I N G E N E R A L. 27 



concerning reprodudion is perhaps of fuch a 

 fubtile nature, as not to admit of a full and fatis- 

 fadtory explication. But we ought at leaft to 

 inquire whether it be altogether infcrutable ; and, 

 in the courfe of this inquiry, we will difcover all 

 that can be known, and the reafon why we can 

 know no more. 



Queftions or inquiries are of two kinds ; the 

 firft regard primary caufes, the other particular 

 effeds. If, for example, it be afked why mat- 

 ter is impenetrable ? we muft either return no 

 anfwer, or reply by faying, that matter is im- 

 penetrable, becaufe it is impenetrable. The fame 

 anfwer muft be made, if we inquire into the 

 caufe of gravity, of extenfion, of the inertia of 

 bodies, or of any general quality of matter. 

 Such is the nature of all general and abftrad 

 qualities, that, having no mode of comparing 

 them with other objedls in which they do not 

 exift, we arc totally incapable of reafoning con- 

 cerning them ; and therefore all inquiries of this 

 kind, as they exceed the powers of human in- 

 telled, are pcrfedly ufelefs. 



But, on the other hand, if the reafon of par- 

 ticular eflects be demanded, we are always in a 

 condition to give a diftindt anfwer, whenever we 

 can fhow that thefe effeds are produced by one 

 of the general caufes; and the queftion is equal- 

 ly folved, whether the particular effed proceeds 

 immediately from a general caufe, or from a 



chain 



