ditate and reason within ourselves, and make tacit mental
propositions. In substances, as has been already noticed, this is
occasioned by the imperfections of our ideas: we making the name stand
for the real essence, of which we have no idea at all. In modes, it is
occasioned by the great number of simple ideas that go to the making
them up. For many of them being compounded, the name occurs much easier
than the complex idea itself, which requires time and attention to be
recollected, and exactly represented to the mind, even in those men who
have formerly been at the pains to do it; and is utterly impossible
to be done by those who, though they have ready in their memory the
greatest part of the common words of that language, yet perhaps never
troubled themselves in all their lives to consider what precise ideas
the most of them stood for. Some confused or obscure notions have served
their turns; and many who talk very much of RELIGION and CONSCIENCE,
of CHURCH and FAITH, of POWER and RIGHT, of OBSTRUCTIONS and HUMOURS,
MELANCHOLY and CHOLER, would perhaps have little left in their thoughts
and meditations, if one should desire them to think only of the things
themselves, and lay by those words with which they so often confound
others, and not seldom themselves also.

5. Mental and Verbal Propositions contrasted.

But to return to the consideration of truth: we must, I say, observe two
sorts of propositions that we are capable of making:--

First, MENTAL, wherein the ideas in our understandings are without the
use of words put together, or separated, by the mind perceiving or
judging of their agreement or disagreement.

Secondly, VERBAL propositions, which are words, the signs of our ideas,
put together or separated in affirmative or negative sentences. By which
way of affirming or denying, these signs, made by sounds, are, as it
were, put together or separated from another. So that proposition
consists in joining or separating signs; and truth consists in the
putting together or separating those signs, according as the things
which they stand for agree or disagree.

6. When Mental Propositions contain real Truth, and when Verbal.

Every one's experience will satisfy him, that the mind, either by
perceiving, or supposing, the agreement or disagreement of any of its
ideas, does tacitly within itself put them into a kind of proposition
affirmative or negative; which I have endeavoured to express by the
terms pu