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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 360, page id 778263916:0376
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Nrone Assent or rri
Bacon Was a Machematician, or a Magician: In these and suctr like Cases.
erhere the Assent one ay or other, is ot no Importance to the Interest
ot any onc, no Action, no Concernment ot his follomins, or dependirie
thereon, there tis not sranse, that the Mind Mould sive it selt up eo tho
common Opinion, or render it selF t0 the Arst Comer. These and the
like Opinions, are of so little eighe and momene, that like Mores in the
Sun, their Pendencies are very rarely talien notice ot. They are there,
25 it vere, by Chance, and the Mind lers them Aoat at liberer. But where
theMind judges, thePropoltion has Concernment in it, where ihe AP
sent, or not Assentins, is thoustu ro drar Consequences alter it oF ino
ment, and ciodd or Fvil to devend on chutine, or retulins the righe
Side, and the Mind sets it self scrioussy to enquire, and examine the Pro-
babilit; there, I thint, it is not in our Choice, to tatte which side ve
Please, it manisest oddsappears on cither: The greater Probabilitr, l chirk.
inthac Casc, Will determine the ACenE; and a Man can no more avoid a(-
lentins, or talins itto De true, irhere he perceires the greater Probabilis
cy, chan hecan aroid hnorins ic eo be crue, irhiere le perccires the A:
Greement or Dilasreement ot any trro Ideas.
IE ehis be fo, the Foundation of Frrour will lic in rrons Mcalures ot
Probabilitr; as the Foundation of Vice, in irone Mcasures oF Gro0d.
5. X7. Fourthly TheFourth and last vrone Measure of Probability 
Pall take notice ot, and which keeps in IBnOranc. C, Or Frror, more Peo-
ple than all the other rogether, is chat which Ihave mentioned in the
fore soing Chapter, Imean, the sivine up our Assent to the common recei-
red Opinions, cither of our Friends, or Party; Neichbourtiood, or
Counerr. Iion mans Men have no other cround for their Tenets, than
ehe suppoled IIonesr, or Learming, or Number ol thole ot the lame Pro-
Fession: ASif honest, or boolis Nlen couldnot err, or Pruth vere tobe
Cltablied by the Vote of the Multitude; vet chis rith molt nen serves
the Turn. The Tenet has had the acrestation ol reverend Antiquity; it
comes to me Withithe Pals port ol former Ages, andcheretore lam lecure in
the Reception Psire it: OthierMen have been, andare of the same Opinion,
(For thar is alt is laid,) and therefore it is realonable forme to embrace it. A
Man mas more justitiabls chrou up Crols and Dile for his Opinions, than
tatie them up by such Meatures. AIIMen are liable to Firror, and most Men
are in mans Points, by Pastion or Interest, under Temptation to it. IF Wve
could bur sec the secret motires, thac indluenced the Men oF Name and
Learnins in che Worid, and the Lcaders ot Parties, we Mould nor alvars
tind, thac it ras the embracins ol Truch tor irs omn lakre, that made
ehem espouse the Doctrines, they omned and maintained. This at least is
cerrain, there is not an Opinion lo absurd, wrhich a Man may not receire
uxon this ground. There is no Frrorto Denamed, WtricH has noc had
its Prosessors: And a Man Pall never want crooled Paths to walke in, it
he thinles he is in the rishe way, Where ever he hasthe Foot. Aeps olothers
Eofoltorr.
5. 28. But notrithstanding the grear Noise is made in the WVorId abOuL
tirrors and Opinions, Imust doMantrind that Rietu, a5 tolar, There are
not so many Men in Frrors, and urone Opinions, as is commonty supposed.
Noc that I thinte ther embrace che Truth; but indced, beciule concer-
nins thole Doctrines ther hecp luch a Rir about, ther have no Thoughe.
no Opinionat all. For il any one Bould a licele catechile the greareapart
Olche Partilans ot most ot the Sects in the Worid, he vouldnor find, con-
cernins thole Mattersthey ore lo zealous for, that ther have anr Opi
nions chcis omn; much lets Noula he have Rcason 10 this, ilac ce
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