he existence of a GOD:
of the existence of ANYTHING ELSE, we have no other but a sensitive
knowledge; which extends not beyond the objects present to our senses.

22. Our Ignorance great.

Our knowledge being so narrow, as I have shown, it will perhaps give us
some light into the present state of our minds if we look a little into
the dark side, and take a view of OUR IGNORANCE; which, being infinitely
larger than our knowledge, may serve much to the quieting of disputes,
and improvement of useful knowledge; if, discovering how far we
have clear and distinct ideas, we confine our thoughts within the
contemplation of those things that are within the reach of our
understandings, and launch not out into that abyss of darkness, (where
we have not eyes to see, nor faculties to perceive anything), out of
a presumption that nothing is beyond our comprehension. But to be
satisfied of the folly of such a conceit, we need not go far. He that
knows anything, knows this, in the first place, that he need not seek
long for instances of his ignorance. The meanest and most obvious things
that come in our way have dark sides, that the quickest sight cannot
penetrate into. The clearest and most enlarged understandings of
thinking men find themselves puzzled and at a loss in every particle of
matter. We shall the less wonder to find it so, when we consider the
CAUSES OF OUR IGNORANCE; which, from what has been said, I suppose will
be found to be these three:--

First, Want of ideas. Its causes.

Secondly, Want of a discoverable connexion between the ideas we have.

Thirdly, Want of tracing and examining our ideas.

23. First, One Cause of our ignorance Want of Ideas.

I. Want of simple ideas that other creatures in other parts of the
universe may have.

FIRST, There are some things, and those not a few, that we are ignorant
of, for want of ideas.

First, all the simple ideas we have are confined (as I have shown) to
those we receive from corporeal objects by sensation, and from the
operations of our own minds as the objects of reflection. But how much
these few and narrow inlets are disproportionate to the vast whole
extent of all beings, will not be hard to persuade those who are not so
foolish as to think their span the measure of all things. What other
simple ideas it is possible the creatures in other parts of the universe
may have, by the assistance of senses and faculties more or perfecter
than we have, or different f