innate principles

were a short and easy conclusion that eased the lazy from the pains of search and stopped the doubtful from inquiring.

Recast in definition form from: “When men have found some general propositions that could not be doubted of as soon as understood, it was, I know, a short and easy way to conclude them innate. This being once received, it eased the lazy from the pains of search, and stopped the inquiry of the doubtful concerning all that was once styled innate.”

if they existed would be as easy to number as our fingers, yet nobody has ventured to give a catalogue of them.

Recast in definition form from: “There could be no more doubt about their number than there is about the number of our fingers; and it is like then every system would be ready to give them us by tale. But since nobody, that I know, has ventured yet to give a catalogue of them”

listed by men of different sects would be only those that suited their hypotheses and supported the doctrines of their particular schools or churches.

Recast in definition form from: “It is easy to foresee, that if different men of different sects should go about to give us a list of those innate practical principles, they would set down only such as suited their distinct hypotheses, and were fit to support the doctrines of their particular schools or churches; a plain evidence that there are no such innate truths.”

received on their own authority without examination leave nothing that may not be believed, and no one's principles that can be questioned.

Recast in definition form from: “And, indeed, if it be the privilege of innate principles to be received upon their own authority, without examination, I know not what may not be believed, or how any one's principles can be questioned.”

cannot outrun their ideas: where the ideas themselves are not, there can be no knowledge, no assent, no proposition about them.

Recast in definition form from: “For, where the ideas themselves are not, there can be no knowledge, no assent, no mental or verbal propositions about them.”

served would-be masters and teachers: once "principles must not be questioned" was the principle of principles, followers were kept in blind credulity, easier to govern.

Recast in definition form from: “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 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.”

face a dilemma: if they are imprinted, how can they be unknown? and if they are not imprinted, how can they be innate?

Recast in definition form from: “For if they are not notions naturally imprinted, how can they be innate? and if they are notions imprinted, how can they be unknown?”

are, of the speculative kind, of little use, and of the practical kind, not self-evident — why would God's finger engrave characters no clearer than those learned later?

Recast in definition form from: “whereof those that are pretended innate, and concern SPECULATION, are of no great use; and those that concern PRACTICE, not self-evident; and neither of them distinguishable from some other truths not allowed to be innate.”

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innate principles, n.All

innate principles