1. An Inquiry into the Understanding, pleafant and ufeful. 2. Defign. 3. Method. 4. Ufeful to know the Extent of our Comprehenfion. 5. Our Capacity proportioned to our State and concerns, to difcover things ufeful to us. 6. Knowing the Extent of our Capacities, will hinder us from ufelefs Curiofity, Scepticifm, and Idlenefs. 7. Occafion of this Effay. 8. What Idea ftands for. SECT. CHAP. II. No Innate Speculative Principles. 1. The Way fhown how we come by any Knowledge, fufficient to prove it not innate. 2. General Affent, the great Argument. 3. Univerfal Confent, proves nothing innate. 4. What is, is; and it is impoffible for the fame thing to be and not to be; not univerfally affented to. 5. Not on the Mind naturally imprinted, because not known to Children, Idiots, &c. 6, 7. That Men know them when they come to the Ufe of Reason, answered. 8. If Reafon difcovered them, that would not prove them innate. 9-11. It is falfe, that Reafon difcovers them. 12. The coming to the Ufe of Reafon, not the Time we come to know thefe Maxims. 13. By this, they are not diftinguished from other knowable Truths. 14. If coming to the Ufe of Reason, were the Time of their Difcovery, it would not prove them innate. 15, 16. The Steps by which the Mind attains feveral Truths. 17. Affenting as foon as propofed and underflood, proves them not innate. 18. If fuch an Affent be a Mark of innate, then that One and Two are equal to Three; that Sweetness is not Bitterness; and a thousand the like, must be innate. 19. Such lefs general Propofitions known before thefe univerfal Maxims. 20. One and One equal to Two, &c. not general nor useful, anfwered. 21. These Maxims not being known fometimes till proposed, proves them not innate. 22. Implicitly known before propofing, fignifies that the Mind is capable of underftanding them, or elfe fignifies nothing. 23. The Argument of affenting on first hearing, is upon a falfe fuppofition of no precedent teaching. 24. Not innate, because not univerfally affented to. 25. These Maxims not the first known. 26. And fo not innate. 27. Not innate, because they appear least, where what is innate fhows itself cleareft. 28. Recapitulation. SECT. CHAP. III. No Innate Practical Principles. 1. No moral Principles fo clear and fo generally received, as the forementioned fpeculative Maxims. 2. Faith and Juflice not owned as Principles by all Men. 3. Ob Though Men deny them in their Practice, yet they admit them in their Thoughts, answered. 4. Moral Rules need a Proof, ergo not innate. 6. Virtue generally approved, not because innate, but be- 7. Mens actions convince us, that the Rule of Virtue is 8. Confcience no Proof of any innate moral Rule. 11-13. Whole Nations reject feveral moral Rules. 14. Those who maintain innate practical Principles, tell us 15-19. Lord Herbert's innate Principles examined. 22-26. How Men commonly come by their Principles.. CHAP. IV. Other Confiderations about innate Principles, both speculative SECT. 1. Principles not innate, unless their Ideas be innate. 4, 5. Identity, an Idea not innate. 6. Whole and Part, not innate Ideas. 7. Idea of Worship, not innate. 8-11. Idea of God, not innate. 12. Suitable to God's goodness, that all men should have an 13-16. Ideas of God various in different men. 17. If the Idea of God be not innate, no other can be fup- 18. Idea of Subftance, not innate. 19. No Propofitions can be innate, fince no ideas are innate. troduced. 21. Principles not innate, because of little Ufe or little Cer- tainty. |