[ ^fS ] 



had been in great mcafure dilTipated by the luminous rcfearches 

 of Mr. Locke towards the end of the lad, and of Dr. Berkeley 

 towards the. commencement of the prcfent century, Mr. Hume 

 about the middle of it advanced and diffufed, with no mean 

 degree of fuccefs, many paradoxical opinions avowedly fubverfive 

 of the primary principles of human reafon, and tending to prove 

 that moft of its conclufions, even thofe of a pra(5lical nature, 

 would, when traced to their fource, be found deftitute of any 

 folid foundation, and in^ a word merely empiric. Of thefe opi- 

 nions 1 have feledled a few, namely : 



I ^. That beings of any kind may ftart into exiflence without 

 the intervention of any efficient caufe : 



2". That the connexion between phenomena and their fuppofed 

 caufes can in no cafe whatfoever be traced by reafon, but in all 

 cafes is inferred merely from experience : 



3*^. That inferences from experience are themfelves unfup- 

 ported by any folid reafon, for that none can be affigned for ex- 

 pedling fimilar effedls from fimilar caufes, but the mere cuftom or 

 habit of feeing them conjoined : 



4°. That belief is not an adl of judgment, but a particular 

 fpecies of fentiment or feeling : 



Lastly, 



