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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 326, page id 778263916:0342
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Improvement of our Lnomledoc.
LOSA IV.
irtrich, Tchins, it is crident, that Substances aftord Matter oF very lirile
general Rnomledee; and the bare Contemplation ot their abstract Ideas,
ill carry us bur a very licele ay in the scareh oF Pruth and Certaintr.
WVhiat then arc e to do Cor the improrement ot our Unomledre in substan-
tial Beines? Flere re are to talle a quite contrary Course, the ivant ot
Ideas of cheir real Essences sends us trom our omn Thoughes, trom, con-
templatins, and drains Consequences trom our omn Ideas, tothe Things
themselres asthes exitt: Lexperience must teach me rrhat Realon cannot:
and by eryins, tis alone chat l can cerrainly bnow what oher Oualities
conexist ith chole oF ny complex Idea, v. 8. Whether chat zello, hea-
vr, fusible Body, I cali Cold, be malleable, or no; wrtich Experience
CWhich vas ever it prove in that particular Body lexamine) matces me
not certair, that it is l0, in all or anz other rellor, heavy, fulible Body
buc thac Which Thare tried. Becauleit is no Consequence one ay or
Pocher trom my complex Idea, the Nccestuy or Inconsiltence oF Mallea-
rilier, hath no visible connection rich the Combination of that Colour,
Weiohe, and Fusibilier in any bodr. WhatI have laid here ot thenomi-
nal Essence oF Cold, supposed to consist oF a Pody ot such a determinare
Colour, Weighe, and Fulibilier, ill hold true, if Mallcableness, Fixcd-
nels, and Solubilier in aqua Resia be added io it, our Realoninos trom
thele Ldeas will carry us bur a litile ay in the certain discorery ot the
Ocher Properties in those Mases OE Matrer, Wherein all these are to DC
Found. Becaule the other Properties oF sueh Bodies, devendine not on
thele, but on chat unkinomn reat FNenco, on Which these also depend, we
cannotby them discovertherest; Wre can 5o no larther than the simple
Ideas oF our nominal Essence Will carry us, which is very licele beyond
themselves; and s0 affordus bur vers sparinsls ans certain, univertal, and
usetul Truths. For upon Trial, havins found that particular piece (and
all others oF that Colour, Weighe, and Fusibilier, thatP ever tried) mal-
leable, that allo mates no, perhaps, a part ol my complex Idea, part ot
my nominal Lislence o Gold; whereby choushl maliemy complex Idea,
to which Iaffix the Name Gold, to conlis otmore limple Ldeas thanbe-
Fore: Vet Bill, it not containins the real Fsence ot any Species ot Bodies,
it helps me nor cerraints to lnow (Isay toknoW, perhaps, it may to
conjecture) the ocher remainine Properries oFthat Body, farcher chan
eher trave a visible connection, Writh lome or all oF the simele Fdeas, thaF
make up my nominal Fsence. For Fxample, I cannor be certain trom
ehis complex Idea, Whether Gold De fixed, or no: Because as betore, there
is no necessary connection, or inconsisrence tobe dilcovered betvixt a
complex Idea oF a Bod), rellor, hearr, tusible, malleable, betrixt chele,
llay, and Fixedness, (o that l mas certainly hnow, chac in whatloever
Body those are Cound, there Fixedness is fure to be: Hlere again for assu-
rance, I must appls my selFto Experience, as far as that reaches, I may
have cerrain Hnorr ledge, but no Farther.
5. FO. Ideny noc, bur a Man ac cultomed to rational and regular FX-
periments, Mail be able to sec tarcher into the Nature oF Bodies, and
Suels risheer at their y et unknoin Properties, than one that is a Stranger
co rhem: But vet, a5 Thave laid, this is buc fudsment and Opinion, not
Bnomledse and Certainer. This vay of acrainins, and improvine our
sinouledse in Substances, only by Fxperience and Hictors, to Wrhich the
Wrealinels oE our Faculcies in this Seate oI Mediocrity e are in, in this
Worid, matres me suspect, that natural Philolophy is not capable ol bcins
made a Science. We are able, l imagine, to reach very lirele general
inomledse concerrins che Species ot Bodies, and cheir sererat Properries,
ExPC.