date

1817 Sept. 8 Not Paul Ch Paul
1817 Sept. 8

Not Paul

Ch Paul’s success its causes

Look to the nonsense which has obtained credence among the Hindoos. no need of inspiration to account for it.

Ch. Paul’s success―its causes.

Paulist. But if as according to you for the production of the effects so indisputably produced by him Paul had no means but in the way / shape / of acts instead of miracles false reports of miracles and in the way / shape / of sayings, nonsense and absurdity in a variety of forms, by what means then were accomplished / according to you were produced / by him those effects which now according to you were actually produced?

I answer appearance of sincerity accompanied with boldness: the outward and visible signs though deceptions of intense persuasion: boldness, viz. / i.e. / what the French would call force de caractere.

To a vast extent for the grounds they act on the wisest and most knowing of mankind find themselves under the obligation / reduced to the necessity / of being determined by the authority of others: taking from others not only evidence, but the judgments themselves of which the appropriate / correspondent / evidence are / is / or ought to be the grounds.

Such being the yoke imposed by necessity on even the strongest minds―on those which have most time as well as most other means of all sorts for forming / the formation of / self formed judgments how much heavier must not be the yoke to / under / which those have to labour of whom the bulk of mankind is composed.

In so far as concerns art and science in any of its / their / branches is / are / concerned the less the proficiency / advance / which at the time in question has by man in general, and by the furthest advanced in particular, been made in the branch in question, the more implicit will naturally be the confidence of any uninstructed person in what appears to be / wears the appearance of being / the opinion of one who is supposed to be better instructed: in a word, the greater the ignorance, the greater the credulity.
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  • Title: [1817 Sept. 8 Not Paul Ch. Paul]
    Description: 1817 Sept. 8

    Not Paul

    Ch. Paul’s success―its causes

    Give me but a standing place said Archimedes, I will move the earth Archimedes ( c. 287- c. 212 bc), Greek mathematician and inventor. The anecdote is related by Simplicius, a 6th century ad Neoplatonist, In Aristotelis de Physica Commentarii, 1110.5.―meaning in a physical [sense]. Give me but force and fluency (might a man almost any man say) and I will move the world, meaning in an intellectual and moral sense―such / Such / is the power of the evidence afforded by intellectual authority, especially when reinforced by sympathy. ( Si vis me flere) says the earliest of our writers in the field of aesthetics si vis me flere, dolendum est primum ipsi tibi. Grieve―for though without any real cause by the mere force of imagination the skilful writer though it be but for the moment introduces into his mind the passion of grief. Grieve first yourself says Horace, if you would make others weep. See Horace, Ars poetica, 102-3.

    Intellectual authority and sympathy―those were the instruments of which Paul had put himself in possession and learnt the use.

    In all stages in the career of civilization, nonsense on condition of being accompanied with the appearance of a certain degree of self-persuasion―nonsense so far as being obstructive has been productive of the effect of producing corresponding persuasion in other minds.

    Cromwell! what an ascendancy did not that man acquire over other minds! to what a height in the ladder of ambition did he not raise himself! Yet of the sort of eloquence by which these effects were produced specimens are not wanting. Hume in his history has dragged out into day light one of them: a tissue of nonsense he pronounces it: nor does the propriety of the appellation seem much exposed to dispute.
  • Title: [1817 Sept. 8. Not Paul Ch Paul]
    Description: 1817 Sept. 8.

    Not Paul

    Ch Paul’s success―its causes

    This being the case / Under these circumstances / In this state of things //, which it is by the appearance of intensity of persuasion in one mind that in another mind the reality of it is produced, it is by the nonsensicality of the proposition that the persuasion is protected―effectually protected against all danger of being removed or so much as shaken. By energy it is created, by nonsense it is preserved.
  • Title: [1817 Sept. 8 Not Paul Ch.]
    Description: 1817 Sept. 8

    Not Paul

    Ch. Style Paul’s Nonsense

    I. Argument

    Ch. Paul’s Style

    Samples of Nonsense

    I Rom. III. 3. 6. 8: Antithetical Nonsense: about belief and unbelief; truth and lies; unrighteousness and righteousness; evil and good.

    Not very strong. Stet.

    II Rom III. 21. to 31.

    Rambling Nonsense.

    Nonsense about righteousness — the law — faith — sin — glory & justification flesh — redemption grace propitiation blood —remission of sins boasting — works — circumcision — uncircumcision — Jews —Gentiles

    Not very strong. Stet.

    III Rom. V. 1 to 21.

    Incoherent Nonsense. Nonsense about Faith peace — grace— hope — glory — tribulation patience, experience hope — sin— death love blood — wrath — enmity — reconciliation — life joy — atonement — law Adam — Moses— offence — free gift condemnation — justification — disobedience— obedience.

    IV. Rom. IV 1 to 25 the end.

    By faith, Abraham was saved without having been circumcised: therefore so may any body else. This if any, the whole meaning; drowned in a deluge of nonsense.

    V. Rom. VI 1 to 23.

    Antithetical Nonsense. Nonsense everlastingly repeated, about Death and life— sin baptism — resurrection — crucifixion of our old man —lusts of the body — Sin and grace — righteousness uncleanness iniquity holiness — fruit—freedom from righteousness.

    VI. Rom. VII. 1 to 25.

    Tautologies Indefatigably repeated nonsense antithetical. Nonsense about the Law—Marriage — adultery — death — body of Christ— resurrection fruit — flesh — motions of sins — members — spirit — letter — lust — commandment —concupiscence —holy, just and good commandments — spirituality — carnality: concluding with a sad paraphrase of Video meliora proboque, Deteriora sequor.

    VII. Rom. VIII. 1 to 18

    Unmercifully repeated antithetical Nonsense. Nonsense about flesh and spirit — law and sin— —life — and death —peace and enmity —bondage and adoption — kinship glorification —suffering and glory.

    VIII. Rom. VIII. 19 to 27

    Nonsense about the Creature. Bondage of corruption and glorious liberty— first fruits of the Spirit — groaning adoption — redemption hope patience. The Spirit —infirmities — prayer— mind of the spirit making intercession for Saints according to God.

    IX.

    Post off to Doctrine

    Rom. VIII. 28 to 34.

    Nonsense about Calling, foreknowledge — predestination— the first born justification— glorification election, delivering up of God’s own son.

    Add. Eph. I 9 to 14.

    X. Rom. VIII. 34 to 39.

    Nonsense about love of God and love of Christ Jesus— —condemnation death —resurrection — intercession tribulation distress persecution —famine — nakedness peril sword angels principalities — powers things present— things to come — height, depth, and any other creature.

    Motto from Paul

    I Cor. XIV. 9.

    ‘So likewise you, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood ( Marg sig nificant) how shall it be known what is spoken? For ye shall speak in the air.

    Miracles &c

    I Cor. XII. 28.

    And God hath set some in the Church first apostles, then secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, the gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongue.

    Revelation.

    I. Cor. XIV. 26.

    How is it then brethren? When ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done to edifying.

    Power exercised.

    I. Cor XIV 37. Domineeringness exemplified.