Book,  Chapter

  1    Int         |              of belief, opinion, and assent;—I shall not at present
  2    Int         |             we ought to regulate our assent and moderate our persuasion.
  3    Int         |         opinion: whereby I mean that assent which we give to any proposition
  4    Int         |           the reasons and degrees of assent.~4. Useful to know the extent
  5      I,  I     |             they find it.~2. General assent the great argument. There
  6      I,  I     |            mankind give an universal assent. I shall begin with the
  7      I,  I     |             from having an universal assent, that there are a great
  8      I,  I     |            to destroy that universal assent which must needs be the
  9      I,  I     |             and necessarily know and assent to these truths; which since
 10      I,  I     |          know the truth of them, and assent to it.~6. That men know
 11      I,  I     |      answered, that all men know and assent to them, when they come
 12      I,  I     |            to us, and make us firmly assent to, those are all naturally
 13      I,  I     |           mind; since that universal assent, which is made the mark
 14      I,  I     |             certain knowledge of and assent to them; and, by this means,
 15      I,  I     |            have occasion to speak of assent upon the first proposing,
 16      I,  I     |             them out and to gain our assent; but the other, as soon
 17      I,  I     |            will find that this ready assent of the mind to some truths,
 18      I,  I     |       nothing to do in procuring our assent to these maxims, if by saying,
 19      I,  I     |           saying, that “men know and assent to them, when they come
 20      I,  I     |           they come also to know and assent to these maxims; this also
 21      I,  I     |            saying, that men know and assent to these maxims “when they
 22      I,  I     |          they are innate because men assent to them when they come to
 23      I,  I     |          this proposition, that men “assent to them when they come to
 24      I,  I     |              not the same thing.~16. Assent to supposed innate truths
 25      I,  I     |         neither does he then readily assent because it is an innate
 26      I,  I     |            innate truth, nor was his assent wanting till then because
 27      I,  I     |             it be before he comes to assent to those maxims;—whose terms,
 28      I,  I     |         evasion therefore of general assent when men come to the use
 29      I,  I     |   endeavoured to secure an universal assent to those they call maxims,
 30      I,  I     |            and understand the terms, assent to these propositions, they
 31      I,  I     |         doubts again.~18. If such an assent be a mark of innate, then “
 32      I,  I     |               I demand whether ready assent given to a proposition,
 33      I,  I     |            it be not, such a general assent is in vain urged as a proof
 34      I,  I     |             the same ground, viz. of assent at first hearing and understanding
 35      I,  I     |          which are sure to meet with assent as soon as they are understood.
 36      I,  I     |          stand for, must necessarily assent to. If these men will be
 37      I,  I     |             their own rule, and have assent at first hearing and understanding
 38      I,  I     |               will as certainly find assent at first hearing and understanding
 39      I,  I     |      experience. Universal and ready assent upon hearing and understanding
 40      I,  I     |               cannot owe to them the assent wherewith they are received
 41      I,  I     |            the argument of universal assent upon hearing and understanding.
 42      I,  I     |          found that receives general assent as soon as heard and understood,
 43      I,  I     |         proposed in order to gaining assent, when, by being in the understanding,
 44      I,  I     |            them, cannot refuse their assent to.~22. Implicitly known
 45      I,  I     |       demonstrate a proposition than assent to it when demonstrated.
 46      I,  I     |          first hearing; because they assent to propositions which they
 47      I,  I     |       expressed, we at first hearing assent; though to other propositions,
 48      I,  I     |           before the same child will assent to this proposition, “That
 49      I,  I     |          endeavour to make any child assent to a proposition made up
 50      I,  I     |       themselves, he affords neither assent nor dissent, but is ignorant.
 51      I,  I     |             our ideas, we cannot but assent to them as they correspond
 52      I,  I     |        grounds of several degrees of assent, being the business of the
 53      I,  I     |            must needs have universal assent. For that a truth should
 54      I,  I     |          enough to destroy universal assent, and thereby show these
 55      I,  I     |            thought, of knowledge, of assent, can it rationally be supposed
 56      I,  I     |         within? Can they receive and assent to adventitious notions,
 57      I,  I     |              with constant and ready assent, as soon as proposed to
 58      I,  I     |          cannot pretend to universal assent of intelligent persons,
 59      I,  I     |           they have not an universal assent, nor are general impressions.
 60      I,  I     |     universally assented to; and the assent they so generally find is
 61      I,  I     |             with them: and since the assent that is given them is produced
 62      I,  II    |              not an actual universal assent from all mankind, as we
 63      I,  II    |              so general and ready an assent as, “What is, is”; or to
 64      I,  II    |            them, and the slowness of assent wherewith others receive
 65      I,  II    |         justice which they allow and assent to?~3. Objection: “though
 66      I,  II    |             be urged, that the tacit assent of their minds agrees to
 67      I,  II    |               not barely speculative assent to their truth, or else
 68      I,  II    |              not so much as that men assent to them inwardly in their
 69      I,  II    |             of other things, come to assent to several moral rules,
 70      I,  II    |              therefore they know and assent to. But in neither of these
 71      I,  II    |              by this mark of general assent; and it is enough to make
 72      I,  II    |              hardly avoid giving his assent to, yet I think he is far
 73      I,  III   |              can be no knowledge, no assent, no mental or verbal propositions
 74      I,  III   |              regulate itself and its assent by ideas that it never yet
 75      I,  III   |      propositions that could fail to assent to them; though yet it be
 76      I,  III   |            The general reception and assent that is given doth not at
 77      I,  III   |            the ideas came there, the assent to words expressing the
 78      I,  III   |             of God and worship, will assent to this proposition, “That
 79      I,  III   |              to-day, may be ready to assent to this proposition to-morrow;
 80      I,  III   |              they will also begin to assent to that proposition, and
 81      I,  III   |              ever after. But such an assent upon hearing, no more proves
 82      I,  III   |           cleared, he will certainly assent to this proposition, “That
 83      I,  III   |            And therefore, if such an assent upon hearing cannot prove
 84      I,  III   |             misemploy their power of assent, by lazily enslaving their
 85      I,  III   |     demonstration; and may yield his assent as a probable opinion, but
 86      I,  III   |   opiniatrety; whilst we give up our assent only to reverend names,
 87     II,  XI    |          propositions find universal assent, impute it wholly to native
 88     II,  XXII  |               v.g. consideration and assent, which are actions of the
 89     II,  XXXIII|          person dictates and demands assent without inquiry.~18. Observable
 90     IV,  II    |            clear and bright, nor the assent so ready, as in intuitive
 91     IV,  VII   |          find that the reason of his assent is from that agreement or
 92     IV,  VII   |             first hearing, force the assent, and carry with them an
 93     IV,  VII   |            that which makes the mind assent to such propositions, being
 94     IV,  VII   |         another, the mind cannot but assent to such a proposition as
 95     IV,  VII   |            him certain, and give his assent to this proposition, that
 96     IV,  XI    |            capable of it; and refuse assent to very rational propositions,
 97     IV,  XI    |             like propositions we may assent to, as highly probable,
 98     IV,  XII   |           made so to us by our blind assent, we are liable to be misled
 99     IV,  XIV   |             labours.~3. Judgment, or assent to probability, supplies
100     IV,  XIV   |              is most commonly called assent or dissent: which being
101     IV,  XV    |           case the foundation of his assent is the probability of the
102     IV,  XV    |           that that which causes his assent to this proposition, that
103     IV,  XV    |         doubt at all about them; but assent to them as firmly, and act,
104     IV,  XV    |           and act, according to that assent, as resolutely as if they
105     IV,  XV    |   impossibility; and also degrees of assent from full assurance and
106     IV,  XV    |          grounds of probability, and assent or faith.~3. Being that
107     IV,  XV    |       propositions is called belief, assent, or opinion, which is the
108     IV,  XV    |             with a more or less firm assent, proportionably to the preponderancy
109     IV,  XV    |        nature of the thing itself to assent to it; unless some manifest
110     IV,  XV    |              commonly regulate their assent, and upon which they pin
111     IV,  XV    |              well of, be a ground of assent, men have reason to be Heathens
112     IV,  XV    |              of this wrong ground of assent I shall have occasion to
113     IV,  XVI   |        Chapter XVI~Of the Degrees of Assent ~1. Our assent ought to
114     IV,  XVI   |            Degrees of Assent ~1. Our assent ought to be regulated by
115     IV,  XVI   |             foundations on which our assent is built, so are they also
116     IV,  XVI   |         stick to in the world, their assent is not always from an actual
117     IV,  XVI   |      deserves such a degree of their assent as they afford it.~2. These
118     IV,  XVI   |          ground for such a degree of assent. This is all that the greatest
119     IV,  XVI   |             return to the grounds of assent, and the several degrees
120     IV,  XVI   |      probable. And in this case, our assent has a sufficient foundation
121     IV,  XVI   |     indifferent, produce unavoidable assent. In things that happen indifferently,
122     IV,  XVI   |     unsuspected witnesses, there our assent is also unavoidable. Thus:
123     IV,  XVI   |      judgment, and to proportion the assent to the different evidence
124     IV,  XVI   |       degrees wherein men give their assent. This only may be said in
125     IV,  XVI   |       becomes. This is what concerns assent in matters wherein testimony
126     IV,  XVI   |             opinions with variety of assent, though the things be such,
127     IV,  XVI   |             the fact lessens not the assent to a fair testimony given
128     IV,  XVI   |            the highest degree of our assent, upon bare testimony, whether
129     IV,  XVI   |            name, revelation, and our assent to it, faith, which as absolutely
130     IV,  XVI   |        settled and sure principle of assent and assurance, and leaves
131     IV,  XVI   |       therefore, in those cases, our assent can be rationally no higher
132     IV,  XVI   |              on probable proofs, our assent can reach no higher than
133     IV,  XVI   |            it be nothing else but an assent founded on the highest reason.  ~
134     IV,  XVII  |        knowledge, and regulating our assent. For it hath to do both
135     IV,  XVII  |            it gives or withholds its assent, as in opinion. Sense and
136     IV,  XVII  |            we are fain to substitute assent instead of knowledge, and
137     IV,  XVII  |               to which it will think assent due. This is the lowest
138     IV,  XVII  |            in probabilities. For the assent there being to be determined
139     IV,  XVII  |           does not, as is said, only assent to, but) knows to be true,
140     IV,  XVII  |              In the discovery of and assent to these truths, there is
141     IV,  XVII  |            so clear and strong, that assent as necessarily follows it,
142     IV,  XVII  |           use of to prevail on their assent; or at least to awe them
143     IV,  XVII  |          faith is nothing but a firm assent of the mind: which, if it
144     IV,  XVII  |            of it. For he governs his assent right, and places it as
145     IV,  XVIII |            probability to direct our assent in matters where we have
146     IV,  XVIII |            on the other side, is the assent to any proposition, not
147     IV,  XVIII |              two right ones, I might assent to the truth of that proposition,
148     IV,  XVIII |             as necessary to gain our assent, and introduce them into
149     IV,  XVIII |         agreement, that we can never assent to a proposition that affirms
150     IV,  XVIII |            revelation, or obtain the assent due to all such, if it be
151     IV,  XVIII |             knowledge, evidence, and assent whatsoever: and there would
152     IV,  XVIII |          faith. They cannot move our assent under that or any other
153     IV,  XVIII |            such as I must come to an assent to only by the use of my
154     IV,  XVIII |           reason ever to procure any assent to that which to itself
155     IV,  XVIII |              is bound to give up its assent to such a testimony which,
156     IV,  XVIII |    revelation ought to determine our assent, even against probability.
157     IV,  XVIII |     principle of truth and ground of assent, may determine; and so it
158     IV,  XVIII |             to be received with full assent. Such a submission as this,
159     IV,  XIX   |          goes beyond this measure of assent, it is plain, receives not
160     IV,  XIX   |            it, whatsoever degrees of assent he affords it beyond the
161     IV,  XIX   |             of truth should carry my assent above the evidence there
162     IV,  XIX   |              of truth should make me assent to any proposition for the
163     IV,  XIX   |           the arguments that gain it assent are the vouchers and gage
164     IV,  XIX   |           alone, which is to command assent by only its own authority,
165     IV,  XIX   |           consider a third ground of assent, which with some men has
166     IV,  XIX   |         natural. If he would have us assent to the truth of any proposition,
167     IV,  XIX   |         truth which he would have us assent to by his authority, and
168     IV,  XX    |                  Chapter XX~Of Wrong Assent, or Error ~1. Causes of
169     IV,  XX    |              or how men come to give assent contrary to probability.
170     IV,  XX    |       mistake of our judgment giving assent to that which is not true.~
171     IV,  XX    |            which is not true.~But if assent be grounded on likelihood,
172     IV,  XX    |             object and motive of our assent be probability, and that
173     IV,  XX    |              may be easily misled to assent to positions that are not
174     IV,  XX    |           with, much less a rational assent to, probabilities they are
175     IV,  XX    |             have been shown of wrong assent, and how it comes to pass
176     IV,  XX    |              always received with an assent proportionable to the reasons
177     IV,  XX    |              epechein, suspend their assent, or give it to the less
178     IV,  XX    |             unavoidably misguide his assent, who hath imbibed wrong
179     IV,  XX    | probabilities may be evaded, and the assent withheld, upon this suggestion,
180     IV,  XX    |              naturally determine the assent. But yet there is some end
181     IV,  XX    |            that he cannot refuse his assent. So that I think we may
182     IV,  XX    |             the contrary side; there assent, suspense, or dissent, are
183     IV,  XX    |           them can scarce refuse his assent to the side on which the
184     IV,  XX    |              nor at all waver in his assent. Lastly, when there can
185     IV,  XX    |            man’s power to refuse his assent; but that it necessarily
186     IV,  XX    |           man’s power to suspend his assent; and perhaps content himself
187     IV,  XX    |              a man should afford his assent to that side on which the
188     IV,  XX    |             perception; so, I think, assent is no more in our power
189     IV,  XX    |           probable, I cannot deny my assent to. But, though we cannot
190     IV,  XX    |              once perceived; nor our assent, where the probability manifestly
191     IV,  XX    |            hinder both knowledge and assent, by stopping our inquiry,
192     IV,  XX    |           can prevent or suspend our assent: but can a man versed in
193     IV,  XX    |           such like cases, where the assent one way or other is of no
194     IV,  XX    |         concernment in it: where the assent or not assenting is thought
195     IV,  XX    |              case will determine the assent: and a man can no more avoid
196     IV,  XX    |             I mean the giving up our assent to the common received opinions,
197     IV,  XX    |              are fewer that actually assent to them, and mistake them