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to be (without knowing what it is) the fubftratum to thofe fimple ideas we have from without; and the other fuppofed (with a like ignorance of what it is) to be the fubfiratum to thofe operations we experiment in ourselves within. It is plain, then, that the idea of corporeal fubftance in matter, is as remote from our conceptions and apprehenfions, as that of spiritual substance or spirit: and therefore, from our not having any notion of the fubftance of fpirit, we can no more conclude its nonexiftence, than we can, for the fame reason, deny the existence of body; it being as rational to affirm there is no body, becaufe we have no clear and distinct idea of the fubflance of matter, as to say there is no fpirit, becaufe we have no clear and diftinct idea of the fubftance of a spirit.

§ 6. Of the farts of Subftances. WHATEVER, therefore, be the fecret abftract nature of fubflance in general, all the ideas we have of particular difinet forts of fubftances are nothing but feveral combinations of fimple ideas, co-exifting in fuch, though unknown, cause of their union, as makes the whole fubfift of itself. It is by fuch combinations of fimple ideas, and nothing elfe, that we reprefent particular forts of fubfrances to ourselves; fuch are the ideas we have of their feveral fpecies in our minds; and fuch only do we, by their specific name, fignify to others, v. g. man, horse, fun, water, iron: upon hearing which words, every one who understands the language, frames in his mind a combination of thofe feveral fimple ideas which he has ufually obferved, or fancied to exift together under that denomination; all which he fuppofes to reft in, and be, as it were, adherent to that unknown common fubject, which inheres not in any thing else. Though, in the mean time, it be manifeft, and every one upon inquiry into his own thoughts will find that he has no other idea of any fubftance, v. g. let it be gold, horse, iron, man, vitriol, bread, but what he has barely of those fenfible qualities which he fuppofes to inhere, with a fuppofition of fuch a fubftratum, as gives, as it were, a fupport to thofe qualities or fimple ideas which he has

obferved to exift united together. Thus, the idea of the fun, what is it but an aggregate of those several fimple ideas, bright, hot, roundish, having a conftant regular motion, at a certain diftance from us, and perhaps fome other? as he who thinks and difcourfes of the fun, has been more or lefs accurate in obferving those fenfible qualities, ideas, or properties, which are in that thing which he calls the fun.

§7. Power, a great part of our complex Ideas of Sub

Atances.

FOR he has the perfecteft idea of any of the particular forts of fubftances, who has gathered and put together most of thofe fimple ideas which do exift in it, among which are to be reckoned its active powers and paffive capacities; which, though not fimple ideas, yet in this refpect, for brevity fake, may conveniently enough be reckoned amongst them. Thus, the power of drawing iron is one of the ideas of the complex one of that fubftance we call a loadflone; and a power to be fo drawn, is a part of the complex one we call iron: which powers pafs for inherent qualities in thofe fubjects. Because every fubftance, being as apt, by the powers we obferve in it, to change fome fenfible qualities in other fubjects, as it is to produce in us those simple ideas which we receive immediately from it, does, by thofe new fenfible qualities introduced into other fubjects, difcover to us thofe powers which do thereby mediately affect our fenfes, as regularly as its fenfible qualities do it immediately: . g. we immediately, by our fenfes, perceive in fire its heat and colour, which are, if rightly confidered, nothing but powers in it to produce thofe ideas in us: We alfo, by our fenfes, perceive the colour and brittleness of charcoal, whereby we come by the knowledge of another power in fire, which it has to change the colour and confiftency of wood. By the former fire immediately, by the latter it mediately difcovers to us these feveral powers, which therefore we look upon to be a part of the qualities of fire, and fo make them a part of the complex ideas of it. For all those powers that we take cognifance of, terminating only in the al

teration of fome fenfible qualities in thofe fubjects on which they operate, and fo making them exhibit to us new fenfible ideas; therefore it is that I have reckoned thefe powers amongst the fimple ideas, which make the complex ones of the forts of fubftances; though these powers, confidered in themselves, are truly complex ideas. And in this loofer fenfe I crave leave to be understood, when I name any of thefe potentialities amongst the fimple ideas, which we recollect in our minds, when we think of particular fubflances. For the powers that are feverally in them, are neceifary to be confidered, if we will have true diftin&t notions of the feveral forts of fubftances.

$ 8. And why.

NOR are we to wonder, that powers make a great part of our complex ideas of fubflances, fince their fecondary qualities are thofe, which in moft of them ferve principally to diftinguifh fubftances one from another, and commonly make a confiderable part of the complex idea of the feveral forts of them. For our fenfes failing us in the difcovery of the bulk, texture, and figure of the minute parts of bodies, on which their real conftitutions and differences depend, we are fain to make use of their fecondary qualities as the characteristical notes and marks, whereby to frame ideas of them in our minds, and diftinguish them one from another; all which fecondary qualities, as has been fhown, are nothing but bare powers: For the colour and taste of opium are, as well as its foporific or anodyne virtues, mere powers depending on its primary qualities, whereby it is fitted to produce different operations on different parts of our bodies.

$9. Three forts of Ideas make our complex ones of Subftances.

THE Ideas that make our complex ones of corporeal fubftan ces, are of these three forts. First, The ideas of the primary qualities of things, which are difcovered by our fenfes, and are in them even when we perceive them not; fuch are the bulk, figure, number, fituation, and motion of the parts of bodies, which are really in

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them, whether we take notice of them or no. Secondly, The fenfible fecondary qualities, which, depending on thefe, are nothing but the powers thofe fubftances have to produce feveral ideas in us by our fenfes; which ideas are not in the things themfelves, otherwife than as any thing is in its caufe. Thirdly, The aptnefs we confider in any fubftance to give or receive fuch alterations of primary qualities, as that the fubftance fo altered fhould produce in us different ideas from what it did before; thefe are called active and paflive powers: All which powers, as far as we have any notice or notion of them, terminate only in fenfible fimple ideas. For whatever alteration a loadflone has the power to make in the minute particles of iron, we fhould have no notion of any power it had at all to operate on iron, did not its fenfible motion difcover it: and I doubt not, but there are a thousand changes, that bodies we daily handle have a power to cause in one another, which we never fulpect, because they never appear in fenfible effects.

§ 10. Powers make a great part of our complex Ideas of Subftances.

POWERS therefore justly make a great part of our complex ideas of fubflances. He that will examine his complex idea of gold, will find several of its ideas that make it up, to be only powers: as the power of being melted, but of not spending itself in the fire; of being diffolved in aq. regia; are ideas as necessary to make up our complex idea of gold, as its colour and weight: which, if duly confidered, are alfo nothing but different powers. For to fpeak truly, yellownefs is not actually in gold, but is a power in gold to produce that idea in us by our eyes, when placed in a due light: And the heat, which we cannot leave out of our idea of the fun, is no more really in the fun, than the white colour it introduces Thefe are both equally powers in the fun, operating, by the motion and figure of its infenfible parts, fo on a man, as to make him have the idea of heat; and fo on wax, as to make it capable to produce in a man the idea of white.

§ 11. The now fecondary Qualities of Bodies would dif appear, if we could discover the primary ones of their minute parts.

HAD we fenfes acute enough to difcern the minute particles of bodies, and the real conftitution on which their fenfible qualities depend, I doubt not but they would produce quite different ideas in us; and that which is now the yellow colour of gold would then disappear, and instead of it we fhould fee an admirable texture of parts of a certain fize and figure. This microscopes plainly discover to us: For what to our naked eyes produces a certain colour, is, by thus augmenting the acuteness of our fenfes, difcovered to be quite a different thing; and the thus altering, as it were, the proportion of the bulk of the minute parts of a coloured object to our ufual fight, produces different ideas from what it did before. Thus fand or pounded glass, which is opaque, and white to the naked eye, is pellucid in a microfcope; and a hair feen this way lofes its former colour, and is in a great meafure pellucid, with a mixture of fome bright fparkling colours, fuch as appear from the refraction of diamonds, and other pellucid bodies. Blood, to the naked eye, appears all red; but by a good microscope, wherein its leffer parts appear, fhows only fome few globules of red, fwimming in a pellucid liquor; and how these red globules would appear, if glaffes could be found that yet could magnify them 1000, or 10,000 times more, is uncertain.

12. Our Faculties of Difcovery fuited to our State. THE infinite wife Contriver of us, and all things about us, hath fitted our fenfes, faculties, and organs, to the conveniencies of life, and the business we have to do here. We are able, by our fenfes, to know and distinguish things, and to examine them fo far, as to apply them to our uses, and feveral ways to accommodate the exigencies of this life. We have infight enough into their admirable contrivances and wonderful effects, to admire and magnify the wifdom, power, and goodnefs of their Author. Such a knowledge as this, which is fuited to our prefent condition, we want not faculties

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