[ 3^3 3 
PROPOSE IV. 
Concerning the Truth of either Oral or Written Tra- 
ditiony {in Whole y or inPart^ Succeflively tranf- 
mittedj and alfo CoatCefted feVeral Succejjions 
ofTranfmittents. 
<i) O Uppofing the Tranfmiffion of an Oral and Narrd- 
five to be fo performed by a Succeffion of Single 
Men, or joined in Companies, as that each Tranfmiflion, 
after the Narrative has been kept for Twenty Years, 
impairs the Credit of it a th part ; and that confequently 
at the Twelfth Hand, or at the end of 240 Years, its Cer- 
tainty is reduced to a Half - and there grows then an even 
Lay {hy the Corollary of the feco/^d PropoJItwn) againftthe 
Truth of the Relation ; Yet if we further fuppofe, that 
the fame Relation is Coattefted by Nine other feverai Suc- 
ceffions, tranfmitting alike each of them^ the Credibili- 
ty of it when they are all found to <ngree, will the co- 
rolUry of the firft PYofofition) be as 7^ of Certainty, or 
above a Thoufand to One5 and if we fuppofe a Coauefta- 
tion of Nineteen, the Credibility of it will be, as above 
Two Millions to One. 
(i ) In Oral Tradition as a Single Man is f ^bjeft to much 
Cafuahtyj, fo a Company of Men cannot be foeafilylup- 
pos'dtojoin ^ and therefore the Credibility of \^ths^ or 
about llths, may poffibly be judged too high a Degree/or 
an Oral. Conveyance, to the Diftance of ^wenty Years. 
But in mitten T radttio^^ the Chances againfl: the Truth 
or Confervatioa of a fingle Writing are far lefs ^ and feve- 
tal Copies may alfo be eafily fuppos'd to concur ; and 
thofe fince the Invention of Printing- exaftly the 
fame : feverai alfo diflindt Succeflions of fuch Copies may 
he; 
