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Show zoS Names ofS ubjlances,_ Book iif ~--~~~---------- comprehended under thofe words, with which they are fo armed at all points, and with which the>:" fo confidently lay about them. I _ fhall imagine I have done fome Serv1ce to Truth, Peace, and Learnmg, 1f, by any enlargement on this SubjeCt, I can make Men refleCt on thei1 own Uie of unguage; and give them reafon to fufpcet, that fince it is fi·equcnt for others, it may alfo be poflible for them, to have fometimes very good and approved Words in their Mouths, and Writings, with very uncertain little, or no fignilication. And therefore it is not unreafonable for the1n "to be wary herein themfelves, and not to be unwilling to have them examined by others. With this defign therefore, I fhall go on with wbat I have farther to fay, concerning this matter. C'H A P. Vi. Oj tbe Names of Snbftanm. 9. r. THe common Names of Sut;/~nce~, :is well as other general Terms, ftand for Sorts: wh1ch IS notlung elfe but the being made figns-of fuch complex /Jeas, wherei!l feveral particular Subfiances do, or might agree,- by vimre of which; they are capable to be comprehended in ~ne common Co~ception, and be fignified by one Name. I fay, do or m1ght agree: for though there be but one Son exi!l:ing in the World,yet the Idea of it being abfiraeted, fo as that more Subflances (if there were feveral) might each agree in it; it is as much a Sort, as if there were as many Suns, as there are Stars, They want not their Rea· fans, who think there are, and that each fixed Star would anfwer the Idea the name Sun fiands for, to one who were placed in a due difiance. which, by the way, may /hew us how much the Sorts or if you pleafe Genera and Species ~fThings (for thofel.atin terms fign{fie to me, n~ more than the Enghfh word Sort) depend on fuch ColleCtions of Jdw ~s Men have made; _and not on the real Nature of Thing~ : fince 'tis no~ tmpoflible, but that m propnery of Speech that might be a Sun to one which is a Star to another. ' · ' . §. ~ .. The meafure a~d boundary of e:tch Sort, or Species, whereby it 1s confl1tuted that part1cular Sort, and diflinguifl1ed from others, is that . we call1ts EJ!ena, wh1ch l! nothmg but that a6Praflldea, to zvbicb tbt Name u annexed : So that every tlung contained in that Idea is elfential to that Sort. This, though it be all the Elfence of natural' Subflances, that we know, or by wh1ch we difiinguifh them into Sorts ; yet I call it by a p_ecu!1ar name, the nommal Ejfenc_e, to diflinguifh it from that real Conflitunon of Subflances, upon wluch depends this nominal Eifence, and all the Propemes of that Sort; which therefore, as has been (aid, may be called the real Effence: v. g. the nominal Elfence of Gold, is that complex Idea the word Gold fiands for let it be for inflancc a Body yellow! of a certai~ wdght, malleable, fufible, and' fixed. But ;he real Eifcnce, Is the ~onlhtutmn of the infenfible parts of that Body, on whtch thofe ~aht1es, and all the other Properties of Gold depend. How !ar thefe rwo are different, though they are both called Eifence is obvious, at firfl ftght, to d1fcover. ' §. l· Chap. VI. Names o(Subffancer. &. l· For though, po·haps, voluntary Motion, with Scnfc and Reafon join'd to a Body of a certam fl1apc, be the con;~ plex Idea, to which J, and other<, annex til~ name Man; _and fo be the nominal Elfenee of th..,ectes fo, called: '1: et no body w11l fay, that that complex Idea, is the real Eflence and Source of all thofc OperatlOLll, arc to be found in any Jodi. vtdual of that Sort. Tlte foundauon of all thofc Q,)aht1es, which are the Ingredient' of our complex Idea, is fornething quite ddferent : And had we fuch a 1\nowlcJge, of that Confiitution of Man, from which '1is Faculties of Mavin§;, Senf.1tion, and Rcafoning, and other Powers now. and on which h;s !o regular fl11pe depends, as 'tis poflible Anrrels have' and 'tis certain h;, Maker ha5, we fi1ould have a quite other Jdea_of J;is E!~ fence,. tha!l wh::tt now is contained i.n ~u: Defin ition of that Species, be it what Lt wdl: And our Idea of any mdLVLdnal M.m, would be as fardiifc. rent from what it now is , as is his , who knows all the Springs and \Vheel•, and other contrivances within, of the famous Clock at StraJ- - }urg, is from that wl1ich a gazing Cmmtry·man has of it, who barely fees the mot1on of the Hand, and hears t l1c Clock finke, and obfcrv::s only fome of the outward appearances. ~- 4· How much Eifcnce, in tl1e ordinary ufe of the word, relates to Sorts, and that it is conlidered in particular Beings , no farther than as they are ranked into Sorts, appears from hence: That mkc but away tl:e abflra& Idtas, by which we fort Individuals, and rank.chem under common Names, and then the thought of any tl1ing elfential to any of them, mflantly vamlhes: we have no notion of the one, without the other: which plainly fl1ews their relation. 'Tis necelfary for me to be as 1 am; G 0 D and Nature has made me fo: llut there is nothing I . have, is effencial to me. An Accident, or Difeafe, maY, v.ery much alter my Colour, or Shape ; a Fever, or Fall, mJy take away my Reafon, or Memory, or both ; and an Apoplex leave neither Senfc, nor UnderJbnding, no nor Life. Other Creatures of my fl1ape , may be made with more, and betrer, or fewer, and worfe Facultle' than I have: And others may hJve Reafon, and Senfe, in a Oupe and body very different from mine. Ndne of rhe(eare elfcntial to tho one, or the other, or to any Individual Whatfoever, till the Mind refers it to fome Sort or Species of Things ; and then prefently, accordmg to the abflraet !de a of that Sort, fomething " .found elfential. Let any one examine his own Thoughts, and he wdl find, that"-' foon as he fuppofes or fpcaks of Eacf\tial, _the confiderJtiOn of fame Species, or the complex ldeJ, fign ified by fome general name, comes into his Mind : And 'tis in reference to that, that this or that ~ality is f.1id to be elfential ; fo that if it be asked, whether it be effentlal to me, or any other particular corporeal Being to have Reafon 1 1 fay n~; nor more than it is elfential to this white t hing I write on, to have words in it. llut if tlu t particular Being , be to !): counted of the Sort Mao , and to have that name Ma11 given it, then Reafon _is elfentia[ to It, fuppofing Reafon to be a part of the complex Ide.1 the name Ma11 flands for: as it is elfential to this thing I write on, to contain words, if I W11l give it the name lre.>tife, and rank it under that Species. So that t>f!enti,d, od HOt effential,rci<Jte ou/y to our abjiraEI Ideas,a~td tbe names an~ we.ved to tbem; which amounts to no more but this, That whatever pa.rticular Thing, hos not in it thofe ~alities:, which are contained in the abilra '!Idea, which any general term fta nds for, cannot be ranked un· der that Specie•, nor be called by that name, fince that abftraCl; l dta is the very elfence of t!Jat Species. Ec 209 |
