l supposed the clearest parts of truth,
and the foundations of all our knowledge, which are not first known, and
without which the undoubted knowledge of several other things may be
had. The child certainly knows, that the nurse that feeds it is neither
the cat it plays with, nor the blackmoor it is afraid of: that the
wormseed or mustard it refuses, is not the apple or sugar it cries for:
this it is certainly and undoubtedly assured of: but will any one say,
it is by virtue of this principle, "That it is impossible for the same
thing to be and not to be," that it so firmly assents to these and other
parts of its knowledge? Or that the child has any notion or apprehension
of that proposition at an age, wherein yet, it is plain, it knows a
great many other truths? He that will say, children join in these
general abstract speculations with their sucking-bottles and their
rattles, may perhaps, with justice, be thought to have more passion and
zeal for his opinion, but less sincerity and truth, than one of that
age.

26. And so not innate.

Though therefore there be several general propositions that meet with
constant and ready assent, as soon as proposed to men grown up, who have
attained the use of more general and abstract ideas, and names standing
for them; yet they not being to be found in those of tender years, who
nevertheless know other things, they cannot pretend to universal assent
of intelligent persons, and so by no means can be supposed innate;--it
being impossible that any truth which is innate (if there were any such)
should be unknown, at least to any one who knows anything else. Since,
if they are innate truths, they must be innate thoughts: there being
nothing a truth in the mind that it has never thought on. Whereby it is
evident, if there be any innate truths, they must necessarily be the
first of any thought on; the first that appear.

27. Not innate, because they appear least, where what is innate shows
itself clearest.

That the general maxims we are discoursing of are not known to children,
idiots, and a great part of mankind, we have already sufficiently
proved: whereby it is evident they have not an universal assent, nor are
general impressions. But there is this further argument in it against
their being innate: that these characters, if they were native and
original impressions, should appear fairest and clearest in those
persons in whom yet we find no footsteps of them; and it is, in my