= ‘the fabftance, fall appearances for good fimilicudes, fi 
The PrEeFace. 
many | particulars much outdone by thofe of other Creatures, and when 
at bef tobe far fhort of the perféction they fem capable of : And thefe 
infirmities of the Senfes arife from a double caufe, either from the dif- 
proportion of the Objeé& to the Organ, whereby an infinite number of 
things can never enter into them,or ee from evror in the Perception, 
that many things, which come within their reach, arenot received ina 
right manner. 
The like frailties are to be’ found in the Memory swe oes lepmany — 
things flip away fromeus, which deferve tobe retainid; and of thofe 
| which we treafitre up, a great part is either frivolous or falfe ; and if 
good, and fubftontial, either in tratiof time obliterated, or at beft fo 
overwhelmed and buried under more frothy notions, that when there is 
need of them, they are in vain fought for. = : 
The two main foundations being fo decetvable, it is no wonder, that 
all the fucceeding works which we ve build upon them,of arguing, conclu- 
ding defining, judging, and all the other degrees of Reafon, are lyable to 
the fame imperfection, being, at befi, either vain,or uncertain: .Sothat 
the errors of the underftanding are anfwerable tothe two other, being 
defe&tive bothin the quantity and goodnefs of its knowledge for. the li- 
mits, to which our thoughts are confi nd, are final in refpett of the vaft 
extent of Nature it felf; fome parts of it are too large to be compreben- 
ded,and fome toolittle to beperceiued. And from thence it muftfol- 
low,that not having a full Jenfation of the Objet, we muft be verydame 
and imperfect in our comceptions about it, andin. all thepropofstions 
which me build uponit ; hence we often take the hadow of things 3 
_ fordefinitions; and even many of thofe, which we think, tobe the mof ee 
folid definitions, are rather expreffions of our ow raigided appreben= 
fions then of the true nature of the things themfelves, Teem 
The effects of thee imperfeétions. are manifefled in differen nina 
cording tothe tener and difpoition ofthe Jveral minds of men, fae 
they:incline to grofs ignorance: and lupidity, and athers ‘ta a.pre- 
fumptuous impofing on other mens Opinions,and a confident dog- 
snatizing on matters, whereof there'ia no offurance to be givers 
Lt 
