A letter to the Reverend Thomas Rennell, concerning his Remarks on scepticism / from a graduate in medicine, of the University of Oxford.

  • Mayo, Thomas, 1790-1871.
Date:
[1819?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A letter to the Reverend Thomas Rennell, concerning his Remarks on scepticism / from a graduate in medicine, of the University of Oxford. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    task of pointing out errors in the arguments by which you support them. In ordinary cases, and where given prin¬ ciples are to be defended before a fair tribunal, a friend to them would leave to their adversaries the invidious task of de¬ tecting blemishes in the views of those who support them. But where the subject is transcendantiy important, there seems to be some reason for deviating from this line. Here it is expedient, that the cause should be not only victorious, but also unprofaned in the combat; accordingly, it becomes de¬ sirable to prevent the natural artifices of enemies, who may turn the mistakes of its defenders into proof of demerit in the cause. Indeed, in this latter point, I need not sug¬ gest to you that your opponents are likely to involve in a common aspersion both sound and unsound arguments, where these run into each other, or exist in close con¬ nexion. It is one principal tendency of the con¬ troversial part of your work to vindicate