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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 322, page id 778263916:0338
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Rnomledse of Fxistence of other Thines. BoOk IV.
are past all doubr, (o lonsas e remember nell. Buc this Knorlecse allo
reaches ro Farcher than our Senles have formeriy altured us. Thus lecino
Wacer at this instant, tis an unqueltionable Truth to me that Water doth
exist: aud remembrins chat I CaW ic resterdar, it will also be alrays
true; and as lono as my Memory retains it, altrays an undoubted Provo-
stion eome, that Water did exist Foth. Fuly, 1688. as it will also be
equall true, that a certain numter of very fine Colours did exist, whieh
at the lame rime Isa upon a bubble ofthât Nater: But being no quite
out of the sighe both oF the Water and Bubles too, it is no more certainty
Bnown to me that thie Water dorh exist, than that the Bubbles or Colours
therein; ie beins no more necelsary that Nater Mould existto dar, be-
cause it existed resterdar, than thar the Colours or Bubbles exist to day,
because cher exilted resterdar, though it be exccedingly much mOre pro-
bable, because Water hath been observed io conrinue lons in Existence,
Dut Bubbles, and the Colours on them quickIy cease EO BC.
6. F2. What Ideas ve have ot Spirits, and hor e come by chem, L
have already Bewn: But chouch we tave thole Ldeas in our Mirics, and
lno re have them chere, the havins the Ideas of Spirits, dees nor malie
us knom that anz such Things do exilt without us, Or thas there are any
finite Spirirs, or any other spiritual Being5, but the cternal. COD. We
have cround trom revelation, and several ocher Reasons, to beliere rich
asTurance, that there are luch Creatures; but our senles not being able 10
discover them, ne vant the means ot knomine cheir particular Exilten.
CeS. For e can nomore Hnom that there are tinite Spirits really exi-
Ains, by the Idea ve have oE such Beings in our Minds, than by the
Ideas any one has oftairies, or Centaurs, he can come i0 hnoW, that
Thinos ansvering those Ideas, do really exist.
And theretore concernine the FXistence oF finite Spirits, a5 ell as se-
veral othier Thines, e mult content our selres rith the Fvidence of
Faich, DuE universal certain Propolirions concerninq this aLter, are be-
Vond our reach. For horerer true it mas be, 2. 8. thac all the intelligent
Spirits that COD ever created, do Rill exist; ver it can never matie a
part of our certain Rnomiedee. These, and the litce Propoluions, We
aV astent to, as hrionir probablo, but are nor, Iscar, in this state, capable
ot bnomins. Weare not then to put ochers upon demonstratine, nor
our selres upon search oF universal Certaints in all those matters, Wherein
e are not capable ofany ocher Rnowledge, but ertrat our senses sive us
in ehis or that parricular.
6. 23. By Wrhich iE appearS, tlat Fhere are EO TOrIS OE PropositionS;
orie concerninq the Existence ot ans thine ansiverable to such an ldea: 25
havine the Idea oF an Flephant, Phaenix, Motion, or an Ansel, in my
Mtind, the turst and natural enquiry is, Whether such a chins docs any
Wrhere exist. And this Rnorledse is ontr ol Particulars. No exiltence
Ofanv thino without us, but only ot COD, can certaintr De knorn
Farther than our Senses inform us. There is anocher Fort ol Propositions,
Wrherein is expressedthe Aereement, or Disagreement of our abstract ldeas,
and their dependence orie on another; and such Propolitions may be
univer sal and certain: So havine the Idea oE GOD and my seth, of Fcar
and Obedience, Icannot but be sure that OD is to be scared and
obered brme: and this Propolition svill be certain, concernine Man in
General, iFP have made an abstraet Idea ot such a Species, hereot I am
onc particular. But vec this Propolition, hor certain (OeVer, FHAE Men
ouolt to scar and ober, GOD proves noc tome the Existence ol Men
in che Nortc, bur will be crue ot all suc Crearures, Whenerer chey e0.
exist: