Hence in the early ages of the world, before the equilibrium 

 of the conftituent malTes of the globe had been fully eftablifhed, 

 and while, confequently, internal commotions muft have been 

 much more frequent, it having been obferved that extraordinary 

 convulfions were announced by extraordinary appearances, the 

 greateft attention was paid to fuch appeaTances; an attention 

 which at laft degenerated through fraud and impofture into the 

 grofleft fuperftition. Thus judicial aftrology, foothfaying, augury, 

 &c. originated. But the rejedion of fuch abufes fhould not pre- 

 vent attention to uncommon appearances, connedled either with 

 the atmofphere or the earth. By wifely taking warning from 

 them, only fifteen lives were loft in the great earthquake which 

 overturned Quito in Peru on the 27th of April 1755, 6 Colledt. 

 Acad. 627. In the pafTages already quoted Mr. Hume afferts, 

 that by re-iterated experience we gain no idea of the fecret power 

 by which one objed produces another, and thus infinuates that we 

 have no knowledge of any power : but though flridly fpeaking we 

 have no idea' of /owfr, the word idea properly denoting only the 

 faint copy of a previous fenfible impreffion, yet we have a notion 

 of it, lince we underftand and can define what we mean by it, 

 namely, that property of an objed with which the fubftantial or 

 modal exiftence of another objed, not yet in being, is neceffarily 

 conneded and on which it depends j as it is on this property the 

 efficiency of caufes is grounded, we are certain of its exiflence, 

 fince they exift, though its cfTence be unknown. Juft as we are 



Y 2 convinced 



