I am persuaded, would men but examine wt they mean by the word existence, they wou'd agree with me.
c. 20. s. 8. b. 4. of Locke makes for me against the mathematicians.
M.
The supposition that things are distinct from ideas takes away all real truth, & consequently brings in a universal scepticism; since all our knowledge and contemplation is confin'd barely to our own ideas[103].
I.
Qu. whether the solitary man would not find it necessary to make use of words to record his ideas, if not in memory or meditation, yet at least in writing—without which he could scarce retain his knowledge.
We read in history there was a time when fears and jealousies, privileges of parliament, malignant party, and such like expressions of too unlimited and doubtful a meaning, were words of much sway. Also the words Church, Whig, Tory, &c., contribute very much to faction and dispute.
S.
The distinguishing betwixt an idea and perception of the idea has been one great cause of imagining material substances[104].
S.