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Untitled Article
the other communication you propos « d , and send this by post . Of the anonymous letter from Bristol , which you mention , I
know nothing . It was , probably , written by some one ^ I hope wellmeaning , who . wished to check your philosophic Disquisitions of Matter and Spirit . That such information should excite the curiosity , especially of one so incre - dulous , I cannot wonder . But
such curiosity 1 neither blame nor Beglect . That I may satisfy you , I will tell you , 1 . Who I am ; 2 . Whether I believe those things ; 3 . Whether I be willing to de-Baonstrate their truth sensibly ; 4 . What good ground that information had .
I . As to myself , I shall only write what I think pertinent to this purpose . ^ 1 had a small school education . I loved reading and thought from my eailiest years . Peculiarly I was attached ta religious , and ; though at first
1 knew not the term , metaphysic studies * These ( both in the authors and systems , or courses of learning ) , having no teacher , meeting with none but such as
slighted , blamed , pitied my turn of thinking , or only wondered at it—these I p ^ r&ued not reg u la rl y ^ but as they occurred to a boy discountenanced , uninformed , with
scattered intervals of scanty lei . sure , and a very few unselect , oot . C # » the ~ way books . As one thought introduces another , so does a book . Both increased to me in time . So
did some kind and degree of seemiiig knowledge . Opinions multL plied and varied ; but doubts exceeded * Sceptical as those made m « J j thfey did me gpod ; 1 . In making me fcever positive ; 2 , Not
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unwilling to change ; 3 , Nor & despiser of those who thdttjght otherwise than T . I tfneitfion my being very doubtful , the rWtJbef because you will agree wilh line , that , when one thinks no certaitity is to be found , one will be less nice in assenting to insufficient evidence . Perhaps 1 am an irtstance . 1 have nothing io add of myself , but to thank you f 6 r yotir * kind attention to letters of mine ( some years ago ) , for your hints , and the books you lent and gave to me . Do not you recollect it ? If . Do I believe those things ? 1 , I have no reason to think them
absurd or impossible ; 2 , They are commonly asserted in all ages ; 5 , And generally believed ; 4 , I find myself more at ease in be . lieving them j my notions are suitable . Thence , it may be on bad
proof , I assert that there are such things . You will the less wonder at such a belief , when I add , that I not only assent to spirits , apparitions , magic and witchcraft , but that I allow Behmen ' s
philosophy and Swedenborg ' s visions * Yea , I deny hardly any thing of that sort . So you will perceive that I easily believe , and require not too much demonstration .
III . Whether I be willing to demonstrate their truth sensibly ? 1 , I do not know that I can give any such exhibition . 2 > The faith itself is not interesting , nor have
I the least wish to convince any . 3 , My conscience is not clear that such acts are innocent . 4 , They would not be , at least may not , demonstrations . A sensible man ,
when I had asked , * Would you be convinced if I shewed' you a spirit ?> answered , No ; I . should grant any thing at the time ,, Hat afterwards I should think you bad
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2 SM Letters of Mr . Mender soft io Br . JMtXttify :
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), May 2, 1812, page 288, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1748/page/8/
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