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An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, fol. 141

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The machine reads it as

  1. Uet
  2. re
  3. Chap. L LIII. Our Ideas of substances.
  4. verr admirable: But il Fyes (o Tramed, could nor vier at once the Flanc
  5. and the Characters oF the HTour. plare, and thereby at a distance sec what
  6. 2. Clock it as, their Omner could not be much benetited by that acute-
  7. vess; wrhich whillt, ic discovered the secret contrivance olthe Parts ol the
  8. Machin, made him looleits ulc.
  9. 5. F3. And here sive me lcave to propole an extravasant conjecture oF
  10. mine, viz. Fhat since ve have lome Reason, (il there be any Credit t0
  11. besiven cothe repore oE thinss, that our PhilO(Ophy CANNOLACCOUNEFOF,)
  12. to imaginc. that Spirits can assume to themselres Bodies ot differene BuII,
  13. Figure, and Conformation ol Parrs, Whether one great advantase some ot
  14. them have over us, may not lic in chis, that they can (0 trame,, and Brape
  15. tothemselves Organs oF Senlarion or Perception, 25 ro suit them to their
  16. present Desion, and the Circumstances ol the Object ther ould consi-
  17. der. For horr much vould that Nan excced all otters in Rnowledee,
  18. irtrohad bur theFaculer soro alter the Scructure oFhis Fy es, thatone Sense.
  19. 25 to make it capable oF all the several degrees of Vision, Wrhich the al
  20. fistence of Glasses (calually at at tirst listicon) hastaught us to conceive:
  21. What mondors rould he discover, Wrho could (0 ht his Fye to aII TOrrS OF
  22. Objects, as to sec when he pleased the Figure and Motion ol the minure
  23. Particles in the Blood, and other juices of Animals, as distinct Iy as he docs
  24. at other times the saxe and morion of the Animals Themselves. BUE LO
  25. us in our present state, unalterable Orsans, so contrired, asto dilcover the
  26. Figure and Motion oF che minute parts ol Bodies, Whercon devend thole
  27. senlible Dualities, we nor observe in chem, vould, perhaps, be of no ad
  28. vantase. Ciod has no doube made us so, as is best For us in our presene
  29. Condition. IIc hach firred us For che Neishbourhood of the Bodies, that
  30. Furround us, and we have to do with: And thouot e cannoc by the Fa-
  31. culties me have, attain to a perfect Rnomledse of Thines; vet ther will
  32. serre us ell enoush For thole ends abore mentioned, Wwhich are our preat
  33. Concermment. IbeS my ReaderS Pardon, for lavine betore him (o wild
  34. a Phansie, concernins the wars of Conception in Beines abore us: But
  35. Bor extravagant soerer it be, I doubt Whecher re can imagine any chine
  36. about the Rnomledsc oF Ansels, but alter this maniner, some Way or o-
  37. ther, in proxortion to irhat re tind and oblerre in our selves. And tho
  38. e cannot butallon, that the intinite Porver and Wisdom ot Ciod, may
  39. trame Creatures rith a thousand other Faculties, and irays or perecirine
  40. thinss richour them, than whac re have: Yet oue Thouotus car eono
  41. Farther than our omn, soimpossible it is For us to cnlarse our very Cuesses
  42. berond the ideas received trom our oon senlation and Reflection. The
  43. Suppolition at least, that Ansels do lomctimes altume Bodies, necd not
  44. Aareleus, since some of the most ancient, and most. lcarned Fathers of thO
  45. Chureh, Scemed to beliere, chat thez had Bodies: And this is certain, that
  46. their late, and way oP Existence is untenomn to us.
  47. D. F4. BUFtO return tO the Macter in Hand, Te Tdeas Wehave OE Sub.
  48. sances; and thowass e come by chem, I say our Ideas of Substances
  49. are nochins ellebut a Collection of a certain number of simple Ideas, consi-
  50. dered as united in one thine. Thele Ideas ot Substances, thoushthey are
  51. commontr called limple Apprehentions, and the Wames ot them limple
  52. Terms; vet in esfeet, are complex and compounded. Thus the Idea
  53. ertich an FneusB. man significd by ehe Name Svan, is trhire Colour,
  54. lons Neck, red beak, BIaCK L Cos, and Whole Feet, and all these ot a certain
  55. 1zC, Wrich a porer of limmins in the Narer, and matsins a certain kind
  56. OF Noile, and, pertraps, toa Man, rho has lone observed thole kind of Birds,
  57. tome other Propercieo, itiicta all cerminale in senlible simple labas.

Cite

An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, fol. 141. Machine transcription, not an edition: Leibniz Legible (model FoNDUE-GD_v2_ft_Leibniz, run 74). https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0157?run=74