and unclean fecondary idea in them; and they read the word which is in the margin, which they call keri, and not that which was written in the text which they call chetib.

III.

SECT. IV.

Of Words common and proper.

WORDS

'ORDS and names are either common or proper. Common names are fuch as ftand for univerfal ideas, or a whole rank of beings, whether general or fpecial. These are called appellatives; fo fifh, bird, man, city, river, are common names; and fo are trout, eel, lobster, for they all agree to many individuals, and fome of them to many ipecies but Cicero, Virgil, Bucephalus, London, Rome, Etna, the Thames, are proper names, for each of them agrees only to one fingle being.

Note here first, that a proper name may become in Tome fenfe common, when it hath been given to feveral beings of the fame kind; fo Cæfar, which was the proper name of the firft emperor, Julius, became alfo a common name to all the following emperors. And tea, which was the proper name of one fort of Indian leaf, is now-a-days become a common name for many infufions of herbs, or plants, in water; as fage-tea, ale-hoof-tea, limon-tea, &c. So Peter, Thomas, John, William, may be reckoned common names also, because they are given to many perfons, unless they are determined to fignify a fingle person at any particular time or place.

Note in the fecond place, that a common name may become proper by cuftom, or by the time or place, or persons that use it; as in Great Britain, when we say the King, we mean our prefent rightful fovereign King George, who now reigns; when we fpeak of the prince, we intend his royal highness Frederick Prince F

of Wales if we mention the city when we are near London, we generally mean the city of London; when in a country town, we fay the parfon or the efquire, all the parith knows who are the fingle perfons intended by it; fo when we are speaking of the hiftory of the New Testament, and ufe the words Peter, Paul, John, we mean those three apoftles.

name

Note in the third place, that any common whatsoever is made proper, by terms of particularity added to it, as the common words Pope, King, horse, garden, book, knife, &c. are defigned to fignify a fingularidea, when we say the prefent pope; the King of Great Britain; the horfe that won the laft plate at New-Market; the royal garden at Kenfington; this book; that knife, &c.

IV.

W

SECT. V.

Of concrete and abstract Terms.

ORDS or terms are divided into abstract or concrete.

Abftract terms fignify the mode or quality of a being, without any regard to the fubject in which it is; as whiteness, roundness, length, breadth, wisdom, mortality, life, death.

Concrete terms, while they exprefs the quality, do alfo either exprefs, or imply, or refer to some subject to which it belongs; as white, round, long, broad, wife, mortal, living, dead: but thefe are not always noun adjectives in a gramatical fenfe; for a fool, a knave, a philofopher and many other consretes are fubftantives, as well as folly, knavery, and philofophy, which are the abstract terms that belong to them.

V.

SECT. VI.

Of univocal and equivocal Words.

WOR

WORDS and terms are either univocal or equivocal. Univocal words are fuch as fignify but one idea, or at leaft but one fort of thing; equivocal words are fuch as fignify two or more different ideas, or different forts of objects. The words book, bible, fish, house, elephant, may be called univocal words; for I know not that they fignify any thing else but those ideas to which they are generally affixed but head is an equivocal word, for it fignifies the head of a nail, or of a pin, as well as of an animal: nail is an equivocal word, it is ufed for the nail of the hand or foot, and for an iron nail to faften any thing; poft is equivocal, it is a piece of timber, or a fwift meffenger. A church is a religious affembly, or the large fair building where they meet; aad fometimes the fame word means a fynod of bifhops or of prefbyters, and in fome places it is the Pope and a general council.

Here let it be noted, that when two or more words fignify the fame thing, as wave and billow, mead and meadow, they are ufually called fynonymous words; but it feems very ftrange, that words, which are directly contrary to each other, fhould fcmetimes reprefent almoft the fame ideas; yet thus it is in fome few inftances, a valuable, or an invaluable blefling; a fhameful, or a fhameless villian; a thick fkull, or a thin fkull'd fellow, a mere paper fkull: a man of a large confcience; little confcience, or no confcience; a famous rafcal, or an infamous one: fo uncertain a thing is human language, whofe foundation and fupport is cuftom.

As words fignifying the fame thing are called fynonymous; fo equivocal words, or thofe which fignify feveral things, are called homonymous, or ambiguous and when perfons ufe fuch ambiguous words, with a defign to deceive, it is called equivocation.

Our fimple ideas, and efpecially the fenfible qualities, furnish us with a great variety of equivocal or ambi

guous words; for these being the first, and most natural ideas we have, we borrow fome of their names, to fignify many other ideas, both simple and complex. The word fweet expreffes the pleasant perceptions of almoft every fense; fugar is fweet, but it hath not the fame fweetness as mufic; nor hath mufic the fweetness of a rofe; and a sweet profpect differs from them all; nó yet have any of these the fame fweetnefs, as difcourfe, counfel, or meditation hath; yet the royal Pfalmift faith of a man, we took fweet counsel together; and of God, my meditation of him fhall be fweet. Bitter is alfo fuch an equivocal word; there is bitter wormwood, there are bitter words, there are bitter enemies, and a bitter cold morning. So there is a fharpness in vinegar, and there is a fharpness in pain, in forrow, and in reproach; there is a fharp eye, a fharp wit, and a sharp fword but there is not one of these seven fharpneffes, the fame as another of them, and a sharp east wind is different from them all.

There are also verbs, or words of action, which are equivocal as well as nouns or names. The words to bear, to take, to come, to get, are fufficient inftances of it; as when we fay, to bear a burden, to bear forrow or bear a name, to bear a grudge, to bear

bear children; the word bear is used in very different fenfes; and fo is the word get, when we fay, to get money, to get in, to get off, to get ready, to get a ftomach, and to get a cold, &c.

There is alfo a great deal of ambiguity in many of the English particles, as, but, before, befide, with, without, that, then, there, for, forth, above about, &c. of which grammars and dictionaries will fufficiently inform us.

IT

SECT. VII.

Various Kinds of equivocal Words.

would be endless to run through all the varieties of words and terms, which have different fenfes

applied to them; I fhall only mention therefore a few of the most remarkable and most useful diftinctions among them.

1, THE first divifion of equivocal words lets us know that fome are equivocal only in their found or pronunciation; others are equivocal only in writing; and others, both in writing and in found."

Words equivocal in found only, are fuch as these ; the rein of a bridle, which hath the fame found with the reign of a king, or a fhower of rain, but all three have different letters, and diftinct fpelling. So might, or ftrength, is equivocal in found, but differs in writing from mite, a little animal, or a fmall piece of money.. And the verb to write, has the fame found with wright a workman, right or equity, and rite or ceremony, but it is fpelled very differently from them all.

Words equivocal in writing only, are fuch as thefe ; to tear to pieces has the fame fpelling with a tear; to lead, or guide, has the fame letters as lead the metal; and a bowl for recreation, is written the fame way as a bowl for drinking; but the pronunciation of all thefe is different.

But those words, which are most commonly and. juftly called equivocal, are fuch as are both written and pronounced the fame way, and yet have different fenfes or ideas belonging to them; fuch are all the inftances, which were given in the preceding fection..

Among the words which are equivocal in found only, and not in writing, there is a large field for perfons who delight in jefts, and puns, in riddles and quibbes, to fport themselves. This fort of words is also used by wanton persons to convey lewd ideas, under the covert of expreflions capable of a chafte meaning, which are called double entendres: or when perfons fpeak falsehood with a defign to deceive, under the covert of truth. Though it must be confeffed, that all forts of equivocal words yield fufficient matter for fuch purpofes.

There are many cafes alfo, wherein an equivocal. word is used for the fake of decency to cover a foul. idea; for the most chafte and modeft, and well-bred.