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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 108, page id 778263916:0124
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and theretore he never comes at all to have a clear and posirive Ldea OE
that Smalnels, Wrhich is consequene to infinice Divisibilier.
5. F9. Every onethac lools Forards Intinity, does, as l’have said, at trst
slance makce lome verr larse Ldea ot that he applies it to, let it bc Space.
OrDuration; and poltibly ercaries his Fhoustus, by mulciplyins in his mind
that tirst larse Idea: But vet by thathe comes nonearer, havins apositive
clear Idea ot Wrhrat remains, to malseup a positive Intinite, thanthe Coun.
try. sellon had olthe Water Which Was vetto come, and pals the Channet
Olthe Civer where he Aood:
Rustieus expectat dum transeat amnis, at ille
Labitur ( Tabetur per omne volubilis aevum.
5. 20. There are somet have met withr, that put so much disterence be-
treen intinite Duration, andintinire Space, thar they persuade themlelves,
chatthes have a positive Idea of Lternity; hut thac they have not, nOr Can
have any. Idea of insinite Space. The reason oF which mistake, P suppose
toDe chis, That findins by a due Contemplation ol Caules and F Hects,
that it is necellary ro admit lome Pternal Beins. and so to consider che
real existence of chat Beins, 25 talcins up, and commensurare to their Idea
OE Fternitr. But on thie ocher side, not tindins it necellary, but on the
contrary apparently absurd, chat Bod Mould De intinite, ther Formarcly
conclude ther can have no Idea of intinire Spaco, becaule they can have
no Fdea oFintinite Matter: Which Consequence, I conccire, is very ill col-
lected, che Fxistence o( Matrer beins no mays pecessary ro the existence
OE Spacc, no more chanthe Existence oFMotion, or the Sun, is neceltarr
t0 Duration, though Duration uses to be meatured by it: And I douDe nOt
But a Nan may have the Idea of r0000Miles square; rithout any Body
(0 bis, a5 Well as tlic Ldea oF F000O Vears, Without anx Body 50 old.
It seems as calieto me tohave the Ldea et Space empey of BOdY, 25 t0
chink oFche Capacity oF his Bustrel ithout Corn, or the hollon ot a Nut.
srell ithour a Kernelin it; it beins no more neceltars that there sould
be exictine a solid Body infinitels extended, becaule e have anv Idea of
theIntinity oF Space, than it is necellarr thar the W orld Mould be eternal,
because re hare an Idea oF intinite Duration: And wrhy Mould we chinke
our Ldea ol intinite Svaco, reguires the real existence of Matter tO lUDPOTE
it, when re tind re hove as clear an Idea oE intinite DuratiOM tO COMC.
as re have oFintinite Duration past: Thoushr, l suppose, no body chinls
it conceivable, that any chins does or has existed in that future Duration.
Nor is ic possible to join our Idea ot luture Duration, rith present or past
tixistence, ans morethan it is poltible to malie the Ideas oF resterda, t0
day, and to morrom to bethe lame; or brins Ases Past and future roge.
ther, and malte them contemporarr. But il chese men are oi theMind,
That cher have clearer Ldeas ot intinire Duration, than ol infinite Space,
because it is past doube, that GOD has existed trom all Eternitr, buE
there is no real Matter co extended ithr intinite Space; vet those Philo-
Cophers who are of Opinion, Thac intinire Space is Posseed hy CODS
intinte Ommiprelence, as vellas intinire Duracion by hus eternal Lxi
stence, must be allored to have as elear Idea ot intinite Space, as oF inti.
nite Duration; though neither ofthem, Ichinte, has any positive Ideaof
Infnity in cither case. For Whatloerer polcive ideas a Man has in his
Mlind olanr Ouantier, he can repeat it, and add it to the former, as calie
a5 he can add together thC Ldeas OF EVO DaYS, Or tro Paces, Which are
polucire Ldeas OtLenochis he has in his. Mind, aud lo on as lons a5 he
pleale.