JB/015/207/001

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65

Moran sense an expedient against inefficiency of Religious Sanction.

From some these & similar considerations – or rather perhaps from some obscure preconceptions of their considerations (for I know not what
they have ever been explicitly stated) and bearings and to clear themselves from the embarrassment,
growing out of which the undoubted inefficacy of the religious sanction when standing alone
some divines* (*Dr Price for example) have gone another way to work. They supposed Punishment to be due
not to guilt, i.e. past guilt, not as a means of preventing guilt, i.e. future guilt
of the same kind, but as it were of Congruity. This congruity when it comes to
be examined into, is no more than a disposition in these Divines to believe or
attempt to assign to declare that such punishment ought to be consequent upon such guilt.
For this wise and benevolent disposition this arrangement in which neither wisdom nor benevolence can have been consulted they attempt not so much as to assign any
grounds – but this is not at all necessary. Why should they? The punishment out to, and
will and ought to ensue, not for any use there is for it, but because they say so. The And
medium they give you to prove this by, is the demonstration of their proposition is to be found in their own infallibility. They are
disposed, they cannot tell why, nor will they condescend to inquire why, that is
to what end or for what purpose, but however as it happens, they are disposed to believe as much
and therefore it must be so. This stout ignorance, and resolute rejection of
the means of knowledge, inquiry and argument, being better and surer it seems
than knowledge, is to supersede it and take its name. As to the party himself
it may do very well, and answer his purposes, if he is pleased with it and convinced by it. But
what good can be expected from mentioning it or from the attempt to impose it upon others is what may deserve to be
considered. If he to whom it is mentioned is already of that mind, he wants
nothing that it can do for him: but if he is of another mind, it does nothing for him
that he wants, it gives him not, nor so much as pretends to give him any
reason for change his mind.

Identifier: | JB/015/207/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 15.
Date_1		Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	015	Main Headings	deontology
Folio number	207	Info in main headings field
Image	001	Titles
Category	linking material	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	f65
Penner	sir john bowring	Watermarks	j rump 1831
Marginals		Paper Producer	ann elizabeth lind; franz ludwig tribolet
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year	1831
Notes public		ID Number	5423
Box Contents