..judge whether he who looks up to such a Being can
seriously worship Him with 'profound adoration.' I repeat,
therefore, that I construct his contradictory assertions
most favourably when I consider 'a blind nature' as the
object of his belief, rather than such a cause of all things
as being entitled to his homage.
Ogilvie concludes by focusing on Philo's concession of thanks to
the creator "that Atheists are rarely to be met with." Ogilvie
asks,
To whom, Sir, let me ask, are your thanks addressed upon
this occasion? Are they offered to that Intelligence who
"involves individuals in ruin and misery?" Are they due to
the "coarse Artificer, the Author of physical and moral
evil, &c. &c. &c.?" With much more reason may you thank Him
for having so framed His work, as that His miserable
creatures by denying His existence, may turn from objects
that cannot be viewed with other feelings than those of
horror and detestation.
This feature of double concealment was also recognized by George
Horne in his Letters on infidelity (1784). In that work Horne
presents "A dialogue between Thomas and Timothy on philosophical
skepticism" which exposes Hume's literary device. Horne's
dialogue opens,
Tim. ... Where art [you] going this morning?
Tom.
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