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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 116, page id 778263916:0132
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D
turat Substances, (25 We Mhall sec hereaster,) and P mention them as such
aceordins to common axprehention; vet they beine not, perhaps, (0
truly active Porvers, as our halty Thoughts are apt to represent them, 1
judee it not amiss, by this intimation, 10 direct our Minds to the con
Edleration of COD and Spirits, for the clearost Ldea ot actire Poiver.
8. 3. I contels Pover includes in it some teind of relation, (a relatio
to Action or Chanse,) as indeed irhich ofour Ldeas, ol what Lind soever
erten attentirele considered, does HOL: Por our Pdeas OF Fxtention, Durg.
tion, and Number, do ther not all contain in them a lecret relation ol tho
PartS: Figure and Motion have something relatire inthem much more vi.
Sibly; and sensible Oualiries, as Colours and Smells, (sC. Wrtat are they BuE
the Porvers ot difterent Bocies, in relation to our Perception, (Sc. And il
considered in the things themselves, do they not depend on theBull, Fi.
fure, T exture, and Motion oFthe PartS: AII Which include some bind
ot relation inthem. Our Idea theretore oF Pover, P thinks, may well have
a place amonest ottier simple Ideas, and be considered as one of them,
beins one ofthole that makces a principle ingredient in our complex Ideas
OF Substancos, as We Mallhere alter have occalion to MeW.
5. 4. OFpassire Porer, all sensible thinos abundanty furnim us rrich
Ideas; Whose sensible Oualities and Beines re tind to be in a continual
Aux, and theretore ith reason we look on them as liable still to the same
Chanse. Dor have we ofactive Pover (erhich is themore prover ligni
fication ol the rord Pover) ferver instances: lince Wrhaterer Change is
obterved, the Mlind must collect a Porer Lomerhere, able eo makhe that
Chanse, as vell as a possibiliey inehe chins it selfto receiveit. Dut ver it we
till consider it attentirelz, Bodies by our senles do not aftord us (0 clear
and distinet an Idea oF actire Porver; as ere have trom reflection on the
Operations of our Mivds. For ail Porver relarins ro Action, and chere
being buttro Corts oF Action Whereot re have any Idea, viz. Thintine
and NTorion, letus consider erhence re have the clearest Ideas ot the
Povers which produce chese ACtiOnS. F. OF Thintin, BOdY aFOrcSUS
no Tdea at all, it is only trom Reflection that re have chac; neitter tave
We trom Body any Ldea oFthe beginnins of Motion. A Body ac rest aF
fords us no Fdea oF any actire Porer to move; and when it is set in o-
tion its selE, thac Motion is rather a Passion, than an Action in IF: FOF
woten the Ball obersthe Atroke oF a Billiard. Sick, it is not any action ofthe
BaII. but bare pastion; also When by impalse it sets anocher BaII in mo-
tion that lay in its ay, it ontr communicates theMorion ic had received
From another, and loses in it selE lo much as the ortier reccired; Wrhich
siresus but a vers obscure Idea or an actire Porver of Movine in Body,
rhilst e oblerre it onty to transserr, but not produce any morion. For
it is but a very obscure Ldea of Porver, Which reaches noc the Production
OFthe ACtiOn, but the Contination ot the Pastion: For C0 is Motion in
a Bod impelled by anothers the continvarion of the Alteration made in ie
trom Rest to Motion, beins lictle more an Actiom chan ehe continuation
OF the Alteration OE its Figure hy the Pame blorr is an Action. The Idea
oEthe beginnins of Motion, e hare only from reflection on Whac palles
in our selres, Where re Aind by Experience, that barely by willins it, barels
bya thouohe ofche Mind, ire can move the parts ot ourBodies, which ivere
before at rest: So that it seems tome, we havefromthe obserration ofthe
operation oF Bodies br our senles, but a very imperlect oblcure Idea
oFactire Porer, Since ther altord us noL any Pdea in chemlelres of the
Pouer eo beginans Action, cither Morion or ThoughE. But il fromthe
impulse Bodies are obserred ro mate oncuxonanother, any one thintshe
HaS