14 Feb y 1813

Church Ch. 6.

2 p1.

Part 4.

In practice the

persuasion which

guides human conduct

particularly in religion is of a mixt

kind, - partly indigenous

in part adoptive.

In practice - in matters in general - and in

matters of religion in particular — the persuasion

by which human conduct is determined - the persuasion

upon which a man acts, is very frequently

— not to say most frequently - of the mixt kind: -

partly indigenous, partly adoptive.

Much time

saved by acting

on adoption belief

By acting on adoptive persuasion, in general most commonly

much time is saved! Be the subject what it may

suppose any a mans declaration of persuasion an opinion in print —

that declaration opinion the opinion of one whose judgment

as declared is regarded as a competent and apt guide, the ascertaining

it may be but a moments work. whereas

the forming in relation to that same subject an indigenous

opinion, even in a mind ever so well qualified for

the formation of it may be the work of hours or days

not to say months or years.

Note (a)

(a)

Even mathematics

adoptive the persuasion

a man is

often if not for the

most part guided

by. A mans refers

without scruple to a work of note

for a demonstration

all parts

of which are not

in his mind.

(a) Even on a mathematical subject — even in the mind

of the ablest mathematician - the judgments on which

he acts operates will in great part not to say for the most

part in some degree of the adoptive kind. On

the subject of this or that proposition he himself

(suppose) has formed an opinion of the indigenous kind.

But at the instant that he has need of it to build upon

the demonstration is not — if it be a long one is not in

all its parts — in his mind. Accordingly partly for his

own satisfaction, partly for that of his expected readers, he

makes reference to a plan some mathematical work of

be quoted — say to Newton - where the demonstration

is delivered at length.