470 LOGIC: OR, THE RIGHT USE OF REASON. 6. Consider farther, whether the report were capable of being easily refuted at first, if it had not been true : if so this confirms the testimony. 7. Enquire yet again, whether there has been a constant uniform, tradition and belief of this matter, from the very first age or time when the thing was transacted, without any reason- able doubts or contradictions. Or, 8. If any part of it bath been doubted by any considerable persons, whether it has been searched out and afterwards con- firmed, by having all the scruples and doubts removed. In either of these cases the testimony becomes more firm and credible. 9. Enquire, on the other hand, whether there are any con- siderable objections remaining against the belief of that proposi- tion so attested. Whether there be any thing very improbable in the thing itself. Whether any concurrent circumstances seem to oppose it. Whether any person or persons give a positive and plain testimony against it. Whether they are equally skil- ful and equally faithful as those who'assert it. Whether there be as many or more in number, and whether they might have any secret bias or influence on them to contradict it. 10. Sometimes the entire silence of a thing may have some- thing of weight toward the decision of a doubtful point of his- tory, or a matter of human faith, namely, where the fact is pre- tended to be public, if the persons who are silent about it were skilful to observe and could not but know such an occurrence ; if they were engaged by principle or by interest to have de- clared it : if they had fair opportunity to speak of it: and these things may tend to make a matter suspicious, if it be not very well attested by positive proof. 11. Remember that in some reports there are more marks of falsehood than of truth, and in others there are more marks of truth than of falsehood. By a comparison of all these things together, and putting every argument on one side and the other into the balance, we must form as good a judgment as we can which side preponderates ; and give a strong or a feeble assent or dissent, or withhold our judgment entirely, according to greater or lesser evidence, according to more plain or dubious marks of truth or falsehood. 12. Observe that in matters of human testimony there is oftentimes a great mixture of truth and falehood in the report itself : some parts of the story may be perfectly true, and some utterly false ; and some may have such a blended confusion of circumstances, which are a little warpt aside from the truth, and misrepresented, that there is need of good skill and accuracy to form a judgment concerning them, and determine which part is true, and which is false. The whole report is not to be believed, because some parts are indubitably true, nor the whole to be rejected, because some parts are as evident falsehoods.
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