date

21 Jan y 1814 Jug. True Ch
21 Jan y 1814

Jug. True

Ch.3. Natural Evidence

7.

Unbeliever. True. to this length unquestionably the objective does extend. MS alt. illegible. When the system of supposed MS alt. illegible. facts being to such a degree unconformable to the known and at present universally experienced course of nature, true it is that even supposing it for argument sake to be true still at any rate, to an inhabitant of succeeding and distant times the nature of the case could not afford a sufficient ground for warrant for giving credit to it. But to our objective what just answer does this observation of yours afford? Not any. By this observation of yours the very thing in dispute is assured. That there has been a religion revealed and revealed of old, is according to your observation to be taken for granted. Well then say you since there must have been and has been a revelation, and that revelation capable of being sufficiently proved and sufficiently proved accordingly, it is by this sort of evidence of proof that it must have been proved: for the nature of the case admitts not of any other. Thus say you, but no: this is more than one can grant. Not to your alledged revelation alone, but to every alledged revelation does our objection extend, and this and no less is the very extent which we mean to give to it. Dealing with a being endowed with human reason, an all-wise being would not attempt to put upon him a revelation supported by no better evidence. No such supposed revelation would utter: or, if he did, by no such weak evidence alone, but to some stronger species of evidence to some evidence of a stronger complection would he betake himself for the fulfillment of his designs in his endeavours to produce acceptance for it in the minds in which it was to produce credence.

7.

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