but what has at least one GENERAL proposition in
it. As if we could not reason, and have knowledge about particulars:
whereas, in truth, the matter rightly considered, the immediate object
of all our reasoning and knowledge, is nothing but particulars. Every
man's reasoning and knowledge is only about the ideas existing in his
own mind; which are truly, every one of them, particular existences: and
our knowledge and reason about other things, is only as they correspond
with those our particular ideas. So that the perception of the agreement
or disagreement of our particular ideas, is the whole and utmost of all
our knowledge. Universality is but accidental to it, and consists only
in this, that the particular ideas about which it is are such as more
than one particular, thing can correspond with and be represented by.
But the perception of the agreement or disagreement of our particular
ideas, and consequently our knowledge, is equally clear and certain,
whether either, or both, or neither of those ideas, be capable of
representing more real beings than one, or no.

9. Our Reason often fails us.

REASON, though it penetrates into the depths of the sea and earth,
elevates our thoughts as high as the stars, and leads us through the
vast spaces and large rooms of this mighty fabric, yet it comes far
short of the real extent of even corporeal being. And there are many
instances wherein it fails us: as,

First, In cases when we have no Ideas.

I. It perfectly fails us, where our ideas fail. It neither does nor can
extend itself further than they do. And therefore, wherever we have no
ideas, our reasoning stops, and we are at an end of our reckoning: and
if at any time we reason about words which do not stand for any ideas,
it is only about those sounds, and nothing else.

10. Secondly, Because our Ideas are often obscure or imperfect.

II. Our reason is often puzzled and at a loss, because of the obscurity,
confusion, or imperfection of the ideas it is employed about; and there
we are involved in difficulties and contradictions. Thus, not having any
perfect idea of the LEAST EXTENSION OF MATTER, nor of INFINITY, we are
at a loss about the divisibility of matter; but having perfect, clear,
and distinct ideas of NUMBER, our reason meets with none of those
inextricable difficulties in numbers, nor finds itself involved in any
contradictions about them. Thus, we having but imperfect ideas of the
operations of our mi