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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 280, page id 778263916:0296
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Fxrent of Tlumane Lnonledoe.
BC
any choushe Mould produce a motion in Body is AS FCMOLE from the na
ture oE our Ldeas, as how any Body Bould produce any Thousht in the
Mlind. That it is (o,is Experience did not convince us, the Conliderations
OF ehe Thingsthemselres voule never beable, in the least, to discover
t0uS. Theso, and the litce, thoush ther have a constant and regular
connexion, in the ordinary course ot Thines; yet that connexion beine
not dilcorerable in the Ideas themselres, Which appearins to have no ne-
cellary dependence one on another, re can attribute their connexion 10
nothins elle but the arbitrary Determination oF that AII. rile AGenF, Wrho
has made them to be, and to opcrare asthey do, in a ray utterty above
our Weak Onderstandinq to conceire.
5. 29. In Tome oi our Ideas there are certain Relations, tlabitudes
and Connexions, (o visibly included in theNature oEthe Ldeasthemselves,
thae we cannor conceive them separable trom them, by ans Porerrtar.
Toever. And in these ontr, we are capable of certain and univerlal Knon.
lecloe. Thusthe Idea ot a right lincd Triangle neceslarily carries with
it an equaliti oF its Angles to tro righe oncs. Nor can we conceire chis
Relation, ehis connexion of chese ero Pdeas, to be possibly mutable, or
depend on any arbitrary Pover, ihich ot choice made it thus, or conld
matre it ocherwise. But the coherence and continuitr of che PartS OF
Matrer, the production ot sensation in us of Colours and Sounds, (9c. bY
impulse and motion; nay, the original Rules and Communication ol
Motion, beins such Wrherein we ean diseover no natural connexion with
any Ideas re have, re cannor but alcribe ehem eo ene arbitrary WiII
and g00d Pleasure os the Wise Archirect. I need nor, LthinlE, here men-
tion the Relurrection ol our Bodies, the future Cate of this Clobe of
Farth, and such ocher Thines, Wtrich are by every one actnom ledsed to
depend irholly onthe Determination oF a frec Asent. The Things that,
as tar as our Observation reaches, re constantly findto proceed regularty.
ve may conclude, do aet by a Law set them; but vet a Lar FhaE We
Hno nOL; Whereby, though Causes worte seddily and Fffects con-
Stantly Aour trom them; yet their Connexions and Dependencies beine
not dilcoverable in our Ideas, ve ean have but an experimental Rnoir-
ledre of them. From allertich, tis easse to perceire irhat a darteness We
are involved in, hor litele tis ofbeine, and the things that arc, that ve
ore capable cokno. And cheresore we Mall do no injury to our Rnor-
lecee, wrhen e modeslz chink with our selves, that e are l0 Car trom
Deins able to compretiend the whole nature oF the Dniverse, and aIl the
thinos contained in it, that we are nor capable oF a philosophical Kno-
ledse oFthe Bodies that are about us, and make a part OFuS: Concer-
nins their secundary Dualities, Porrers, and Operations, we can haveno
unirersal certainer. Sereral FHecs come every das ithin the noriee ot
our Senses, oF Wtich we have so far sensitive Rnomledge; but the caules,
manner, and certaints of their production, for the tro toresoins Rea-
Sons, Wwe must be content to be ignorant of. In thele me can so notarther
than particular Experience informs us ot matrer of Fact, and by Analoov
tosues erhat Fffects the like Bodies are, upon orter errals, litre t0 pro-
duce. BuE as to apertect Science ot natural Bocies, (nocro mention spi
ricual BeinSS,) Weare, I think, s0 Par trom beins capable ol ony suet
thins, that l conclude it lostlabourto secke alrer it.
5. 30. Thiraly, Wrhere re have adequate Jdeas, and irhrere there is a
cerrain and discoverable connexion vetreen them, vet re are often ieno-
rant, for vant of tracine those Ldeas ve bave, or may have, and Andins
oux chose intermediare ideas, whieh max Mew us utrat habitude ot
agrCC