BOOK I PART III
effect; and therefore there is a just foundation
for drawing a conclusion from the existence of
one object to that of its usual attendant. The
past production implies a power: The power
implies a new production: And the new pro-
duction is what we infer from the power and
the past production.
It were easy for me to shew the weakness of
this reasoning, were I willing to make use of
those observations, I have already made, that
the idea of production is the same with that of
causation, and that no existence certainly and
demonstratively implies a power in any other
object; or were it proper to anticipate what I
shall have occasion to remark afterwards con-
cerning the idea we form of power and efficacy.
But as such a method of proceeding may seem
either to weaken my system, by resting one