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The Works of George Berkeley, D.D., Formerly Bishop of Cloyne (v. 3)
The Works of George Berkeley DD Formerly Bishop of Cloyne - v. 3 Author:George Berkeley Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: chapter{Section 4THE ANALYST A DISCOURSE ADDRESSED TO AN INFIDEL MATHEMATICIAN 1. Though I am a stranger to your person, yet I am not, Sir, a stranger to ... more »the reputation you have acquired in that branch of learning which hath been your peculiar study; nor to the authority that you therefore assume in things foreign to your profession ; nor to the abuse that you, and too many more of the like character, are known to make of such undue authority, to the misleading of unwary persons in matters of the highest concernment, and whereof your mathematical knowledge can by no means qualify you to be a competent judge. Equity indeed and good sense, would incline one to disregard the judgment of men, in points which they have not considered or examined. But several who make the loudest claim to those qualities do nevertheless the very thing they would seem to despise, clothing themselves in the livery of other men's opinions, and putting on a general deference for the judgment of you, Gentlemen, who are presumed to be of all men the greatest masters of reason, to be most conversant about distinct ideas, and never to take things upon trust, but always clearly to see your way, as men whose constant employment is the deducing truth by the justest inference from the most evident principles. With this bias on their minds, they submit to your decisions where you have no right to decide. And that this is one short way of making Infidels, I am credibly informed. 2. Whereas then it is supposed that you apprehend more distinctly, consider more closely, infer more justly, and BERKELEY: FRASEK. III. C conclude more accurately than other men, and that you are therefore less religious because more judicious, I shall claim the privilege of a Free-thinker '; and take the liberty to inquire in...« less