BOOK I PART III
SECTIONVII. OF THENATURE OF THEIDEA
ORBELIEF
The idea of an object is an essential part of
the belief of it, but not the whole. We conceive
many things, which we do not believe. In order
then to discover more fully the nature of belief,
or the qualities of those ideas we assent to, let
us weigh the following considerations.
It is evident, that all reasonings from causes
or effects terminate in conclusions, concerning
matter of fact; that is, concerning the existence
of objects or of their qualities. It is also evident,
that the idea, of existence is nothing different
from the idea of any object, and that when after
the simple conception of any thing we would
conceive it as existent, we in reality make no
addition to or alteration on our first idea. Thus