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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 318, page id 778263916:0334
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8 nomledze of Fxistence of other Thines. B00k L
Mind, thac chinkins Thins wichin rou, do nordeem it RransC, that You
cannot comprehend the Operations ol chat eternal insinite Mind, Who
made and govers all Things, and whomthe Licaven ol LICaVENS CAnNOE
contain.
d. T.
CII A P. XI.
Of our Rnomledge of che Fxistence of ocher Things.
He Knomledse ot our omn Being, e have by intuition. Zhe
Existence ot a COD, Realon clearly makes knon to uS, 25
has been Mewn.
The Knouledse of the Fxistence of any other thine, we can have onty by
Sensation: For chere beins no necestary connexion ot real Exiltence,
vich anv Ideaa Nan hath in his Memorr, nor et any ocher Existence
Butthat ot GOD, With the Existenee ot anr particular Man; no parti-
cular Man can lnow the Lxiltence otany other Being, but ontr irhen br
actual operatins uponhum, it malies it selt perceived by him. For the
havins ehe Idea otans thins in ourMind, no more proves che Fxistence
OF chat Thins, than the victure oF a Man evidences his beins in the
Worid, Or the Vilions oF a Dream malee thierebr a true Hictory.
9. 2.Fis theretore the actual receivins ot Ideas trom wichour, thac
sives us notice ofthe Exiltence ol orher Thines, and matces us Hnon,
that Comethine doth exist at thar time ithout us, irtrich causes that
Idea in us, though perhaps e neither bnom nor consider hor it docs it:
For it tales nor trom the certainty of our Senses, aud the Ideas We re-
ceive by them, that re lnom not themanner erherein ther are produ-
ced: v. 8. Whilt Perite this, Phare, by the Paper affectins my Ey es, that
Idea produced in my Mind; Wrhrch whacever Object caules, lcallirhite;
Oy WrhichIbno, that that Dualier or Accirlent (i. c. evhose appearance
Betore my Fyes, alvays causes that Laea) doth really exist, and hatha
Beins ithout me. And ot this, the greatest asturance I can possibly
have, and to which my Faculties can actain, is che Testimons ot my
Fyes, Which are che prover and sole Fudses oFchisthing, and whose Te-
simons Thare reason ro rels on, a5(o certain, chat I can no more doube,
WrhilstP urire chis, that Isec Whitc and Black, and chat Comething really
exists, that causes that senlation in me, than chat I vrite or move my
FTand; erhich is a Certainty a5 great, as humane Nature is capable ot,
concernins the Existence oFans Thins, bur a Mars sel alone, and of
GOD
S. 3. The notice ve have by our Senses, of the existing of Thines witbout
us, though it be not altogether so certain, as our intuitive Rnowledoe, or
che Deductions of our Reason, employ d’about the clear abstract Ideas ot
our oirn Minds; vet it is an allurarice thar deserves the name of Rnou-
ledee, it re perluade our selves, that our Faculties aet and intorm us
riohe, concerning the exiltence of those Objectsthat affect them, it can-
noc pass tor an ill. srounded contidence. For L think nobodr con, in car-
nest, De (0 sceptical, as tobe uncertain of the Exiltence of thole Thinos
hesces and Fecls. AF lcalt, he thar can donbt so tar, (phatever he mey
have ith his own Thouelits) will never have any Controverlies wich
me; since he can never be sure Y say ars chins contrars to tis. Opinion.