1 Sept 1815

Jug True

Ch Imperfection

12

§. Marks of Verity

Jug endures not the test

(2)

5. Of the indications such as they are, that are here and there given of relative time as between incident and incident, instead of encrease diminution of title to credence is the result: the place assigned in the order of time to the same incident by the different narrators being very often different, the consequence is a perpetual tissue of contradictions—contradictions such as by no discernment can any real consistency be discovered in them, nor by any ingenuity so much as the appearance of it.

6. It is only in a comparatively small number of instances that of the same incident a relation is given by all four by the whole number of these biographers: most commonly it is by no more than three, frequently by no more than two, no unfrequently by no more than one is mention made of it. Not only from mutual contradictions as between narrative and narrative but even from the before omission made in one or more of them of incidents related in another or others does MS alt. ‘as’. ground of disbelief arise. The strength of this ground is in every case in the joint ratio of the importance of the incidents, and the multitude of the narrators by whom all mention of is omitted. An incident of which supposing to have really had place, the importance would have been so great, is to be believed that if it had been true the number would have been so considerable of those by whom no mention has been made of it?

or 4

By such indications as are given of relative times as between title to credence, both to coincidence is diminished one placing the incident in one time, another in another; contradictions utterly irreconcilable.

or 5

In but very few instances, is any story related by all four, commonly by no more than three; not unfrequently by one. Hence a ground for disbelief strong in proportion to the importance of the matter omitted, and the number of those by whom it has been omitted.