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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 167, page id 778263916:0183
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Chap. L  VlII. Distinct and confused Ideas.
able todiscourse, and demoristrate concernine that part of his complex
Idea, wrhich depends upon the Numiber ol a Thouland, heis ape to chinti;
he has a dictinet Idea ot a Chiliaedron; thoush it be plain, he has no pre-
eise Idea oFis Figure, (0 as to distinguistr it, by char, trom one that has bue
999 ldes: The not obserrins wherereot, caules no mall Error in MenS
Thoushes, and contusion in their Dilcourses.
8. X4. Ile that thinkshehas a distinct Ldea oFtheFigure ol a Chiliaëdron,
tet him For FrialS. Pake take another parcel of the same unitorm MaLter,
viz. GoId, Or Wax, oF an equal Bulk, and matse it into a Figure ot
999 sides. FTerill, Idoube not, beable to distinonim thele tro Ideas
one trom anocher by the Number oE lides; andreason, and argue dictinet.
Ir about ehem, Wrhilst he seops his Thoustes and Realonine to that part
only ot thele Ideas, etrich is conrained in their NumBerS; aS FhaL ChC
fides of the one, could be dirided into tro equal Numbers; and ol the o.
ther, nOt, (5c. But When he soes abour todistinguittr them by thoirficure.
he willehere be presently at a lols, and not be able, Ithintc, to trame in
his Mindero Ideas, one ofthem distinet trom the other, by the bare Fi-
sure olthele tro pieces ofGold; as he could, il the same parcels ol Gold
erere made one into a Cube, the other a Figure offive sIdes. In wrhich
in compleat Ldeas, re are very apt to impose on our selves, and rranele
ith others, especialle irhere ther have particular and Pamiliar Names.
For beins latissied in that part ot the Ldea, rhichre have clear; and the
Name which is Familiar to us, beins applied to the wrhrole, containine that
part alto, Which is impertect and obscure, re are apt toule it For that con
fuled pare, and dram deductions trom it, in che oblcure pare Ol IIS 818.
nification, as contidentr as we do trom che other.
5. 25. ITarins Frequently in our Mouths che Name Fternity, ive are
apt to thinsc, we have a positire comprehensire Idea oF ic, ertich is as
uch as tolay, thatthere is no part of that Duration, Wrhich is not clearty
concained in our Idea. Tistrue, that he that thinses lo, mar have a clcar
Fdea ot Duration; he may also have a very clear Idea ot a very great lenoth
OF Duration; he may also havea clear Pdea oF the Comparilon of that oreat
one, with still a greater: Bur it noc being polsible for him to include in
his Idea ofans Duration, let it bea5 great as it will, the wholelixtent to-
gether ola Duration, ihere he suppoles no end, that part oF his Idea,
Wrhrich is still berondthe Bounds olthat larse Duration, he reprelents to
his omn Thoushes, is verr obscure and undetermined. And hence it is.
thac in Disputes and Realoninss concernins Pternity, Or any other Infinite,
ve are very apt to blunder, and involve our selres in maniseli Ab
Turdities.
5. 26. InMatter, re haveno clear Ldeas oF the smalnels oF Parts, muct
Derond the (mallest, chat occurr to any ol our Senses: and therelore ihien
e talkoEche divisibility oF Marter in infinitum, thoush Wre have clear
Ideas oF Dirision and Divisibilier, and have allo clear Ldeas oF Parts, made
out ot a ertiole, by Division; vet ve hare but very obleure, and consuled
Ideas ot Corpuleles, or minute Bodies, (0 to De divided, when by formerDi.
visions, ther arc reducedtoa linalnels, much exceedins ehe perception of ary
OF our Senses: and (0all that we havo clear, and distinet Ideas ol, is Ol WhaE
Division in general, or abstractir is, and the Relation OE Porum and larss
But of the bulkof the Bod, to bethus intinitels divided alter cerrain Pro-
crections, Ichink, re have no clear, nor distinct Ideas at aII. FOr Pastc ary
onc. Whecherrakrins che smallest Atom ot Dult he ever laWr, hehas any di-
Rinst Ldea. (Datins Sill the Tumber Which concerns notfxtension, betvire
che +00, 000, and the 2000, 000 part oFit. Or it hechinle he con retine