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Show 'Degrees .of KnoT:Piedge. 1" CHAP. u:· Of the 'Degrees of our Kn~Jlidge. §. r.A,LL our ~~~ow ledge conlifling,asi have faid,in.theview tl . i . has of Its own lde~s, .which is the utmofl Li 1 le Mm~ Certamty,we With our Faculties,a~din our way ofKno\!J ~~ and grcatefl of, It. ~ay not be amlfs, to confider a little the degree ef &e are capable The dmcrent clearne&of our Knowledge feems t s ~- •ts Ev1dence. rent way of Perception, the Mind has of the ~ n:e to •e m th~ di!Tc- 1\'e~t ~f ~ny of its Ideas. For if we will refled: ~ eement, or D1fagree~ Tlunlnng,. we fhall find, that foinetimcs the Mind n ou~ own ways of men.t or Dlfawcement of two !dear immediate! b perceives the Agreethe mtervent•on of ony other: And th·s 1 1 .Y k Y themfclves, Without bf(n oovledge. For in this thcMitld is at'n ' tun f' we ~ay call intuitive 'I ' o pams o provmg . . Ut per~e1vcs . t 1e Truth, as the 'Eye doth Li ht 0 1 °~ cxammmg, toward. 1t. Thus the Mind perceives that Yn'· ~ Y by bemg directed C.rcle IS not a Triangle That T!Jree 'are m "te IS not Black, That a One a~d J'wo. Such kind of Truths the M. ,';[e tha~; Jlvo, and equal to of the Ideas together, by bare intui~ion '\ per~lves at the. fidl: Sighi other Idea; and this kind ofKnowledg' ~It]Joul t e Intervention of any that humane Frailty is capable o£ Th'15 t Je c earefl:, and moll certain bl~, and like the bright Sun-fi1ine; fore~ ifafe~f~f Knowledge is irrefifii: ceJved, as foon as ever the Mind turns its view T'mediately to be per· room f~r Helltatwn, Doubt, or Examination t Jat way i and leaves no filled ;v1tl.1 the clear Light of it. 'Tis on th. j bu.t .the Mmd 1s prefently the Certamty and Evideneeofall our K '{ dntUJtiO~, that depends all one fi.nds to be fo great that he cannot ~ow e ge, Which Certainty every a greate~: For a Man ~nnot conceive h!m~~}"e,and therefore not require ty, than to know that any Idea in his;::: d .car,ableof a greater Ccnoin· be; and that two Ideas wherein he perc'~ IS de~ as he perceives it to an.d not precifely the f~,;,e. He that de;~vnd a 1 erence, arc different, tins, demands he knows not what· and fh s a) greater Certainty than be a Sceptick, witlJOut being able' t b fc ews on Y. that he has a Mind r6 on this Intuition, that in the next d~ e o. f zertamty depends fo wholly monjlrative, this intuition is necelTar r~ ~ IIOJV/edge, which I call Demediate Ideal, without which we c Y I the Connex10ns of the inter- §. :z.. The next degree of Kno~redot a~tam !\now ledge and Certainty. the Agreement or Difagreement of ge Is, where the Mind perceives Though where-ever the Mind pe c . any I Ideas, but not immediately. of any of its Ideas, there be certa:ne~~es t Je Agreement or Difagrecmcnt happen, that the Mind fees that A ~e~wledge: Yet it docs not always there.•s between them, even where i~is ~~nt or D•fagrccment' which !emams m Ignorance, or at moll ets n I coverable; and tn that cafe, C!ure. The Reafon why the Mind ~nno 0 flrther than a probable conje· Agreement or Difagreement of tw U t a ways perceive prefently the cermng whofe Agreement or Difagr~emeas ']' becaufe rhofe IdeM, conby the Mmd be lo pur togethe ent 1.1e Enqu1ry IS made cannot the ·rM. ind cannot fa bring 1·t' /1 as to filew lt. In this Cafe the~ when pan on, an d as I.t w~rc Juxtas wpe ali s. t ogether , as b Y t I1 C.l r .t mmediate' Com- ]Jerceivetheir Agreement or D~l o ltlon, or application one to another to of other Ideas (one or more 'agre~menr' it is f.1in, by the lnterven;ion or Dif.1grecmenr, which it fe~.~~~~~ ."P~ens) to difcover the Agreement ' an tlus IS that which we call Reafo· 11/llg. Chap. II. 'Degrees of Knowledge: •i•g· . Tl~us the Mind being willing to know the Agreement or Difagreement 10 b1gnefs, between the three Angles of a Tnangle, and two right ones, cannot by an 1mmed1ate v1ew and comparing them, do it : Becau!e the thre.e Angles of a Tnangle cannot t c brought at once, and be com· pared w1th any <;>ther .one, or two Angles; and fo of this t!JC Mind has no Jmmed~ate, no mtumve 1\nowled,;e. In thiS G1fe the Mind is fain to find out fame other Angles, to which the tbree Angles of a Triangle I13ve an £quaht}_ ; and findmg thofe equal to two right ones, comes to know thm Equahty to two nght ones. ~- 3· Thofe intervening Ideas, which ferve to !hew the Agreement of aQy t~o othe~s, are called Proofs; and w" erc the Agreement or Difagree· mentIS by tillS means plamly and clearly r .ceived, it is called Demowjlr~ tion, It bemg ihewn to the Undcrfl:anding, and the Mind made fee that It IS fo. A qmcknels 10 the Mind to find out thefe intermediate fdeai (that !hall difcover the Ar;reement or D>fagreement of any other,) and to apply them nghr, IS, l luppofe, that\\ h>ch is called ~at,acity. §. 4·. J'hJS Kno:vleclt,e by mterven1111, Pro!
