[clxiv. 193]

1820 June 23

Emancipation Spanish

? Interests opposite

Corruption

Monarch and Sub rulers

Wilberforce

Religion Delusion

Now when a man not only is but even declares himself to be determined by every possible means to do his utmost to the keeping up /from disclosure/ an imposture - and such an imposture - an imposture productive of such consequences - whether it be religion or any other that is the topic what fair title to credence can belong to any declaration to any protestations he can make? of the existence of any real sincere persuasion what sort of evidence can any such protestation ever amount to? of /to/ any such evidence what is the probative force that with any colour of reason be attributed? Let him cry Christ Christ! let him cry Lord! Lord! till he is hoarse what evidence can any such cry assert of his believing the existence of any thing or any person that he thus speaks of? Of belief it is /affords/ not any more strongly probative evidence than does persecution for non belief to this or that alledged matter of fact afford any evidence of the corresponding belief. Not that of non-belief it will be any evidence: for of belief in things extraordinary /not probable/ sincerity in all its shapes is at least as frequent an accompaniment as unbelief /non-belief/: and if so it be, that in regard to the thing in question, whatever it be, belief actually has place /existence/ a phrase asserting the existence of it will not drive it into non-existence. The belief thus professed may therefore for any thing that man /men/ can know to the contrary be real. But be it ever so real who is it it /where are those/ that is the better for it? the believer himself? or any one else?