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THE fame thing may be confidered in a different way. I have learned from experience, that like effects fometimes proceed from objects which faintly refemble, but not near fo frequently as from objects which have a more perfect likeness. By this experience, I am enabled to determine the degrees of probability from the degrees of fimilarity, in the different cafes. It is prefumablé that the former of these ways has the earliest influence, when the mind, unaccustomed to reflection, forms but a weak affociation, and confequently but a weak expectation of a fimilar event from a weak refemblance. The latter feems more the refult of thought, and is better adapted to the ordinary forms of reafoning.

Ir must be allowed, that analogical evidence. is at beft but a feeble support, and is hardly ever honoured with the name of proof. Nevertheless, when the analogies are numerous, and the subject admits not evidence of another kind, it doth not want its efficacy. It must be owned, however, that it is generally more fuccefsful in filencing objections, than in evincing truth, and on this account may more properly be ftyled the defenfive arms of the orator, than the offenfive." Though it rarely refutes, it frequently repels refutation,

VOL. I.

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futation, like thofe weapons which, though they cannot kill the enemy, will ward his blows*.

III. Teftimony.

THE third tribe is the evidence of teftimony, which is either oral or written. This alfo hath been thought by fome, but unjustly, to be folely and originally derived from the fame source, experience. The utmoft, in regard to this, that can be affirmed with truth, is, that the evidence of teftimony is to be confidered as ftrictly logical, no farther than human veracity in general, or the veracity of witneffes of fuch a character, and in fuch circumftances in particular, is fupported; or, perhaps more properly, hath not been refuted by experience. But that teftimony, antecedently to experience, hath a natural influence on belief, is undeniable. In this it refembles memory; for though the defects and

. Dr. Butler, in his excellent treatife called The analogy of Religion natural and revealed, to the conftitution and course of nature, hath shewn us, how useful this mode of reafoning may "be rendered, by the application he hath fo fuccefsfully made of it, for refuting the cavils of infidelity.

I had occafion to make fome reflections on this fubject formerly. See Differtation on Miracles, Part 1. Sect. 1. There are feveral ingenious obfervations on the fame fubject in Reid's Inquiry, Ch. vi. Sect. 23.

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mifreprefentations of memory are corrected by experience, yet that this faculty hath an innate evidence of its own, we know from this; that if we had not previoufly given an implicit faith to memory, we had never been able to acquire experience. This will appear from a revifal of its nature, as explained above. Nay, it must be owned, that in what regards' fingle facts, teftimony is more adequate evidence than any conclufions from experience. The immediate conclufions from experience are general, and run thus: This is the ordinary courfe of nature,' • Such an event may reasonably be expected, when all the attendant circumftances are fimilar.' When we defcend to particulars, the conclufion neceffarily becomes weaker, being more indirect. For though all the known circumftances be fimilar, all the actual circunftances may not be fimilar; nor is it poffible in any cafe to be affured, that all the actual circumstances are known to us. Accordingly, experience is the foundation of philofophy; which confifts in a collection of general truths, fyftematically digefted. On the contrary, the direct conclufion from teftimony is particular, and runs thus: This is the fact in the inftance fpecified.' Teftimony, therefore, is the foundation of hifto

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ry, which is occupied about individuals. Hence we derive our acquaintance with past ages, as from experience we derive all that we can difcover of the future. But the former is dignified with the name of knowledge, whereas the latter is regarded as matter of conjecture only. When experience is applied to the discovery of the truth in a particular incident, we call the evidence prefumptive; ample testimony is account- ¿ ed a pofitive proof of the fact. Nay, the strongest conviction built merely on the former is fometimes overturned by the flightest attack of the latter. Teftimony is capable of giving us abfo-lute certainty (Mr. Hume himself being judge*) even of the moft miraculous fact, or of what is ? contrary to uniform experience. For, perhaps, in no other inftance can experience be applied to individual events, with fo much certainty, as in what relates to the revolutions of the heavenly bodies. Yet, even this evidence, he admits, may not only be counterbalanced, but destroyed, by teftimony.

BUT to return. Teftimony is a serious intimation from another, of any fact or obfervation, as being what he remembers to have seen or heard

Effay of Miracles, p. 2.

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or experienced. To this, when we have no pofitive reasons of mistrust or doubt, we are, by an original principle of our nature, (analogous to that which compels our faith in memory) led to give an unlimited affent. As on memory alone is founded the merely perfonal experience of the individual, fo on teftimony, in concurrence with memory, is founded the much more extenfive experience, which is not originally our own, but derived from others. By the first, I queftion not, a man might acquire all the knowledge neceffary for mere animal fupport, in that rudest ftate of human nature (if ever such a state exifted) which was without fpeech, and without fociety; to the laft, in conjunction with the other, we are indebted for every thing which distinguishes the man from the brute, for language, arts, and civilization. It hath been obferved, that from experience we learn to confine our belief in human teftimony, within the proper bounds. Hence we are taught to confider many attendant circumstances, which ferve either to corroborate or to invalidate its evidence. The reputation of the attefter, his manner of addrefs, the nature of the fact attefted, the occafion of giving the

* Differtation on Miracles, Part I. Sect. 2.

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