est, if not only, misleads us in is, that the principles from which we conclude the grounds upon which we bottom our reasoning, are but a part; something is left out, which should go into the reckoning, to make it just and exact. Here we may imagine a vast and almost infinite advantage that angels and separate spirits[1] may have over us, who in their several degrees of elevation above us may be endowed with more comprehensive faculties; and some of them perhaps, having perfect and exact views of all finite beings that come under their consideration, can, as it were, in the twinkling of an eye, collect together all their scattered and almost boundless relations. A mind so furnished, what reason has it to acquiesce in the certainty of its conclusions!
In this we may see the reason why some men of study and thought, that reason right and are lovers of truth, do make no great advances in their discoveries of it. Error and truth are uncertainly blended in their minds; their decisions are lame and defective, and they are very often mistaken in their judgments: the reason whereof is, they converse but with one sort of men, they read but one sort of books, they will not come in the hearing but of one sort of notions; the truth is, they canton out to themselves a little Goshen[2] in the intellectual world, where light shines,
- ↑ Angels and separate spirits. The scholastics of the Middle Ages were much engaged in discussing the form and attributes of angels. The ideas evolved became a part of the theology of the time, which was finally embodied in Milton's magnificent epic, “Paradise Lost.” As this was published in 1667, Locke was undoubtedly familiar with the poet's noble treatment of the subject.
- ↑ Canton out to themselves a little Goshen. Canton, literally, to divide a territory into small districts. Here used in the sense of portion. The reference is to the land of plenty in which Joseph settled his father and brethren when the famine reigned over Egypt. Cf. Gen. xlv. 9-11, The figure here elaborated is a fine characterization of the spirit of sectarianism that in Locke's time was rife in all departments of thought.
