24 Sep. 1809

Parl y Reform

B.I. Necessity

'. Soil[?] how prepared

Tests

10

Whatever may have been the design of it, the effect of this declaration in its /the/ professed character of a test, may be set down as next to nothing.

{{two /Certain/ other shapes may be mentioned in which the effect of it is but too incontestable.}

1. As a security for an conclusive evidence of his really entertaining the opinion in question it amounts to next to nothing.

What is made his interest is to profess to entertain it.

What is or is not made his interest is - really to entertain it.}

As to the entertainment of this or that opinion, if it could /can/ be made, and really were made, his interest to entertain it /such opinion/, in what respect would he be the nearer to the entertaining it? Would it be in his power? Has a man, any man, has he it in his power to believe any thing he pleases? The understanding is it thus completely and instantaneously at the command of the will?

Yes and No: - two things, and two only can he do towards bringing to the purpose /with reference to the great[?] opinion/ in question his understanding into the state desired by his will. One is, to glue /rivet/ /point and fix/ his attention to /upon/ every consideration tending to represent the alledged fact in question as true: the other is, to keep the door of his conception shut - inexorably shut - against every consideration the tendency of which is seen to be to represent the fact as improbable or not true.

But in proportion as he habituates /succeeds in habituating/ himself to such a mode of dealing, in that same proportion he succeeds in debilitating and depraving that part of his mental frame: he habituates himself to the operation of partial judgment, of wilful error, or habit which so far as a man's conduct towards himself is influenced by it is folly; in so far as conduct towards others is influenced by it is injustice.