Page:An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding - Locke (1690).djvu/52

RV 36 (Chap IV.) addition to his stock, who gathers them. Such borrowed Wealth, like Fairy-money, though it were Gold in the hand from which he received it, will be but Leaves and Dust when it comes to use.

§. 23. When Men have found some general Propositions that could not be doubted of, as soon as understood, it was, I know, a short and easie way to conclude them innate. This being once received, it eased the lazy from the pains of search, and stopp'd the enquiry of the doubtful, concerning all that was once stiled innate: And it was of no small advantage to those who affected to be Masters and Teachers, to make this the Principle of Principles, That Principles must not be questioned: For having once established this Tenet, That there are innate Principles, it put their Followers upon a necessity of receiving some Doctrines as such, which was to take them off from the use of their own Reason and Judgment, and put them upon believing and taking them upon trust, without farther examination: In which posture of blind Credulity, they might be more easily governed by, and made useful to some sort of Men, who had the skill and office to principle and guide them. Nor is it a small power it gives one Man over another, to have the Authority to be the Dictator of Principles, and Teacher of unquestionable Truths; and to make a man swallow that for an innate Principle, which may serve to his purpose who teacheth them. Whereas had they examined the ways, whereby men came to the knowledge of many universal Truths, they would have found them to result in the Minds of men, from the being of things themselves, when duely considered; and that they were discovered by the application of those Faculties, that were fitted by Nature to receive and judge of them, when duely employ'd about them.

§. 24. To shew how the Understanding proceeds herein, is the design of the following Discourse; which I shall proceed to, when I have first premised, that hitherto to clear my way to those foundations, which, I conceive are the only true ones, whereon to establish those Notions we can have of our own Knowledge, it hath been necessary for me to give you an account of the Reasons I had to doubt of innate Principles: And since the Arguments which are against them, do, some of them, rise from common received Opinions, I have been forced to take several things for granted, which is hardly avoidable to any one, whose Task it is to shew the falshood, or improbability, of any Tenet; it happening in Controversial Discourses, as it does in assaulting of Towns; where, if the ground be but firm, whereon the Batteries are erected, there is no farther enquiry of whom it is borrowed, nor whom it belongs to, so it affords but a fit rise for the present purpose. But in the future part of this Discourse, designing to raise an Edifice uniform, and consistent with it self, as far as my own Experience and Observation will assist me, I hope, to lay the foundation so, that the rest will easily depend upon it: And I shall not need to shore it up with props and buttrices, leaning on borrowed or begg'd foundations: Or at least, if mine prove a Castle in the Air, I will endeavour it shall be all of a piece, and hang together. Wherein I tell you before-hand, you are not to expect undeniable, cogent demonstrations, unless you will suffer me, as others have done, to take my Principles for granted; and then, I doubt not, but I can demonstrate too. All that I shall say for the Principles I proceed on, is, that I can only appeal to mens own unprejudiced Experience, and Observations, whether they be true, or no; and this is enough for a man who professes no more, than to lay down candidly and freely his own Conjectures, concerning a Subject not very obvious, without any other design, than an unbiass'd enquiry after Truth.