55 



fpeftres of hatred and difmay, raifed by credulity, and calculated to alarm 

 not only women and children, but even the fage and enlightened. 



Credulity has not, I believe, been exprefsly and diftinaiy confidered, 

 by any writer of metaphyfics or morality, as an inherent principle of the 

 human mind, or an objeft of fcientific inveftigation. It has been care- 

 lefsly configned to the lighter effayift, to the comic or fatiric writer, as 

 the theme of cafual reprobation, or the fubjeft of ludicrous portraiture. 

 Yet the confideration of credulity is of a much higher and more im- 

 portant nature ; it is neceflkry to the hiftory of the human mind, and 

 tends to difclofe the fprings of human aftion. In confidering the doarine 

 of faith or affent to propofitions not demonftrable, our beft metaphyfical 

 writers have paid little attention to this principle. We have been taught, to 

 difcufs the nature and ground? of faith, too much in the abftraa ; we 

 have been only led to confider man, as if he were perfeft and unim- 

 paffioned, as if reafon fat unmolefted in every breaft, calmly adjufting 

 with her fcale and ballance, the degrees of faith, according to the pre- 

 ponderance of argument, or of teftimony. The effefts of paflion, of 

 temperament, of caprice, of education, of external accidents, are not taken 

 fufficiently into the account. No allowance is made for the foregone 

 concluftom* for the preparation of the mind of the hearer. I flatter my- 

 felf, that an attempt to confider this fubjeft, in a point of view fome- 

 what novel, will not be unacceptable to the reader ; although I can^ 

 boaft of nothing more than the mere attempt. I am confcious, that' 

 I have been betrayed into much prolixity, and yet have been able to 

 fay very little. The nature of my fubjea led me, of neceffity, to employ 

 fome iUuftrations and examples from hiftory ; but I have fludied to avoid, 

 with a fcrupulous care, which, in my mind, even borders on prudery 

 and aflfeaation, all that might feem an introduaion of modern politics. 

 It would have been eafy to have fwelled this eflay to a confiderable 

 volume, by an accumulation of hillorical iUuftrations, and perhaps, to 

 have found many more oppofite, than thofe which I have feleaed ; but 

 it is not amifs, to leave fomething to be fupplied, by the induftry and 



fagacity of the reader. „ 



° ■' Section 



* Shakefpeare. 



