BOOK I PART IV
other; so when we make these ideas themselves
our objects, we must draw the same conclu-
sion concerning them, according to the prece-
dent reasoning. At least it must be confest, that
having idea of the substance of the soul, it is
impossible for us to tell how it can admit of
such differences, and even contrarieties of per-
ception without any fundamental change; and
consequently can never tell in what sense per-
ceptions are actions of that substance. The use,
therefore, of the word, action, unaccompanyed
with any meaning, instead of that of modifica-
tion, makes no addition to our knowledge, nor
is of any advantage to the doctrine of the im-
materiality of the soul.
I add in the second place, that if it brings
any advantage to that cause, it must bring an
equal to the cause of atheism. For do our The-