That our Affent is regulated by Evidence, and not by our Wills is plain without going to the Argument from Experience, and that from this very Variety in the Degrees of our Affent; for Propofitions we Defired fhould be true we fhould be Affured were fo, and the Others we should be Affured were not fo if our Wills could govern in this cafe; However if the contrary be imagin'd the Experiment is soon made; Let fuch as differ from Me in this Matter think as I do for one moment, and then return, and think as they do at prefent. Affent, and Diffent is no Other than the Sentence pronounced to Our Selves upon what Our Selves See; We may deceive Others, but to tell Our Selves we fee what we do not, and Believe it is Impoffible, I cannot fay to my Self this Paper is now Red, then Green, presently after Blue, and think 'tis fo at Pleafure N

We

We receive Evidence from our Senfes, from Teftimony, and from our Reason; and from the Latter Immediately, as in first Principles, and Self-Evident Truths; Or by Deduction from Such, or from what we perceive by our Senfes, or have from Testimony.

Evidence is purely Relative, and is fuch to every Man as the Appearances are to Him.. 'Tis nothing to Me what Another Man's Senfes tell Him; nor what Opinion He has of the Teftimony offered to Him; nor what His Reason Suggests; My Evidence from any, or all of these is just the Same as it appears to Me.

And tho' my Paffions, or Prejudices may Magnify, or Diminish what the Same Objects, the Same Testimony, and the Same Arguments would appear to Another, the Evidence to Me is what it appears thro' these Mediums: If I perceive they have this Effect I fhall

Una

Unavoidably make proportionable Allowances for it, and fo far the Effect will cease; if I do not I fhall as unavoidably judge of the Evidence as feen Pure, and in its true Light.

Tho' (fpeaking at large) the Arguments that are propos'd to Me in order to induce my Affent is call'd Evidence, 'tis not fo to Me, but the Appearances they happen to have to my Understanding, and which they will have from abundance of Circumftances befides those Arguments whatever they be. So that it may be as impoffible for Me to believe Tranfubftantiation (for Example) as for a Turk, or a Hotentot to believe it, tho' I am no Stranger to the Arguments that are us'd for it, and They never heard of them. Nay tho' the Doctrine were True, and the Arguments for it Solid.

When therefore 'tis faid Evidence

is to be had for fuch, or fuch a Propofition, meaning thereby that God has given fufficient Light in That particular to Some of our Species, it must be remembred that their Evidence, and the Perfuafion refulting from it may be as impoffible to be had by Some People as if 'twas hidden from all Mankind: That which is but one Inch beyond the length of my Arm is as much out of my Reach as if 'twas in the Moon.

There are certain things of which we have no Evidence at all, fuch as those that are apparently beyond the reach of Humane Reason, and not Divinely, and Supernaturally Reveal'd: If Thofe that are faid to be fo are not Clearly understood, or not Certainly known to be Divine, we have however a Probable Evidence proportionable to That of their being fo, and that the Meaning is as we understand it.

For

For the rest we have the Evidence Sometimes of our Senfes, Sometimes of Testimony, Sometimes of our Reason, and Sometimes two, or all of these concur. In some Cafes 'tis Full, and Complete; but in much the Greater Part Imperfect, and that in all Degrees.

So are the Means by which (fuch as it is) 'tis convey'd to us; Our Senfes are Fallible, our Reason is More fo, and Teftimony at least as Much, and perhaps Moft of all: Unless it be Divine, and then 'tis Infallible, and has an Effect upon our Minds as such when we are Infallibly Affur'd of what is fo. Our Senfes deceive us when the Organs, or our Imaginations are Distemper'd, or any way Imperfect, which they always are in fome Meafure: Humane Teftimony is corrupted by Mistakes, and Prejudices, Paffion, and Intereft; and Reason is often Blinded, Corrupted, or Oppress'd

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