18. Observable in the opposition between different sects of philosophy and of religion.
Some such wrong and
unnatural combinations of ideas will be found to establish the irreconcilable opposition between different sects of
philosophy and religion; for we cannot imagine every one of their followers to impose wilfully on himself, and
knowingly refuse truth offered by plain reason. Interest, though it does a great deal in the case, yet cannot be
thought to work whole societies of men to so universal a perverseness, as that every one of them to a man should
knowingly maintain falsehood: some at least must be allowed to do what all pretend to, i.e., to pursue truth
sincerely; and therefore there must be something that blinds their understandings, and makes them not see the
falsehood of what they embrace for real truth. That which thus captivates their reasons, and leads men of sincerity
blindfold from common sense, will, when examined, be found to be what we are speaking of: some independent
ideas, of no alliance to one another, are, by education, custom, and the constant din of their party, so coupled in
their minds, that they always appear there together; and they can no more separate them in their thoughts than if
they were but one idea, and they operate as if they were so. This gives sense to jargon, demonstration to
absurdities, and consistency to nonsense, and is the foundation of the greatest, I had almost said of all the errors in
the world; or, if it does not reach so far, it is at least the most dangerous one, since, so far as it obtains, it hinders
men from seeing and examining. When two things, in themselves disjoined, appear to the sight constantly united;
if the eye sees these things riveted which are loose, where will you begin to rectify the mistakes that follow in two
ideas that they have been accustomed so to join in their minds as to substitute one for the other, and, as I am apt to
think, often without perceiving it themselves? This, whilst they are under the deceit of it, makes them incapable of
conviction, and they applaud themselves as zealous champions for truth, when indeed they are contending for
error; and the confusion of two different ideas, which a customary connexion of them in their minds hath to them
made in effect but one, fills their heads with false views, and their reasonings with false consequences.
