Page:An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding - Hume (1748).djvu/72

 perience, it can be allow'd to give direct and certain Information only of those precise Objects, and that precise Period of Time, which fell under its Cognizance: But why this Experience should be extended to future Times, and to other Objects, which, for aught we know, may be only in Appearance similar; this is the main Question I would insist on. The Bread I formerly eat nourish'd me; that is, a Body, of such sensible Qualities, was, at that Time, endow'd with such secret Powers: But does it follow, that other Bread must also nourish me at another Time, and that like sensible Qualities must always be attended with like secret Powers? The Consequence seems no way necessary. At least, it must be acknowleg'd, that there is here a Consequence drawn by the Mind; that there is a certain Step taken; a Process of Thought, and an Inference, which wants to be explain'd. These two Propositions are far from being the same, I have found that such an Object has always been attended with such an Effect, and I foresee, that other Objects, which are, to Appearance, similar, will be attended with similar Effects. I shall allow, if you please, that the one Proposition may justly be infer'd from the other: I know in fact, that it always is infer'd. But if you insist, that the Inference is made by a Chain of Reasoning, I desire you may produce that Reasoning. The Connexion betwixt these Propositions is not intuitive. There is requir'd a Medium, which may enable the Mind to draw such an Inference