1 Sep. 1809

Parl y Reform B.'s Necessity

'.{3.} King's interest 2. power

Tests - their use to despotism

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'. Tests [?] - their use in the propagation of immoral dependence. /to despotism./

The political instrument which, by a metaphor taken from chemical science /chemistry/ /the science of chemistry/ has been called /designated by the name of/ a test , is an instrument which having been invented for the purpose of propagating the two fold demon corruption has in a most felicitous and compleat degree fulfilled that /such/ its intended purpose.

It consists in pitching upon some opinion, the more absurd the better, and causing a man to declare /assert/, by /in/ some solemn and permanent /and effectually published/ form of words, as a matter of fact, that that opinion is in his mind among the objects of his persuasion and belief: that he believes such or such a thing to be true.

The more absurd it is, the fitter it is for this purpose: because the more absurd the more difficult ore in one word the more clearly impossible that it should really be believed to be true.

A proposition /A physical absurdity or impossibility/ for example that stands in contradiction to uniform experience, especially if to such a sort and degree repugnant to it /experience/ as to be not only incapable of being believed to have been in any instance exemplified, but such as /that/ the exemplification of it can not so much as be conceived: such that no picture can be painted of it in the human mind. That for example the same individual body exists at the same time in more places, all distant from one another, than one.

A proposition of that sort might at first sight appear as if well adapted, beyond any other that can be imagined, to assume[?] the purpose of such a test. But there is yet one that goes beyond it. This is that sort of no[?] grammatical or verbal or absurdity , which is called a contradiction in terms : and of /among/ all contradictions in terms that which may be called an arithmetical or numerical one, seems to occupy in the scale of absurdity the highest place. /most conspicuous and elevated place./

That two and two are not equal to four : that one and one and one do not make three , and so forth.