maintain, before the court; till that is done, it is to no purpose for
me to object. I amy perhaps object to something which he will not
admit to be any part of his evidence; and therefore I apprehend, the
evidence ought in the first place to be distinctly stated.

Judge. Mr. B What say you to that?

Mr. B. Council on the other side:

My Lord, If the evidence I am to maintain, were to suppose any
new claim; if I were to gain any thing which I am not already possessed
of, the Gentleman would be in the right: but the evidence is old, and
is matter of record; and I have been long in possession of all that I
claim under it. If the Gentleman has anything to say to dispossess me,
let him produce it; otherwise I have no reason to bring my own title
into question. And this I take to be the known method of proceeding
in such cases: no man is obliged to produce his title to his
possession; it is sufficient if he maintain it when it is called in
question.

Mr A. Surely, my Lord, the Gentleman mistakes the case. I can
never admit myself to be out of possession of my understanding and
reason; and since he would put me out of this possession, and compel me
to admit things incredible, in virtue of the evidence he maintains, he
ought to set forth his claim, or leave the world to be directed by
common sense.

Judge. Sir, you say right, upon supposition that the truth of
the Christian religion were the point in question. In that case it
would be necessary to produce the evidence for the Christian religion.