14. Thirdly, to co-existing qualities which are known but
imperfectly. Besides, there is scarce any particular thing existing,
which, in some of its simple ideas, does not communicate with a
greater, and in others a less number of particular beings: who shall
determine in this case which are those that are to make up the precise
collection that is to be signified by the specific name? or can with
any just authority prescribe, which obvious or common qualities are to
be left out; or which more secret, or more particular, are to be put
into the signification of the name of any substance? All which
together, seldom or never fall to produce that various and doubtful
signification in the names of substances, which causes such
uncertainty, disputes, or mistakes, when we come to a philosophical
use of them.
15. With this imperfection, they may serve for civil, but not well
for philosophical use. It is true, as to civil and common
conversation, the general names of substances, regulated in their
ordinary signification by some obvious qualities, (as by the shape and
figure in things of known seminal propagation, and in other
substances, for the most part by colour, joined with some other
sensible qualities), do well enough to design the things men would
be understood to speak of: and so they usually conceive well enough
the substances meant by the word gold or apple, to distinguish the one
from the other.
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