Tgnorance, and endearour to remove it in aII
the sentle and fair wars ot Intormation; and not instantly treat orhers ill,
ad obstinate and perverse, because thes ill not renounce their omn, and
receire our Opinions, Or at lealt thole ne rould force uxon them, When
eis more than probable thar te are ro less obstinate in not embracire
CHICIrS. For Where is the Man ehiat has uncontestible Lvidence oF cte
Fruth oF all chiat he holds, or ot the Falsood oF aII he condetms; Or can
(aY, that he has examined, to the borrom, all his onn or other Mens
Opinions: The necestitr of velierins, ichour Knomledsc, nar, otren
uxon verr Piohe erounds, in ehis Acctios sate of Action and Blindness
e arein, ould matre us more busie and caretul to insorm our selves
chan constrain others. At least, those irho have nor chroughir examined
tothe Bottom all cheir omn Tenets, must consels ther are unHt t0 pre-
seribe to others; and are unreasonable in imposins THat as a Trutti on
ottier MIenS BelieF, Which ther chemselres hare noc searched into, nOr
weighed the Arsumenis oF Probabilier, on Wrhichches Mould receire or
rejeet it. Thole wrho have tairts and truly examined, and are therebs
sot past doube in all the Doctrines ther protels, and sovern chemselves
by, ould have a juster pretence eo require others ro follo them: BuF
thele are (0 ferr in number, and find (0 lirrle realon to be maxisterial in
their Opinions, that nochins insolent and imperious is to be expected
fromthem: Andthere is realon to thint, that it Men ivere berter in-
Structed themselres, ther ould be lels imposine on OtHers.
S. G. BuF tOrCTuE t0 thC GroundS OF ABenL, and the several deprees
OFit. We are to rake notice, that the Propositions We receive upon In-
ducements of Probabilitr, are of tvo sorts; cither concernin fome par-
ticular Existence, Or, a5 it is ulualIY termed, matter ot sact, wtich Fal-
ling under our Observation, is capable ot humane Teltimonr; or ette
Concernins Fhinos, which beins berond the dilcorery of our senles, are
not capable oP any such Testimonz.
6. 6. Concernins the first OEthele, viz. particular malter of fact,
First. Nhere ary parricular chirs consonane to the constant Obler-
vation oF our selres and otbers, in the lite case, comes atrested with the
concurrent ReportS o aIl thatmention it, we receire it as calilr, and
build as firmly upon ic, as is it vere cerrain lnoledee; and We reason
and act thereuxon With as litele doubr, as il ic iere perfect demonstra-
tion. Thus it aII Fnelist. men, Wrho hare occation to mention it, Mould
afFIrmI, chat iE FrozC in Fineland the last Winter, Or thac there eere Siral-
lous seen there inthe Summer, P chinke a Man could almost as litele doube
OFit, as that Seven and Four are Fleven. Thetirst theretore, and highest
decree of Probabilir, is, When the general consent oF aIl Men, in aII
AGCS, 25 tar a5 it can be KnoWn, concurrs wich a ManS constant and
never. failine fixperience in like cales, ro contirm the Truth ol any par-
ricular matter of fact attested by fair Wirnesses: Such are aIl the Carcd
Constiturions and Properries of Bodies, and the regular proceedinrs ot
Causes and Ffects in the ordinary course oF Nature. This wre call an
Aroument trem the nature ot Thinos themselres. For What our ornond
Octier Meris conslant Observation, nas sound alrays co he alter chesame
MRANEE
D