JB/006/163/001

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7 Decr. 1813
Church

II
Ch. Persuasion
§. Merit & Demerit of P

1

1
Whence all merit to
belief all demerit to
disbelief — Whence the
predilection? — is it reasonable?
p.1

2
Its origin natural &
laudable. The facts on
which Jesus grounded
his religion were positive
and laudable —
The facts relied on as
evidence of his divine
commission — viz. those
exhibitive of the coincidence
with the description
of him in the prophets
— were positive.
p.1

3
On affirmative facts
also the efficiency of
his labours defended viz.
post mortem — punishment
and reward. p.1.

4
On the intensity of the
persuasion of his hearers
in the futurity of these
facts depended the motives
he had to offer
them to engage them
to pursue a course of
conduct conducive to
future happiness.

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5
Then on belief depended
every thing, and therefore
the terms by which its
importance was held up
could not be too energetic
and the language happened
to present energetic
terms. p.2

6
Manifestation of superior
powers necessary, and accordingly
made in order to obtain
evidence for assurances
concerning facts
so extraordinary. p 3.

7
Had the self deceptive
process been necessary
to belief of these assurances,
this would have
been evidence of their
falsity — For this process
would obtain belief
for the absurdest creed.
This process the test of
right or wrong persuasion.
p.3

8
(If we may credit the
Evangelists) Jesus recommended
it not — He
appealed for credence to
mens senses, not to
deductions formed by
giving heed only to one
side. He told men to
form conclusions from
the evidence of their
own eyes. p.4

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9
That on belief in these
subjects, felicity — disbelief
or unbelief infelicity
present and future
will attend, naturally
attend, no Christian
can consistently deny
but it does not follow
that belief is meritorious
or disbelief, culpable
— because to the idea
of merit confined to
one of two opinions, that
is attached of confining
exertion to that side &
the greater the exertion,
the greater the
merit, & this exertion
amounts to the self-
deceptive process. p.5.

10
The mischief of regarding
merit as attached
to belief small in comparison
of that of regarding
demerit as
attached to disbelief.
The idea of infelicity
alone would attract
sympathy but that of
demerit causes antipathy
— Hence the odium
attached to the words
miscreant, infidel &c.

The unbeliever is hated
of God, thence of all good
men — thence worthy of
punishment to any extent.
Thus the idea of merit
attached to belief, and the
reverse, leads to conduct the
contrary of that which it is
the merit of Christianity to
inculcate. p.6

Identifier: | JB/006/163/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 6.
Date_1	1813-12-07	Marginal Summary Numbering	1-10
Box	006	Main Headings	church of englandism
Folio number	163	Info in main headings field	church
Image	001	Titles
Category	marginal summary sheet	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	e1
Penner	walter coulson	Watermarks	john dickinson & c<…> 1809
Marginals		Paper Producer	a. levy
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year	1809
Notes public		ID Number	2896
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