it, his
knowledge of it will be no perfecter than his, who having been told,
that the three angles of a triangle are equal to two right ones, takes
it upon trust, without examining the demonstration; and may yield his
assent as a probable opinion, but hath no knowledge of the truth of it;
which yet his faculties, if carefully employed, were able to make clear
and evident to him. But this only, by the by, to show how much OUR
KNOWLEDGE DEPENDS UPON THE RIGHT USE OF THOSE POWERS NATURE HATH
BESTOWED UPON US, and how little upon SUCH INNATE PRINCIPLES AS ARE IN
VAIN SUPPOSED TO BE IN ALL MANKIND FOR THEIR DIRECTION; which all men
could not but know if they were there, or else they would be there to no
purpose. And which since all men do not know, nor can distinguish from
other adventitious truths, we may well conclude there are no such.
24. Men must think and know for themselves.
What censure doubting thus of innate principles may deserve from men,
who will be apt to call it pulling up the old foundations of knowledge
and certainty, I cannot tell;--I persuade myself at least that the
way I have pursued, being conformable to truth, lays those foundations
surer. This I am certain, I have not made it my business either to quit
or follow any authority in the ensuing Discourse. Truth has been my
only aim; and wherever that has appeared to lead, my thoughts have
impartially followed, without minding whether the footsteps of any
other lay that way or not. Not that I want a due respect to other men's
opinions; but, after all, the greatest reverence is due to truth: and
I hope it will not be thought arrogance to say, that perhaps we should
make greater progress in the discovery of rational and contemplative
knowledge, if we sought it in the fountain, IN THE CONSIDERATION OF
THINGS THEMSELVES; and made use rather of our own thoughts than other
men's to find it. For I think we may as rationally hope to see with
other men's eyes, as to know by other men's understandings. So much as
we ourselves consider and comprehend of truth and reason, so much we
possess of real and true knowledge. The floating of other men's opinions
in our brains, makes us not one jot the more knowing, though they happen
to be true. What in them was science, is in us but opiniatrety; whilst
we give up our assent only to reverend names, and do not, as they
did, employ our own reason to understand those truths which gave them
reputation. Aristotle was certainl
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