I N G E N E R A L, ^^j 



thus founded on analogy, let us* next examine 

 whether it involves any contradi£lion. 



It may he alledged, that the expreffion, inter- 

 nal mould, includes two oppofite and contradic- 

 tory ideas ; for the idea of a mould relates only 

 to the furface ; but the idea of internal, as here 

 employed, has a relation to the whole mafs j and 

 therefore we might, with equal propriety, talk 

 of a maffy furface as of an internal mould. 



I allow, that, when ideas are attempted to be 

 reprefented which have never been exprefled^ 

 we are fometimes obliged to ufe terms that are 

 apparently contradictory. To avoid this incon- 

 venience, philofophers have been accuftomed to 

 employ unufual terms, inftead of thofe which 

 have a received fignification. But this artifice 

 is of no ufe, when we can Ihow, that the feem- 

 ing contradiction lies in the words, and not in 

 the idea. A fniipfe idea, however, cannot include 

 acontradidion ; i. e. whenever we can form an 

 idea of a tiling, if this idea be hmple, it cannot 

 be complex ; it can include no other Idea; and, 

 of courfc, it can contain nothing that is oppofite 

 or contradictory. 



Simple ideas are not only the firft apprehen- 

 fions received by the fenfes, but the fii 11 com- 

 parifons which we form of thefe apprehenlions: 

 For the firft apprehcnfion is always the refult'of 

 comparifon. The idea of the largenefs or di- 

 itance of an objedt neceffarily implies a compa- 

 rifon with bulk or diftance in general. Thusj 

 Vol. II. C when 



