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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 356, page id 778263916:0372
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Nrono Assent or Crorr
tind all chese Cill carried arrar trom them, by Nlen of lorver Condition.
Whosurpass ehem in Anonledsc. Thes ulio are blind, ill alvaysbe
led br those chat sec, or else tall into the Ditch; and he is cerrainlr che
most subjectec, the most enslared, irho is so in hus Onderctandins. In
the foresoins instances, lome of the Causes havebeen Mhewn Ot Wrrone
Allent, and hor it comes to pals, thatprobable Doctrines are not alivars
receired withan Alsent proportionable to the Reasons, erhich are to be
had for their Probabilier; but hitherto it has been onsy ofluch Probabili-
ties, Whose Prosts doonly exist, but do nor axpear to him chat embraces
theErrour.
S. 7. Fourthly, There remmains vet the laR TorF, Wrho even where the
real Prokabilities appear, and are plainly laid betore chem, s et donor admir
OFthe conviction, nor sield unto manitelt Reasons, Dur do cither entxcr
suspend their Assent, or sire it to che less probable Opinion. And to
this danger arethole expoled, wrho have talien up urons measures of Pro-
babilitr, Which arc,
I. Propositions chatare not in themselves certain and evident, but. doubi-
ful and false, taken up for Principles.
2. Received Lyporheses.
3. Predominant Passions or Iuclinations.
4. Authoritr.
5. 8. First, The trst and frmest ground ot Probabilier, is the cori:
formity anx thins has to our omn Rnomledse; especially chat part ot
our Rnomledse nhich ve hare embraced, and continue to look on as
Principles. These have lo great an insluence uxon our Opinions, that ris
ulually by them re judse of Truch; and meature Probabilier tothat de:
orce, that what is inconsistene wich our Principles, is (0 lar trom pastine
for probable mith us, that it ill not be allored pollible. The reverence
is born to thiele Principles is s0 great, and cheir Authorier (o paramouge
to allother, that the Teltimonr not only of other Men, butthe Lvidence
oFour omn senlesare olten rejected, when ther otter to vouchans thine
contrary to thele establimed Rules. Nor much the Doctrine ot innate
Principles, and that Principles arc not to be proved or queltioned, has
contributed to rnis, Iwill not here examine: This P readilr grant, that
one Fruth cannot contradist anorher; but richal I talse leare also to lay,
that every one oushe very caretulls to berrare wtrat he admits for a Prin-
ciple; to examine it Arictly, and sec whecter he certainty Bnos it tobe
true oF it selfby itsomn evidence, or whecher he does onts with actu-
rance beliere it to be so,upon the Authorir of ochers. P’orhe hath a Arone
biass pur into his Onderstanding, Which rill unaroidabl misouide his
Assent, erhro hath imbibed urone Principles, and has blindls siven him-
selF up co the Authoritr ol any Opinion in it SclFnot evidently true
5. 9. Fhere is nochine more ordinary, than that Children Mould re.
ceire intotheir Minds Propositions (especially about Matters oF Relision)
trom their Parents, Nurses, Or thole about them; Wrhich beins insinuated
intotheir unvarr, as vell as untials d Onderctandines, and Fastened by
deorees, are at last (equaliy, Whecher rrue or False) rivited chere by lono
Cultom and Education, berond all pollibilier ot beins pulld out acain.
For Men, nhen chey are grovn up, reflectins upon their Opiniors, and
Cindins those of this sort to be as ancient in cheir Minds a5 their verr
Memories, not havins observed their carly inlinuation, non by what
meanstlier sotthem, ther are apt to reverence them as lacred Thines,
not to suster them tobe protaned, iouched, er queltioned, but look on
chem as thc Orim aud L bummim set up in cheie Mindo immectiacelr by
B