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Show Vniverfal Propojitions, Book IV, real Conftitutions of Subftances, on which each fccundary ~ality particularly depends. 2 . Did we know that, it would ferve us only for experimental (not univerfal) Knowledge; and reach wah ccrtamty no· farther than that bare inftance : becaufe our Underftandings can difcovcr ho c~nceivable connexion between any fecundary ~olity, and any modification whatfoever, of any of the primary ones. And therefore there arc -very few gpteral Propo/itions to .be made conurnin~ S~tbf}ances, wbicb can 'arry IJJith tl;em undoubted Certarnty. §. 8. All Gold is fixed, is a Propolition whofe Truth we cannot be certain of, how univerfally foever it be believed. For if, according to the ufelefs Imagination of the Schools, any one fuppofes the term Gold to · ftand for a Species of Things fet out by Natur~, by a real Elfence belonging to it, 'cis evident ho knows not ~hat particular Subftances_are of that Species; and fo cannot, With certamty, affirm any thmg umverfally of Gold. But if he make Gold ftand for a Species, determined by its nominal Elfence, let the nominal Elfence, for example, be the complex Ide. of a Body of a certain yellow colour, malleable, fulible, and heavier than any other !mown; in this proper ufe of the word Gold, there is no difficulty to know what is, or is not Gold:· but yet no other ~ality can 1~ith certainty be univerfally affirmed or denied of Gold, bur what hath a difcoverable fOnnexion,or inconliflency with that nominal Elfence. · Fixednefs, for e\cample, having no neceilary connexion, that we can difcover, with the Colour, Weight, or aoy other limple idea of our complex one, or with the whole Combination together; it i.s impoflible that we jhould certainly know the Truth of this Propofition, That all Gold is fixed. §. 9· As there is no difcoverable connexion between Fixednefs,aild the Col<i.ur, Weight, and other lim pie Ideas of that nominal Elfence of Gold; (o if we make our complex Idea of Gold, a Body yellow, fulible, dulfrilr, ·weighty, and fixed, we fhall be at the fume uncertainty concerning So· lubility in A~. regia; and for the fame reafon : Iince we can never, trom confideration of the Ideas themfelves, with certainty allirm or deny, of a Body whofe complex Idea is made up of yellow, very weighty, ductile, fufible, and fixed, that it is foluble in .Aq. reg,i~: and foon of the ref! of its ~alities. I would gladly meet with one general Affirmation , concer· m~g any ~ahty of Gold, that any one can certainly know is true. It Will, no doubt, be prefently objected, Is not this an univerfal certain Propolition, ./Ill Gold is malleable~ To which I anfwer, It is a very certain Propolition, if Malleablenefs be a part of the complex idea tbe word Gold !lands for. But then here. is nothing affirmed of Gold, but that that Sound flands for an ld~a 10 wh1~h. ~alleablenefs is contained : a11d fitch a fort ofT ruth andCertamty as thi.s,u IS to fay a Centaur is four-footed. But if Malleablenefs make not a part of the fpecilick Elfence the name Gold fiands for, 'tis plain, AU Gold iJ maUeaUe, is not a certain Propolition: becaufe. l~ttbe complex Idea ofGold,be made up ofwhichfoeverofitsother ~alittes you J.>leafe,Malleablenets will not appear to depend on that com. pile>. luea,nor lollow from any funple one contained in it. The connexion that M•lleablenefs has (if it has any) with thofe other Q!Jalities, being only by the wtervem1on. of _the real Confritution of its infentible pans, wluch,lince we know not, t1s1mpofliblewe fhould perceive thatconnexion unlels we could d1fcover that which ties them together. ' ~ ro. The more, mdeed, of thefe co-exifling ~ali ties we unite into one complex Idea, under one name, the more precife and determinate we make. the fignificauon ~that Word: but yet never mak~ it more capable ofumverlal Ccrtamty, Ill ref~ of other ~alities, not contained in our complex Chap. VI. their Truth and Certainty. complex Idea ; fince we perceive not their connexion, or dependence one on another,being ignorant both of that real Conftitution in which they are all founded ;and a!R1 how they fl.ow from it. For the chief part of our Knowledge concerning' Subflances,i> not as in other Things,barcly <lf the relation of two Ideas that may exiflfeparately; bur of the necclfary connexion and co-exificnce of feveral difiinct Ideas in the fame Subjec1, or of their repugnancy fo to co-exifi. Could we begin at the other end, and difcover what it was wherein that Colour conliflcd , what made o Body ligh· ter or heavier, what texture of Parts made it malleable, fu(,ble, and fixed, and fit to be dilfolved in this fort of Liquor, and not in another; if(! fay) we had fuch an Idea as this of Bodies, and could perceive wherein , I! fenfible ~alities originally" confift, and how they arc produced; we might frame fuch abftract lde•s of them, as would furmn1 us with marrer of more general Knowledge, and enable us to ~ake u~iverfal Propofitions, that lhould carry general Truth and Ccrtamty wah them. But whiUl our complex Ideas of the forts of Sub fiances, are fo remote fron) that internal real Conflitution, on wluch thetr fenfible ~ahues depend, and arc made up of nothing but an imperfeCl: Collection of thofe apparent ~ali ties our Senfes can difcover, there can be very few general Propolitions concerning Subftances, of w hofe real Truth we can be certamly alfured . Iince there are but few limple !tleas , of wbofe connexion and necelfary co-e:<iftence, we can have certain. ~nd undoubted !{now ledge. I imagine, amongfi all the fecundary ~ahues of Subfiances, and the Powers relating to them, there cannot any two be n~med, whofe necelfary co-exiftence or repugnance to co-ex1fl, can certamly be known, un· leiS in thofe of ;he fame fenfe which neceffarily exclude one another, as I have elfewhere fl1ewed. No' one, I think, by the Colour that is in a~y Body, can certainly kno.w what Smell, Tafle,Sound, or ta~gtb1e ~ahttes it has, nor what Alterauons 1t IS capable to make, or rece1v~! on, or ft o.n other Bod1es : the fame may·be fa1d of the Sou~d, or Tarte, t!fc. Our lpe· cifick Names of Subftances, lignifying any Collectwns offuch Ideas,· ns not to be wondred, that we can, with them, make very few general Propofttions of undoubted real certainty: but yet fo far as any co"'i'lexldea, •f any fort of Subjlallces,coutains in it any Jimple ldea,zvhofe necejjary co·exr· /ltnce with any other m9.be dtfcowredJo far uitiverfal Propo[tt1ons may w11b ttrtainty /;e made concernmg II: v.g.CoulJ any one d1fcover a necelfary connexion between Malleablenefs, and the Colour or Weight of Go!d, or any other part of the complex Idea lignified by that Name, he mtght make a certain univerfal Propofition concernmg Gold zn tlus refpect; and the real Truth of this Propofttion, That all Gold is malleable, would be as certain as of this, The three Angles of all right-lined Triangles, are equal to two right ones. h 1 c· "' . ~. 11 • Had we fuch Ideas ofSubflances,as toknoww at rea onlUtUtlo_ns produce thofe fenfible ~ali ties we find in them, and how thofe ~alltles flowed from thence, we could,by the fpecifick Ideas ofthetr real Elfencestn our own Minds,more certainly find out their Properties, and dzfcoverwhat ~alities they h•d, or had not,than we can now by our Senfes: and to know the Properties of Gold,it would be no more necelfary,that Gold fhould,ex1fi; and that we fhould make Experiments upon 1t, than It 1s necelfary for the. knowin the Properties of a Triangle, that .• Triangle fhould exzflm any. Matter ~1e Idea in our Minds would ferve for the one,as well as the other; But we' are fo far from being admitted into the Secrets of Narure , that we fcarce fo much as ever approach the firfl entrance towards them. Fo~ we are wont to confider the Subftances we meet with, each of them,. as an cntrnt |
