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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 244, page id 778263916:0260
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Abuse of Woras.
BOOk +d l.
Distinctions, and accute Niceties, bur Obscuriey and Oncertainty, lcavins
the Nords more unintellisible, and tho Reader more at 2 lols: FToW else
comes it to pals, that Princes, spcakins or erritins to their Serrants, in
their ordinary Commands, are casili underttood; Speahing to their
People, in their LaWs, are not 10: Anc, a5 lremarted betore, doth it nOE
ofren happen that a Man of an ordinari Capacity, very vell understands
aText, Or a LaW, that he reads, tillhe conuIES an FXpOSIEOr; Or ZOCS EO
Couneil; Who by chat eime he hath done explainine chem, matces the
Words signihie cither nothing at all, or What he pleases.
5. F3. Whether any by Intorests ot these Prolettions have occasioned
this, Prill not here examine; bur I leareit to be considered, Wrhether it
Would noc be ell For Mankind, Wrhose concernment it is to kno Things
asttiey are, and to dowhat ther oustt; and noc to spend their Lives in
taltins about them, or tossing Words to and tro: Wwhiether it vould noc
De Well, Ilay, char the Ose oF Words iere made plain, and direct; and
that Languase, which as siren us for the improvement or Rnowledoe,
and bond ot societr, Bould not be employ d to carten TrutI, and un-
Scele Peoples Righes; to raise Micts, and render unintellisible both MO-
ralitu and Relision. Or chat at lealt, isthis wil happen, it Mould nOE
De thousht Lcarnins or Hnomledsetodo 10.
6. F4. Fourtbly, Anocher creat abuse of Words is, the tatins them for
Thines. This, thoughir, in some deprec, concerns all Names in general; y et
more particulariy affects those ot Substanices: And to this Abule, chele Men
dremostsubiect, wrtio contine their Thouohts to an onc sictem, and
sire chemselres up into a turm beliet of the Perfection ot ans reccived
Iypothelis; Whereby ches comctobe perluaded, thar the Terms os that
Sect, are (0 suited to che Nature oF Things, thar they perfectis corre-
spond wich cheir real Lxistence. Whoisthere, that has been bred up in
the Peripaterick Philosophy, nho does not chink the Pen Names, under
erhich are rantsed the Ten Predicaments, to be ezactly contormable tothe
Nature of Things: Who is there, ofthat School, that is not perluaded, that
substantial forms, vecetative Souls abhorrence of aracuum intentional Species,
exc. are Lomething real: These Nords Nen hare learned trom ther very
entrance upon Hnorledse, and hare Found cheir Masters and Sycems lay
sreat Aress upon them; andcheretore ther cannot quit the Opinion, that
ther are contormable to Nature, and are the Representations oFlomethire
thatreally exists. The Peatonists have their Soul of the Worid, ard ehic
Fipicureans their endeavour tovards Motion, in their Atoms, ihen at rest.
There is scarce any Sect in Philosophy has nor a diltinct Pet oF Terms,
that others uncerstand not. Bur yet this Cibberist, irtich in the weat
nels sFFTumane Onderstandins, serres lo Well to palliate Mens Ignorance,
and eover their Frrours, comes by familiar ule amonost those otthe same
Tribe, toscem the most important part ot Languase, and ot all otters
the Terms the most signiticant: And Mould Aeriat and Theriai Ve
hicles comeonce, by the prevalener oFthat Docerine, to be generally re-
ceired any irhere, no doubt chole Terms rould make imprestions on
Mens Minas, so as to establim them in the persuation of the realitr
oF such Things, as much as that peripaterick Forms hare heretotore
cone.
S. L5. Honr mucte names raken for Thines, are apt to mistead ihe On-
derstandins, the actencire Readins of philosophical Writers rould abun-
dantly discover; and that, perhaps, in Words litele suspected ot any such
miluse. IMallinstance in one onlr, and chaca rers familiar one. HIOw
mans incrieate Disputes habe chiere been about Macter, as il chere Were
TOHO