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becaufe more confonaut to truth, than to fay, that our faith In 

 teftimony has this foundation. In reply to this arguing^ let lis 

 coufider the progrefs of the human mind ; the firft part of our 

 education confifts in leflbns of caution a^ainfl: danger ; take care 

 •of this fire, fays the afFedlionate nurfe, it will burn you ; of that 

 knife, it will cut you ; if you fall, you will be bruifed, &c. Thefe 

 cautions are daily and hourly verified by experience ; the child 

 puts its hand towards the candle or the fire, and If Is foon warned 

 by pain to withdraw it ; and fo in other cafes. Our earlieft 

 aflent therefore is the moft unlimited, becaufe derived from au 

 experience that has never failed to confirm the truth of the 

 witnefs. Soon however this uniform veracity of the witnefs 

 begins to fail ; the parent gives medicine to the fick child ; in 

 the next inftance; artifice is ufed to induce him to take the bitter 

 draught ; it is faid to be fweet and pleafant to the tafte, the child 

 is deceived and drinks. Here begins diflruft ; diftruft therefore 

 and confidence have both the fame origin, to wit experience : 

 nor can any metaphyfician produce an inftance, in which belief 

 in teftimony has preceded all experience. 



2dly, Dr. Reid is of opinion, that there is an Inftlncflivc 

 principle in the human mind to l]jeak truth ; and that there is 

 another inftindlive principle, the counterpart of the former, which 

 he calls the principle of credulity, or a difpofition to confide in 

 the veracity of others, and to believe what they tell us. 



Vol. VII. N That 



