Date: 1701
"For I will here suppose the Soul, or Mind of Man, to be at first, rasa Tabula, like fair paper, that hath no connate Character or Idea's imprinted upon it (as that Learned Theorist Mr. Lock hath, I suppose, fully proved) and that it is not sensible of any thing at its coming...
preview | full record— Cumberland, Richard (1632-1718)
Date: 1702
"The Soul of Man comes into this World at least as Ill-informed of the Affairs of Grace, as those of Nature. It is in all respects, a Rasa tabula, a meer Blank, and hath need of being fill'd with every thing"
preview | full record— Jurieu, Pierre (1637-1713); Fleetwood, William, Trans.
Date: 1702
An innate Principle is one "originally Imprinted on the Mind."
preview | full record— Trotter, Catherine, later Cockburn, (1674?-1749)
Date: 1703
"This is also abundantly proved by the Experience of all such, as being secretly touched with the Call of God's Grace unto them, do apply themselves to false Teachers, where the Remedy proves worse than the Disease; because, instead of knowing God, or the things relating to their Salvation aright...
preview | full record— Barclay, Robert (1648-1690)
Date: 1703-4
"All therefore that [Jesus] cou'd take from his Mother, must be the Weaknesses, not the Faults of Humanity, not proceeding from her like a rasa tabula, with no Impressions at all, but indifferent to good and evil"
preview | full record— Anonymous
Date: 1704
"My Soul's, as to that Affair, a clean sheet of Paper, a meer Tabula Rasa; therefore, Sir, you may impress any Characters in the World upon it; Mahometan, Jew, or Pagan, 'tis all a case to your poor distressed Servant"
preview | full record— Brown, Thomas (bap. 1663, d. 1704)
Date: 1704
"It's a kind of tabula rasa, a Blank, that almost with the same Facility receives the Characters of Angel, and of Devil; but when once it's stained with Sin, when it's by-assed by ill Habits, and worse Principles, you will find it stubborn and rebellious."
preview | full record— Darrell, William (1651-1721)
Date: 1704
"But it does hence follow, That the Soul of Man in its Original Constitution, and in the most perfect State of its nature, is not a Rasa Tabula, without any Notions or Ideas of Truth imprinted on it; but that it has its most natural and perfect Knowledge from within, from contemplating its...
preview | full record— Sherlock, William (1639/40-1707)
Date: 1704
"Has this Old Man, who was once an admirable Scholar, no Ideas left in his mind? Is his Soul become a Rasa Tabula again?"
preview | full record— Sherlock, William (1639/40-1707)
Date: 1707
"Lest any understand what I have said a few Pages hence as if I wholly denied common Innate Principles, observe, That it is only actual Connate Knowledge that I deny, and in respect to which I say that the Soul is rasa tabula; but I confess a Natural Passive power for the knowing of them a...
preview | full record— Baxter, Richard (1615-1691)

