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fallacious, and gone ftraight forward, a bloody nofe, or fomething worse, might have been the confequence. If, when I bend my course obliquely, in order to avoid the post that feems to ftand directly before me, I were to run my head full a gainst it, I fhould inftantly fufpect a depravation in my eye-fight: but as I never experience any misfortune of this kind, I believe that my fenfe of feeing is a wellinformed faculty. Fourthly, The percep tions received by this fenfe are perfectly confiftent with one another, and with the perceptions received by my other faculties. When I fee the appearance of a folid body in my way, my touch always confirms the testimony of my fight; if it did not, I fhould fufpect a fallacy in one or other of thofe fenfes, perhaps in both. When I look on a line of foldiers, they all seem ftanding perpendicular, as I myself stand; but if the men at the extremities of the line, without leaning against any thing, were to appear as if they formed an angle of forty-five degrees with the earth's furface, I fhould certainly fufpect fome unaccountable obliquity in my vifion. Laftly, After the experience of feveral

years,

after

after all the knowledge I have been able to gather, concerning the fenfations of other men, from reading, difcourfe, and obfervation, I have no reafon to think their fenfations of fight different from mine. Every body who uses the English language calls fnow white, and grafs green; and it would be in the highest degree abfurd to fuppofe, that what they call the fenfation of whiteness, is not the fame fenfation which I call by that name. Some few perhaps fee differently from me. A man in the jaundice fees that rofe yellow which I fee red; a fhort-fighted man fees that picture confusedly at the distance of three yards, which I fee diftinctly. But far the greater part of mankind fee as I do, and differently from thofe few individuals; whofe fenfe of feeing I therefore confider as lefs perfect than mine. Nay, though the generality of mankind were all fhortfighted, fill it would be true, that we who are not fo, have the most perfect fight; for our fight is more accurate in its perceptions, qualifies us better for the bufinefs of life, and coincides more exactly, or at least more immediately, with the fenfations received by the other fenfes. E e

Yet

"

Yet the short-fighted, as well as they who have the acuteft fight, believe the declaration of this fenfe, as foon as they are pla-ced in a fituation favourable to accurate obfervation: all the difference is, that it is more difficult, and often more inconvenient, for the fhort-fighted perfons to place themselves in fuch a fituation. Still -it ought to be remembered, that a perfect fenfe and a well-informed fenfe are not synonymous terms. We call a fenfe well-informed, in oppofition to one that is depraved or fallacious. Perfection and imperfec-tion of fenfe are relative terms, implying a comparifon, either between different men, in refpect of the acuteness of their fenfes and faculties; or between any fenfe, as it appears in a particular man, and the degree of acutenefs which is found to belong to that fenfe as it appears in the generality of mankind. There are two telefcopes, one of which gives a distinct view of an object at two, and the other at four miles distance: both are equally well-informed, (if I may so speak); that is, equally true in their reprefentations; but the one is much more imperfect than the other.

I do not at present offer any further illuftrations

luftrations of thefe criteria of a well-informed fenfe. The reader who examines them by the rules. of common prudence, will perhaps be fatisfied with them: at least I am apt to think, that few will fufpect the veracity of their faculties when they stand this teft. But let it not be fuppofed, that I mean to infinuate, that a man never trufts his faculties till he firft examine them after this manner: we believe our fenfes previously to all reflection or examination; and we never difbelieve them, but upon the authority of our fenfes placed in circumftances more favourable to accurate obfervation. If the reader is not fatisfied with thefe criteria, it is no great matter. The question concerning a well-informed fenfe will be found not a little perplexing to one who attempts to anfwer it in words. I offer thefe remarks rather as hints to be attended to by other adventurers in this part of fcience, than as a folution of the difficulty. If it were not that I prefume fome advantage may be derived from them as hints, I fhould have omitted them altogether; for on them the doctrine I mean to establish doth not depend.

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SE C T. ∙III.

The fubject continued. Intuitive truths diftinguishable into claffes.

OF the notions attending the perception Ο of certain truth, we formerly mentioned this as one, "That in regard to

"fuch truth, we fuppofe we should en"tertain the fame fentiments and belief "if we were perfectly acquainted with all nature.' Left it fhould be thought

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that we mean to extend this notion too far, it seems proper to introduce in this place the following remarks.

1. The axioms and demonftrated conclufions of geometry are certainly true, and certainly agreeable to the nature of things. Thus we judge of them at prefent; and thus we neceffarily believe, that we fhould judge of them, even if we were endued with omnifcience and infallibility. It is a natural dictate of human understanding, that the contrary of thefe truths muft for ever remain abfurd and impoffible and that omnipotence itself

cannot

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