The Light of Nature Pursued (Volume 1, P. 1) (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1768. Excerpt: ... certainty was not made for man, But that man is so constituted as to do very well without it. The former may mortify or disturb us a little at first, but the other will set all to rights again and put us upon a firmer footing than we stood on before: for while placing our dependance solely upon certainty we could never be secure that our own imagination in some melancholy mood or the arts of an adversary, might not start objections to wrest our idea of certainty from us, and then we should be left in a state of doubt and despondency as having nothing to trust to: but being possessed of these maxims we may allow the objections their full weight without abating of our confidence in the measures we proceed upon. 30. Hence arises that so much used distinction between absolute and moral certainty: it is not in the nature of the latter to exclude all possibility of mistake, and therefore it is not destroyed by the suggestion of such a possibility.; but it is in the nature of man to repose an entire acquiescence in it to the exclusion of all doubt. And for the attainableness of such certainty I appeal to every man's experience, excepting those who set all their wits at work to undervalue it, nor mould I except them could they be depended upon to give an honest answer: but I reser refer it to all others whether they believe them entertaining the least doubt of the force of those arguments they bring to persuade us out of our senses. I shall not undertake to give an exact definition of moral certainty which may comprize every thing belonging to the term, but I think a man may be said to possess it when he is conscious of having had all opportunities of examining a thing, has considered it thoroughly and impartially, and upon the issue finds a clear judgement rema...