Watts - BX5200 .W3 1813 v.7

486 loom : OR, THE RIGHT V*. OP REASON. merely signify the denial of it, but the contradiction of it ; for the mere denial of it by a contrary proposition will not make a true syllogism, as appears thus : " If every creature be reason - able, every brute is reasonable ; but no brute is reasonable ;" therefore no creature is reasonable. Whereas, if you say in the minor, but every brute is not reasonable, then it would follow truly in the conclusion, therefore every creature is not reasonable. When the antecedent or consequent are negative proposi- tions, they are removed by an affirmative ; as, If there be no God, then the world does not discover creating wisdom ; but the world does discover creating wisdom ; therefore there is a God. In this instance the consequent is removed or contradicted in the Ininor, that the antecedent may be contradicted in the conclu- sion. So in this argument of St. Paul ; 1 Cor. xv. If the dead rise not, Christ died in vain ; .but Christ did not die in vain : therefore the dead shall rise. There are also two sorts of false arguing, namely, (1.) From the removing of the antecedent to the removing of the consequent; or, (2.) From the position of the consequent, to the position of the antecedent. Examples of these are easily framed ; as, (1.) If a minister were a prince he must be honoured ; but a minister is not a prince ; Therefore he must not be honoured. (2.) If a minister were á prince, he must be honoured ; but a minister must be honoured ; Therefore he is a prince. Who sees not the ridiculous falsehood of both these syllo- gisms ? Observ. I. If the subject of the antecedent and the conse- quent be the saine, then the hypothetical syllogism may be turned into a categorical one; as, If Cæsar be a king he must be ho- 'poured ; but Cmsar is a king; therefore, &c. This may bp changed thus, Every king must be honoured; but Czesar is a king ; therefore, &c. I.I. If the major proposition only be conditional, the conola= sion is categorical : But if the minor or both be conditional, the conclusion is also conditional ; as, the worshippers of images are Idolators ; if the Papists worship a crucifix, they ere worshippers of an image; therefore, if the Papists worship a crucifix, they are idolatort. But this sert of syllogisms should be avoid ed as much as possible in disputation, because they greatly embarrass a cause: The syllogisms, whose major only is hypothetical, arc very frequent, and used with great advantage. III. A disjunctive syllogism is when the major proposition is

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