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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 148, page id 778263916:0164
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Our laeas of Substances.
in e ascribe Existence, Pover, Wisdom, and all orner Perfection, (Whick
e can have any Ideas OF) to that Sovereien Beins, Which we call Cod.
beins all boundless and intinite, re trame the best idea ot him our Minds
are capable oE; all erhichis done, Ilay, by enlargins thole simple Ideas,
vehave talten trom theoperations ot our omn Mincs, by reflection; or
by our Senles, trom exterior thines, to that vastness, to which Intiniti can
extendthem.
6.35. For it is Infnity, Which, joined t0 our Ideas OF EXiCtenCC, POVer,
Hnorrledse, (5c. makes that complex Idea, Whereby re represent to our
selres the best e can, the supreme Beins. For though in his omn Fssence,
CWhich certainis re do not hnow, noc hnominsthereal Fssence ot a Pe-
Ble, or aFIY, or oF our own selves,) Crod De simple and uncompounded;
vet, Ichinte, Imay laz re have no ocher Edea ot him, but a complex one
os Existence, Rnomledre, Pover, PTappinels, (5c. intinire, and eternal:
itrich are all dictinet Ideas, and lome ot enem beine relatire, are agaim
compounded ot others; all Which being, as has been Mewn, originally
sot trom sensarion and Reflection, 50 to make up the Idea Or Notion e
have otcrod.
5. 36.This farther isto be observed, thatthere is no Idea we attribuie
to Cod, batins Intiniey, Wrhich is nor allo2 part or our complex Idea ot
Other Spirits. Becausebeine capable ot no other limple Ideas, belonsine
to any thing but Body, but chose which by reflection e receiro trom
the Operation of our omn Minds, e can actribute to Spirits no other,
but wrtrat rre receire trom thence: And aII the difterence e can pur Bo-
trcen them in our Conremplation of Spirits, is onls in the several fixtents
and Degrees oF their Hnoirledse, Pover, Duratiom, Flappincls, (OC. FOr
that in our Ideas, as vell of Spirits, asot orher chinss, ve are restrained
eothose ve receive from sensarion and Reflection, is evident trom hence,
that in our Ideas ot Spirits, ho much soever advanced in Perfection, be
rond those of Bodies, even to chat ot Intinite, re cannot ret have any
Idea ofthemanner, Wherein they discover their Thouchesone to another:
Though e must necellarily conclude, that Spirits, erhich are Beines, chat
hare pertecter Rnoledse, and greater Flappinels than ive, must necds
have alo a perfecter ray of communicarins their Thoughes, chan re
hare, vhoare fain to matie ule ot corporeal Sisns, and varticularly Sounds.
Wrhich are therelore of most general use, as beins the belt, and quickest
e are capable ot. But ot immediate Communication, havinz no tixpe
riment in our selves, and consequently, noNorion oF it at all, re have
sio Idea, horr Spirits, Which usc not Words, ean with quictenels, or much
less, hor Spirits that haveno Bodies, can belasters oFtheir omn Thoushs
and communicate, or conceal them at Pleasure, though we cannot but
necestarils suppolether have tuch a Porer.
5. 37. And thus we have scen, what kind of Ideas ve have of Substances
of alt kinds, Wherein thes consit, and hor re come by them. From
irhence, Ichink, it is very evident,
First, That all our Ldeas ofthe several sorts oF Substances, are nothine
but Collections ot simple Ldeas, with a supposition of somethins, torhich
chesbelons, andin which ches subsist; choush of chis suppoled some.
thine, ve hravono clear dictinat Idea at aII.
Secondly, Thar all the complex Ldeas e hrave ot Substances, are made
up of no ocher simple Pdeas, Dur luchr, a5 ve have received tromm Sensarion
Ot Reftection. So that even in those, wrhich we chink, we are molt inti
inately acquainced vith, and come nearest the Comprehention ot, our
most erlars ed Conceptions, cannor reach berond chose simple Ideas. And
EVEI
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