I1 THE IMPROVEMENT OP THE MIND. probable reasons offer themselves. And even in matters of greater importance, especially where daily practice is necessary, and where we cannot attain any sufficient or certain grounds to determine a question on either side, we must then take up with such probable arguments as we can arrive at. But this general rule should be observed, viz. to take heed that our assent be no stronger, or rise no higher in the degree of it, than the probable argument will support. XXIII. There are many things even in religion, as well as in philosophy and the civil life, which we believe with very differ- ent degrees of assent : and this is, or should be always regulated according to the different degrees of evidence which we enjoy : and perhaps there are a thousand gradations in our assent to the things we believe, because there are thousands of circumstances relating to different questions, which increase or diminish the evidence we have concerning them, and that in matters both of reason and revelation. I believe there is a God, and that obedience is due to him from every reasonable creature : this I am most fully assured of, because I have the strongest evidence, since it is the plain dictate both of reason and revelation. Again, I believe there is a future resurrection of the dead, because scripture tells us so in the plain - est terms, though reason says nothing of it. I believe also, that the same matter of our bodies which died (in part at least) shall arise ; but 1 am not so fully assured of this circumstance, because the revelation of it is not quite so clear and express. Yet further I believe that the good men who were acquainted here on earth, shall know each other in heaven : but my persuasion of it is not absolutely certain, because my assent to it arises only from cir- cumstantial reasonings of men upon what God has told us, and therefore icy evidences are not strongbeyond a possibilityof mis- take. This direction cannot be too often repeated, that our assent ought always to keep pace with our evidence ; and our belief of any proposition, should never rise higher than the proof or evi- dence we have to support it, nor should our faith run faster than right reason can encouragent. XXIV. Perhaps it will be objected here, why then does our Saviourin the histories of the gospel, so much commend a strong faith ; and lay out both his miraculous benefits and hispraises uponsome of those poor creatures of little reasoning, who pro- fest an assured belief of his commission and power to heal them ? I answer, the God of nature has given every man his own reason to be the judge of evidence to himself in particular; and to direct his assent in all things about which he is called to judge ; and even the matters of revelationare to be believed by us, be- reuse our reason pronounces the revelation to be true. Therefore the great Gedwill not, or cannot in any instances, require us to.
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