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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 297, page id 778263916:0313
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their lruth and Certaindi.
Keep all these curious Machines in motion and repair, how corivezed anc
moditied, is berond our notice and apprehention; and the great Parts
and Wheels, 25 I may (0Par, oE this Cupendious Structure ot the Vni-
verle, may, for oustt me lnor, have sucti a connexion and dependence
in their Insluences and Operations one upon anocher, chat, perhaps,
Thinss in this our Mansion, nould put on quite another face, and ceale
tobe Wwtat thez arc, if lome one oF the Stars, or great Bodies incom-
prehensibly remote tromus, Pould cease to be, or move as it docs. This
is certain, Thines, hovever absolure and entire they leem in themselves.
are DuE RCtainers tO Othier Parts OF Nature, For chat Which ther are most
talcen notice of by us: Their observable Oualicies, Actions, and POVerS,
are orvine to lomethiine ithuuthem; and chere is noc so complere and
Pertect a part, that wre lnor, ot Nature, which does nor ove the Beine
it has, ard the Fxcellencies oPit, to irs Neishbours; and we must look a
sreat deal farther thanthe Surface of any Body, to comprehend pertectly
those Qualiries chat are in it.
5. T2. IF this be(0, it is not to be mondrod, that ve have very imper-
fect Ideas of Substances; and that the real Fslences, on Which depend
their Properties and Operations, are unknown to us. We cannot dil:
cover (0 much as the size, figure, and texture oF their minute and active
Pares, Which is really in ther; much less the ditterent Motions and Im-
pulles made in and uponthem by Bodies trom Wichour, and the Ffects oF
them, upon wrhich depend, and by wrhich is Formed the greatest and
most remarteable part ot thole Oualities me observe in them, and ot
Wtrich our complex Ideas of them aremade up: This consideration alone
may set us at rest, as to all hopes ot our havirg thie Ideas oF their real FI
sences; wtrich, Whilst re rane the nominal Essences re makre ule of in-
Read ot them, will be able eo turnim us but very sparingly with ans
general Rnorledse, or universal Propolitions capable ot real Certaintr.
5. F3. We are not therefore to monder, il Certaintr be to be found in
very te ceneral Propolitions made concernine Subltances: Our Hno.
lecse oftheir Oualities and Properties 80 very seldom Carcher than our
Seules reach and inform us. Possibly inguilitire aud observins Nen may,
by Arensch ot fudement, penetrate farther, and on Probabilities takeri
from wary Oblervation, and Hlints iveil laid together, olten guess riote
ac what lxperience has not vet discorered to chem. But this is BUE
Zueltins sillsit amounes only to Opinion, and has not thatcerraines wrtrich
is regnisite roknow ledge: For all general Rnomledse lies only in our
own Thovohts, ayd consists barely in the contemplation ot our oon ab.
Aract Ldeas. Wherever we pereeire ans aoreement or dilagreement a-
monsst them, there rehave general Rnowledgesand by puctins theNames
OF thole Ideas together accordinsly in Propoliions, can ith cerrainey
pronounce general Truths. But Decaulethe abstract Ideas ofsubstances, for
vhich their specilick Names Stand, Whenever ther have any distinct and
determinate signification, have a dilcoverable connexion or inconsictenci
ith a very fer otter Ideas, the corraintr ot universat Propositions con-
cernins substances, is very narro and scaney in that part, wrtich is
our principal enquirr concerninq them: and there is sCarce anv OF tO
Names of Subltances, let the Idea it is applied eo be what it will, of wrhich
ve can generally, anei wich certainey pronounce, thar it has or has nOt
this or tliat other Oualiey belonsins to it, and constantls co existins
Or inconsistent ith chat Idea, Where ever ic is tobetourid.
CI