Mozley: A Treatise on the Augustinian Doctrine of

294 Conclusion. CHAP. xr.
accurate or philosophical perception of it ; such as arises
from the mind s contemplation and examination of itself,
and its own perceptions ; a scrutiny into its own insight
into truth, and a comparison of the different modes in
which it perceives and entertains truth ; which modes or
kinds of perception widely differ, and being with respect
to some truths, distinct, complete, and absolute, are with
respect to others dim, confused, and imperfect.
To judge
from the way in which people in general express themselves
on this subject of human ignorance, they have no very
accurate perception of it ; seldom going out of certain
commonplace phrases and forms of speech, forms of
speech, indeed, which mean much when used by those who
see their true meaning, but mean much less, though still
perhaps something, when used vaguely and without atten
tion, and because the whole is thing taken for granted
immediately, and then dismissed from the mind. This
is all that the
general admission and confession of the fact,
mass of men appear to attain to on this important ques
tion ; and doubtless it is, as far as it goes, a useful and
serviceable conclusion of the mind especially in the case
of devout persons, whose piety compensates for the want
of clearness in their ideas, and sustains in them a perpetual
practical perception of this truth, together with its natural
fruits of humility, sobriety, and resignation.
But though it is undoubtedly a matter of regret that
more should not have attained, than appear to have done,
to something like an accurate and philosophical perception
of their own ignorance ; the explanation of this fact is
contained in the very statement of it, as just given. For
this deeper perception cannot be gained, but by those
minds that have gone through something of that process
of thought, which has been just referred to. Men must
have reflected upon themselves, and examined to a certain
extent the constitution of their own minds, their percep
tions, or modes of entertaining truth, in order to have
is not one in
gained it. But this internal department
which any large proportion of men take much interest ;
and a taste for this kind of inspection is perhaps rarer