CHAP. IV. Of a State of Probation, as implying Trial, CHAP. V. Of a State of Probation, as intended for Moral Discipline and Improvement, CHAP. VI. Of the Opinion of Necessity, considered as influencing Practice, . CHAP. VII. Page. 87 98 130 Of the Government of God, considered as a Scheme, or Constitution, imperfectly comprehended, CONCLUSION, 152 Of the supposed Presumption against a Revelation, considered as miraculous,.. .. 201 CHAP. III. Of our Incapacity of judging, what were to be expected in a Revelation; and the Credibility, from Analogy, that it must contain Things appearing liable to Objections, 211 CHAP. IV. Of Christianity, considered as a Scheme, or Constitution, imperfectly comprehended, . 232 CHAP. V. Of the particular System of Christianity; the Appointment of a Mediator, and the Redemption of the World by Him, 243 CHAP. VI. Of the Want of Universality in Revelation; and of the supposed Deficiency in the Proof of it, Page. 268 CHAP. VII. Of the particular Evidence for Christianity, 295 CHAP. VIII. Of the Objections which may be made against arguing from the Analogy of Nature to 344 361 INTRODUCTION. PROBABLE evidence is essentially distinguished from demonstrative by this, that it admits of degrees, and of all variety of them, from the highest moral certainty, to the very lowest presumption. We cannot, indeed, say a thing is probably true upon very slight presumption for it; because, as there may be probabilities on both sides of a question, there may be some against it: and though there be not, yet a slight presumption does not beget that degree of conviction, which is implied in saying a thing is probably true. But that the slightest possible presumption is of the nature of a probability, appears from hence, that such low presumption, often repeated, will amount even to moral certainty. Thus, a man's having observed the ebb and flow of the tide to-day, affords some sort of presumption, though the lowest imaginable, that it may happen again to-morrow: but the observation of this event for so many days, and months, and ages together, as it has been observed by mankind, gives us a full assurance that it will. That, which chiefly constitutes probability, is expressed in the word likely, i. e. like some truth*, or true event; like it, in itself, in its evidence, in some more or fewer of its circumstances. For, when we determine a thing to be probably true, suppose that an event has or will come to pass, 'tis from the mind's remarking in it a likeness to some other event, which we have observed has come to pass. And this observation forms, in numberless daily instances, a presumption, opinion, or full conviction, that such an event has or will come to pass; according as the observation is, that the like event has sometimes, most commonly, or always, so far as our observation reaches, come to pass at like distances of time, or place, or upon like occasions. Hence arises the belief, that a child, if it lives twenty years, will grow up to the stature and strength of a man; that food will contribute to the preservation of its life, and the want of it for such a number of days be its certain destruction. So, likewise, the rule and measure of our hopes and fears concerning the success of our pursuits; our expectations that others will act so and so in such circumstances; and our judgment that such actions proceed from such principles; all these rely upon our having observed the like to what we hope, fear, expect, judge; I say, upon our having observed the like, either with respect to others or ourselves. And thus, whereas the prince†, who * Verisimile. + The story is told by Mr Locke, in the chapter of Probability. |