Essays and Treatises on Several Subjects: In Two Volumes, Volume 2A. Millar ... and A. Kincaid and A. Donaldson, at Edinburgh, 1764 |
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abfurd actions afcribe affurance againſt alfo alſo antient appear argument arifes ariſe becauſe cafe caufe cauſe circumftances concerning conclufion confequences confider confiderable confifts connexion courſe defire deity diftinction diſcover eaſy effect efteem eſtabliſhed exiftence exiſtence experience fafely fame fays feems fenfes fenfible fentiment ferve fhall fhould fide fimilar firft firſt fituation focial fociety fome fource fpecies fpeculative friendſhip ftill ftrong fubject fuch fufficient fuperftition fuperior fuppofed furely fyftem greateſt happineſs himſelf human idea imagination impoffible impreffion infer inftance intereft itſelf juftice leaft leaſt lefs mankind mind miracle moft moral moſt muft muſt nature neceffary neceffity never obferve object oppofite ourſelves paffions particular perfon philofophers pleaſure poffeffed poffeffion poffible praiſe prefent principles purpoſe qualities queſtion racter reaſon refult regard relation religion requifite ſciences ſeems ſhall ſome ſpecies ſtill ſuch ſuppoſe teftimony thefe themſelves theſe thofe thoſe tion ufual underſtanding univerfal uſeful virtue
Popular passages
Page 462 - Stock, stone, or other homely pedigree, In his defence his servants are as bold As if he had been born of beaten gold. The Jewish Rabbins, though their enemies, In this conclude them honest men and wise ; For 'twas their duty, all the learned think, T" espouse his cause by whom they eat and drink.
Page 74 - When we look about us towards external objects, and consider the operation of causes, we are never able, in a single instance, to discover any power or necessary connexion ; any quality, which binds the effect to the cause, and renders the one an infallible consequence of the other. We only find, that the one does actually, in fact, follow the other.
Page 94 - It is universally acknowledged, that there is a great uniformity among the actions of men, in all nations and ages, and that human nature remains still the same, in its principles and operations.
Page 147 - So that, upon the whole, we may conclude that the Christian religion not only was at first attended with miracles, but even at this day cannot be believed by any reasonable person without one. Mere reason is insufficient to convince us of its veracity. And whoever is moved by faith to assent to it, is conscious of a continued miracle in his own person, which subverts all the principles of his understanding, and gives him a determination to believe what is most...
Page 146 - I am the better pleased with the method of reasoning here delivered, as I think it may serve to confound those dangerous friends or disguised enemies to the Christian Religion, who have undertaken to defend it by the principles of human reason. Our most holy religion is founded on Faith, not on reason; and it is a sure method of exposing it to put it to such a trial as it is, by no means, fitted to endure.
Page 130 - ... person should either deceive or be deceived, or that the fact, which he relates, should really have happened. I weigh the one miracle against the other; and according to the superiority which I discover, I pronounce my decision, and always reject the greater miracle. If the falsehood of his testimony would be more miraculous than the event which he relates; then, and not till then, can he pretend to command my belief or opinion.
Page 102 - A prisoner who has neither money nor interest, discovers the impossibility of his escape, as well when he considers the obstinacy of the gaoler, as the walls and bars with which he is surrounded; and, in all attempts for his freedom, chooses rather to work upon the stone and iron of the one, than upon the inflexible nature of the other.
Page 44 - And though none but a fool or madman will ever pretend to dispute the authority of experience, or to reject that great guide of human life...
Page 126 - And as the evidence derived from witnesses and human testimony is founded on past experience, so it varies with the experience, and is regarded either as a proof 'or a probability, according as the conjunction between any particular kind of report and any kind of object has been found to be constant or variable.
Page 45 - Nothing so like as eggs ; yet no one, on account of this appearing similarity, expects the same taste and relish in all of them. It is only after a long course of uniform experiments in any kind, that we attain a firm reliance and security with regard to a particular event.