6i 



Cadigha immediately went about, and told from houfe to houfe, that her 



hufband was a prophet ; and endeavoured to procure him followers. It 



is obfervable, that a fimilar infirmity induced a woman in England of the 



name of Elizabeth Barton, to commence prophetefs. She too had many 



followers ; and was able to perfuade them that the accefs of her difeafe 



was a divine trance, during which flie was favoured with revelations from 



heaven. It is not improbable, that the infpiration of the Pythian prieftefs 



was of the fame nature ; and that (he had habitually acquired the power 



of working herfelf into trances and convulfions. Cromwell, at his firft 



outfet in life, was fmcerely and truly an enthufiaft. He firfl: deceived 



himfelf, and afterwards became the deceiver of his adherents. His diffimu- 



lation was gradual, it was forced on him by incidents ; and he was borne 



on, by the flream of events, to fovereign hypocrify, and fovereign 



power. " In faft, there is nothing fo improbable in itfelf, but what 



perfons of a certain turn of mind may be predifpofed to believe." Thus, 



we find in this enlightened age Baron Swedenborg has publiflied a new 



religion, an account of his converfation with angels, and of the wonders- 



of heaven and hell, and many believe in his reveries. 



Section ii. 



Lockers grminds of probability do not apply fo credulity which is a feeUng. 

 Reafon, with refpeEt to Credulity, is rather to be employed to determine 

 the grounds of diffent. 



Locke has given us certain canons of probability, by which men may be 

 enabled, to regulate the affent, which they ought to yield to propofitions, 

 on the credit of the propounder, but thefe rules have relation to the ra- 

 tional, the chaftifed, and gradual kind of Belief, which we diftinguifli by 

 the name of faith. Credulity, as an innate principle, an emotion, or 

 feeling, operates inflantaneoufly, and without referve : it admits neither 

 deliberation, nor degree. It is not neceffary, here, to fuggeft grounds of 



affent. 



