us (as fuch) of the Being of a God, and a Real Demonftration, as between a Coppy, and an Original; or between the Hand of Michelangelo, and that of Baccio Bandinelli; that is, it Resembles fuch a One, but is not It: 'Tis not an Abfolute Demonstration, as we had reason to expect, 'tis only Hypothetical. I remember I was much furpriz'd when I found This after the great Expectation he had rais'd in me: I gave it my Son (who was then about 12 or 13 years old) ---My Dear, Read this, and give me your Opinion of it; he came to me again in a Quarter of an hour, and faid; Suppofing the World to have been Created in Time This is a Demonftration, Otherwife 'tis Not. And he judg'd right. Mr. Lock fhould first of all have Demonstrated that great Bb 2 Point

Point of the Birth of the World, 'till That was done he was in the Cafe of Archimedes, he wanted Ground to plant his Engine up

on.

3. A Good Connoiffeur will take care not to make a Difference where there is None, and fo Attribute thofe Works to Two Several Mafters which were both done by the Same Hand, or call that a Coppy which is truly an Original. Errors of This kind are Common in Other Sciences as well as in This, I will give two or three Inftances of Thefe also to illustrate what I am laying down as Rules in the Science I am treating of

·乾

The Church of Rome boafts Their having an Advantage over Us, as being under the Conduct of an Infallible Guide, whereas We trust to our Own Private Judg. Judg.

ment. But Their Infallibility terminates in their Own Private Judgment which determines that there is fuch a Guide, and that They have found it. How great foever their Satisfaction may be Their Security, and Ours is the Same.

So there is no Real Difference in the Evidence when 'tis faid fuch a Fact happen'd, and when 'tis faid it happen'd in the Prefence of 500 people, Yet I have known That Circumstances much infifted on, as adding a vast weight of Evidence,and this when there was no occafion to bring Vouchers to ftrengthen the Authority of the Hiftorian; 'Tis plain Here is no more than His Single Evidence to Us, be That what it will; And if it had been faid there was 1000, or 10000 Witneffes the Evidence would have

have been just the Same, nor

More, nor Lefs.

Humane Under

The fame Great

Standing, Book 2. Man I mention'd just Chap 28, now makes our Liberty to confift in the Power we have of Sufpending the Will, in order to Confider. Now the Act of Sufpending the Will (fuppofing it could be done at pleasure,) and that of Confideration are as much Actions as any other; tho' being Mental Ones they (efpecially the Latter) are commonly oppos'd to Action, by That Term Corporeal Actions being Understood. What this Gentleman fays then amounts to this, That our Liberty confifts in the power we have of doing These particular Mental Actions; That Thefe are Free, tho' our Other Actions, whether Mental, or Corporeal are not Lo.

A

or

A Vaft Difference is here made where there feems to Me to be None at all; I confefs I cannot fee but that I am as much at Liberty to Will any Other Action, as That of Sufpending my Will, Confidering: I am altogether as Free when I Write, or Paint, as when I Sufpend both, in order to Confider which I fhall do; Nor do I know of any Argument He, or any one else has used to prove the Former of Thefe kinds of Actions are not Free, which will not Equally Affect the Latter.

Nay when the Will is Sufpended in order to Confider 'tis fo far from being an Inftance of Liberty that we could not poffibly do Otherwife; For we can never Will an Action which the Understanding is not yet satisfied in as being More conducive to our Happiness than Any Other

at