74 
headed unbelieving world look on and smile. 1 -ha™ added 
these observations for the purpose of showing that the 
strongest things which I have said of this Essay are not o 
strong. While I fully admit that there are many things m it 
S are attractive/and even instructive, yet we must be 
careful in reading this work to keep m mind that, howeve 
fair is the building, its foundations are completely rotten. O 
first perusing it, I was much struck with its apparent 1 e F a 1 £ 
of thoud-ht. A. more minute investigation speedily convin 
me that it was apparent only. Within a twelvemonth th s 
work has now reached a third edition. Many have innocently 
mistaken it for an important contribution to 
sophv It is impossible for me to express any P 
ofit than that, despite of its many beauties, its tendencies are 
highly sceptical. 
The Chaikmax.-I am sure we all return our best thanks to Mr. Eow for 
his very interesting and able paper. It is extremely valuable to u .because 
it doe/an importaut portiou of our work. Our business is not c omba^ 
sceptical arguments, but also to clear away those which are ^ 
own side. That I thmk Mr. Bow’s paper tends to do for us, an 
reason more especially is be entitled to the thanks of this meeting. Hear 
hear.) I shall now he glad to hear any observations which any present may 
have to make upon the paper. or . n(T in 
Kev. J. H. Titcomb.— I am in the unfortunate position of agreeing in 
part with Mr. Eow and in part with Dr. Newman. (Hear hear.) ae 
seem to be three stages in the discussion— first, “inference ; en, ’ 
and lastly, “certitude” ; and this seems the natural and the direct order m 
which they ought to stand and in which they do stand accor ng 
authorities. I take it that, with reference to what has been sald u P on 
rence, there is no difference of opinion between Dr. Newman and Mr . 
Both concur in allowing that inferences must he conditioned-that they rest 
upon certain premises and are conditional. Then, when we come to assent, 
I fully agree with Mr. Eow. , , 
Eev C A. Eow.— I maintain that Dr. Newman in his Essay uses the term 
“ conditioned” in two senses, and that is the great cause of the fallacy of which 
he is guilty. He speaks of a conclusion as being conditional when it is only 
conditioned by being the conclusion of an argument. yi 
Mr. Titcomb.— Then, with reference to “ assent,” the position which Dr. 
Newman takes up is that it has no degrees. Mr. Eow opposes this view 
I think, rightly; for, using “assent” in its common-sense acceptation it 
is sometimes absolute and sometimes conditional. Take this example . 
The world is a globe. I assent to that proposition from a series of inferences. 
In the first place, it has been sailed round. In the next place, when an eclipse 
of the moon occurs, the shadow of the earth is always circular. In the 
