date

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

Not Paul

Ch Paul’s success―its causes

As to nonsense so far from being obstructive, it is in its nature in a high degree conducive―not to say necessary―to the production of the effect. Suppose it any thing but nonsense argument, if there be any thing of weakness in it which in the case in question by the supposition there can not fail to be will in proportion to its weakness be exposed to refutation. But of nonsense it is a property an effectual an indisputable property to be / to be / altogether refutation proof. To words to which no ideas / conceptions / are / stand / asserted no erroneous conceptions can be shewn to be attached to words, by which no intelligible propositions are expressed nor false propositions can be shewn to be expressed.

Thus it is and hence it is, it is by the most absurd propositions that the firmest faith or belief the most intense and most irrefragable / firmest / degree of persuasion has been produced. Among propositions / positions / In the scale of absurdity the highest place is beyond dispute that which is occupied by those of the self-contradictory class. But it is by these / propositions of this class / that the most intense and consequently the most impatient and irritable persuasion has been engrossed: unless that in which the composition / compositeness / of the uncompounded Godhead / object is declared / and that in which in which an / one and the same / object is declared to be eaten[?] and not eaten[?] at the same time. False[?] propositions for a man to die for rather than contradict them the powers / power / of imagination can not frame to itself.

Proportioned not to the reasonableness but to the unreasonableness of it is the intensity of the persuasion which the religion of this world have been seen to produce. In no part / spot / within the field of its dominion, even in the Catholic edition of it will the religion of Jesus be seen capable of giving birth to / producing / self sacrifices approaching in respect of the self-command and power of endurance manifested by them, to those of which in such prodigious abundance the religion of Bramah has been seen productive.  In a note give examples from Mill’s India.
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  • Title: [16 Feb y 1813 Church II Topics Ch]
    Description: 16 Feb y 1813

    Church II Topics Ch.6

    (5)

    The supposed merit and with it the expected reward being

    as the improbability, and the exertion in the supposed merit and

    expected reward the exertion has been as the improbability, and of such

    exertion expected reward the success the exertion has been as the improbability, and of such the result has been the procuring for the more improbable proposition or fact

    a conducive an affirmative persuasion

    still more intense than for

    the less improbable one.

    The merit of belief

    being as the absurdity

    of the credendum, the

    result has been

    the procuring intenser

    belief for a more

    than for a less

    improbable proposition.

    Thus it is then that an adequate reward being in prospect

    in favour of a to for a proposition more flagrantly palpably absurd

    such a more intense persuasion of its verity

    may be obtained as shall be come more intense than the

    persuasion entertained and even by the same means

    in favour of a proposition less palpably absurd.

    Why? because the reward expected being as the exertion

    bestowed, so it has been that, the purpose of

    obtaining persuasion of the verity of the more palpably

    absurd proposition, a more intense greater degree of exertion

    was employed than the purpose of obtaining the

    persuasion of the verity of the less palpably absurd persuasion.

    Thus an adequate

    reward being in

    prospect forces

    absurd credendum it

    may obtain firmer

    belief than one less so

    the reward expected

    being in the merit

    viz. greater.

    self contradictory

    propositions being the

    most absurd, the

    belief in them

    seems to have been

    equally or more

    intense, than in less

    absurd ones - viz

    improbable matters of fact.

    The case in which the proportion is of the self

    -contradictory kind is the case in which the falsity of

    it is most palpable. Accordingly [in this case]

    it is in favour of propositions of this description a degree

    of persuasion appears to have been obtained produced as intense

    at least as if not more intense than one which

    has been produced in favour of any proposition of a

    description lass palpably absurd in favour of a proposition

    for example of the existence of a matter of

    fact in itself more or less improbable.
  • Title: [1817 Sept. 8 Not Paul Ch Paul]
    Description: 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.
  • Title: [1817 Sept. 8 Not Paul Ch. Style Paul]
    Description: 1817 Sept. 8

    Not Paul Ch. Style Paul’s Nonsense

    II. Cor. I. 17 to 20

    Nonsense about Yea and Nay.

    II. Cor. II. 14. to 16.

    Nonsense about savour.

    II. Cor. IV 10 to 12.

    Antithetical nonsense about death and life.

    v. 14. 15.

    II. Cor. IV 13 to 18

    Nonsense about the spirit of faith, and resurrection, and grace and thanksgiving and glory, and men’s outward man which perishes and their inward man which is renewed daily: and light affliction, and exceeding weight of glory: and looking at things which are not seen but are eternal.

    II. Cor. V. 1 to 9.

    Nonsense about Building Clothing, Nakedness groaning absence and presence: declaring how he and they walk by faith and not by sight: and that they groan, not that they would be unclothed, but that they would be clothed upon: and that mortality might be swallowed up of by life.

    II. Cor. V. 11 to 13.

    Nonsense about the terror of the Lord: also, about persuasion— manifestation, self—commendation glory —sanity, and insanity.

    II. Cor. V. 16 to 21

    Stark nonsense about knowledge, and new things, and old things, and reconciliation, and trespasses: declaring that he Paul knew Christ after the flesh, but will is reported not to know him no any longer: that all things are new things: that he is an ambassador for Christ: that Christ is himself converted into sin, to the end that Paul’s readers may be converted into the righteousness of God.

    II Cor. VI. 8 to 10

    Self—contradictory antithetical nonsense, about beingdeclaring himself to be a deceiver, yet true: unknown yet well known, &c.

    II. Cor. VII. 8 to 10

    Nonsense about joy and sorrow. Not very nonsensical)

    Gal. IV.

    Nonsense about Sons Heirs and Servants.

    V

    I Tim. III.

    Nonsense about the mystery of godliness

    N.B. II. Cor. VII & VIII occupied exclusively in importunate begging.