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elusions . It often reminds me of Edwards Canons of Criticism , &hd I cannot help thinking that canons of controversy might be drawn from these strictures , of a character similar to the Canons of Criticism , which are supposed to be fairly deducible from the
commentaries and notes of Warburton . It is true these Canons of Controversy would afford but little assistance in the discovery of truth , but they might nevertheless be of
use in bewildering an adversary ; and might therefore be studied with advantage , and reduced to practice by controversial reviewers , and by those who are a dis . grace to a respectable profession ,
If I rightly remember one of the Canons of Criticism is , 4 < the critic may interpret his author so as to make him mean directly contrary to what he says . " In imu tation of this canon , a stricturer —I do not much like the word , and th&t of critic here would be
improperly applied—a Controversialist may interpret his author so as to make him affirm what he wishes him to affirm , and deny what he wishes him to deny . *' Under this comprehensive general canon many minor canons of con .
siderable extent in their application might be pointed out and recommended ; such for instance as the following : " When an author reasons on one principle he may be represented as relinquishing nvery other principle ; " or " when an author cannot be answered he
may be represented as contradictitig himself , or as speaking perfect nonsense ;"* or to his mode of proof , although it be the most
satisfactory possible ' , a degrading appellation may be applied . For exemplifications of these canons
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of controversy I refer you to Strictures on my ^ Discourses on Universal Restitution .
The energies of intellect generally proceed fr > m design , and are attended with consciousness * Now Mr . Marsom has imputed to me many intellectual acts , of which I have not the most distant recollection , and which I certainly never designed . I have not his former letters by me , but in the
beginning of the Number of your Repository , for May , I find the following sentences , to which he has subscribed his name , but to which I cannot , consistently with truth , affix mine . u He relinquishes the idea of proving the
doctrine from any express declarations of scripture , and rests the whole proof upon inferences whitk he thinks may be fairly drawft from some passages of . scripture ;
together with the supposed fact , that the end of punishment in the divine government is to reform . * — 4 < The doctor ' s criterion then , by which we are to determine whether a doctrine be a doctrine of
scripture or not , is that every such doctrine must be conveyed in plain , clear , unequivocal language ^ and that doctrines not so conveyed , but which , depend upon mere inter * ence and reasoning from either texts of- scripture , or from the at * tributes of God , are not doctrines
of revelation . " Far be it from me to impute to Mr . Marsom the crime of intentional falsehood * I believe him to be a man of the strictest moral
principle . But I must regard him as a person who , on this sub * , ject , has formed the most erra » neons conceptions . Htaraan in * confiistency- ^ perh apsi if ^ expfceaied more generally it would b& « x *
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Dr . t $ stlm , t ft Reply to Mr . M&rsbm , on Future Punishment . 481
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vol . ix . 3 q
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Aug. 2, 1814, page 481, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2443/page/33/
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