167 



terations and compositions of them. When the me- 

 mory is once furnished with those voluntary altera- 

 tions and combinations of simple ideas, the mind has 

 the same full power over them, as over the ground- 

 work of them ; namely, that of simple apprehension, 

 and of judgement in all its branches. And the same 

 arbitrary sway it has'over all the complex notions and 

 conceptions, which are formed' out of those simple 

 or complex ideas, considered together with the ope. 

 rations of the intellect upon them. 



Before we close this head of judgment, it is worth 

 while to take particular notice of that species of one 

 of its branches, comparing, which is distinct from alj 

 the rest, and is commonly called relation. This is 

 that act of the'miud, whereby it considers the depen- 

 dencies of things on each other. I shall dwell on it 

 no longer, than is necessary to shew the procedure of 

 the understanding, in attaining knowledge. 



First, When we consider the relations of sensible 

 objects to each other, as they are in their own nature, 

 without any respect which they bear to our under, 

 standing, hence opens a spacious tield of knowledge ; 

 that of natural causes and effects, of the manner 

 wherein natural things act upon, or suffer from each 

 other : in short, of their influencing one another 

 numberless ways : and this is natural philosophy. 



Secondly, From our ideas of sensation, we infer the 

 existence of those outward objects, that occasion 

 them in us. And from the existence of these we in- 

 fer a First Cause of all things, eternal, and necessarily 



