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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 194, page id 778263916:0210
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venerat le
And when general Names have ans connexion rich particular Beings.
chele abstraet Ideas are the Medium that unites them: P0 that the FIIen-
ces oE Species, as distinguistred and denominated by us, neitlier are, nor
can be any thing buc those precise abstract Ideas ve tave in our MincS.
And therelorethe supposed real Assences of Subltances, il disterent Trom
our abstract Ldeas, cannot be tho fistences of ihe Species e ranki Thinss
into. For trro Species may beone, as rationallr, as two ditterent L ssen-
ces, De the Fssence oFone Species: And I demand, irhat are the alterations
may, ormay noc bemade in a Hlorse, or L ead, Without malsins cither ot
ehemto be olanother species: By determinins che species ot Thinos,
by our abstract Ideas, this is casie to resolve: but il any one WilI resu-
late hisels herein, by suppoled real Psences, he WwilI, I suppole, bc at 2
lols: avd he wrill never beable to knom when ans chins precisels ceales
tobe otthe Species ot an Hlorle, or Lead.
5. 24. Nor Willany one monder, that I Pay thele Fssences, or abstract
Ideas, Certrich are the meatures of Names, and theboundaries ot Species,)
are the Wortmansbix of the Onderstandins, Who considers, that at least ehie
complex ones are olten, in several Men, ditterent Collections of simple
Ideas: and cheretore that is Covcrousness Eo one Man, Which iS NOL (O E0
another. Naz, even in Substances, ihere their abstract Idens leem eo be
catren trom the Thines chemselves, thes are not constantr the same;
nonot in that Species, which is most lamiliar to us, and with wtrich ve
hare the most intimate acquaintance: Ic havins been more than oncc
doubred, hether the Faetus boru ota Woman, Were a Man, cvenso lar, a5
tnat it hath been debated, Whether it Were, ex vvere not tobe nourillied
and baptized: Wtich could not be, is the abstract Idea, or Fi sence, to which
che name Man belonsed, vere ot Nacures mattins; andvere notthe uncer-
cain and various Collection oF simple Ideas, Wrhich the Onderstandine
Duts together; and then abstractins it, altixed a name roir. So that in
erutt every distinct abstract Idea, is a distinet P. Pence: and the names
that stand for such distinet Ideas, are the names ol Thinss essentially dif
Ferent. Thus a Circle is as essentially difterent trom an Oval, as a Slicep
from a Croat: and Rain is as elsentially different trom SnoW, 25 W ater
From Farth; that abstract Idea wrhich is the Fllence oF one, beine im-
polliblerobe communicated to the ocher. And thusans eroabatraet Ideas,
that in any part vary onetrom anorher, with tmo distinet names annez
ed to them, constiture tro distinct lorts, or, il rou pleale, Spccies, as el.
sentiallu ditterent, 25 ans cro che molt remore, or oppolie iri the
Worid.
5. E5. BuESinCCthe FNenCeS OP Things are thougHE, By some, (and
not without realon,) eo benholly unbenown; ic mas not beamils to con-
Tider the several sirnifications of the word P Pence.
First, Flsence may be ratcen for the very beins ot any thins, Wherebr
it is, Whar it is. And thus the real internat, but generallr in Substances,
untenorrn Constiturion ol Things, Wrhereon their discoverable Oualities
depend, mar be called cheir Flence. This is cho proper original signiti-
cation ofthe Nord, as is evident trom the formation ot it; Pssentia, In IES
primary nocation sgnitrins properiy Being. And in chis sense it is stilI
ulcd, uten ne speati ol the Esence oE parcicular chinsS, Wilhout sIrinS
them any Name.
Secondly TheTearnins and Disputes oF the SchooIs, havins Been much
Dusied about cenus and species, the WVord Flenee has almost lost its pri-
mmary Signitication; and inllead ot the real Consticurion oF chinss, Mas
beer alos irholis applied r0 che arciticial Constiturion ol Genus anel
Species,