Chap. V.
1. What has occasioned sundry men to conceit that the Soul is Abrasa Tabula. 2. That the Mind of Man is not Abrasa Tabula, but has actuall Knowledge of her own, and in what sense she has so. 3. A farther illustration of the truth thereof.
1. And now we have found out this Idea of a Being absolutely Perfect, that the use which we shall hereafter make of it may take the better effect, it will not be amisse, by way of further preparation, briefly to touch upon that notable point in Philosophy, Whether the Soul of man be Abrasa Tabula, a Table-book in which nothing is writ; or Whether she have some Innate Notions and Ideas in herself. For so it is, that she having taken first occasion of thinking from externall Objects, it hath so imposed upon some mens judgements, that they have conceited that the Soul has no Knowledge nor Notion, but what is in a Passive way impressed or delineated upon her from the Objects of Sense, they not warily enough distinguishing betwixt extrinsecall Occasions, and the adequate or principal Causes of things.
2. But the Mind of Man more free, and better exercised in the close observations of its own operations and nature, cannot but discover that there is an active and actuall Knowledge in a man, of which these outward Objects are rather the re-minders then the first begetters or implanters. And when I say actuall Knowledge, I do not mean that there is a certain number of Ideas flaring and shining to the Animadversive Faculty, like so many Torches or Starres in the Firmament to our outward Sight, or that there are any Figures that take their distinct places, and are legibly writ there like the Red letters or Astronomical Characters in an Almanack: but I understand thereby an active sagacity in the Soul, or quick recollection, as it were, whereby some small businesse being hinted unto her, she runs out presently into a more clear and larger conception.
3. And I cannot better describe her condition then thus: Suppose a skilfull Musician fallen asleep in the field upon the grasse, during which time he shall not so much as dream any thing concerning his Musicall faculty, so that in one sense there is no actuall Skill or Notion, nor representation of any thing musicall in him, but his friend sitting by him, that cannot sing at all himself, jogs him and awakes him, and desires him to sing this or the other Song, telling him two or three words of the beginning of the Song, whereupon he presently takes it out of his mouth, and sings the whole Song upon so slight and slender intimation: So the Mind of Man being jogg'd and awakened by the impulses of outward Objects, is stirred up into a more full and clear conception of what was but imperfectly hinted to her from externall occasions; and this Faculty I venture to call actuall Knowledge, in such a sense as the sleeping Musician's skill might be called actuall Skill when he thought nothing of it.
