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of Reafon and Wisdom. Thus they fubmit to the Tyranny of Prepoffeffion, as not having Strength of Judgment to ftem and refift it: They abandon their own Senfe, to follow other Mens Fancies: They purfue with Paffion what they have undertaken without Reafon; and defend with the utmost Temerity what they first embraced by mere Chance and Prevention. And when they have once fixt, they make it a Point of Honour to maintain their Ground. Nay, it fometimes happens, that the Animosity and Contention of Parties, sharpens the dulleft Wits; and Vexation fupplies the Place of Understanding. But thus rafhly and fortuitously to make our felves the Properties and Acceffions of other Mens Conceits, has fo very ridiculous Nibil fen- an Air, that 'tis better to be any Thing than fuch tire melius a Tool of a Philofopher. Between thefe Oppoeft quàm zam prava fitions of Science, we ought to stand in our own fentire. Defence, and not tamely to yield upon the Cic. Qu. bare Summons of any Party. For fuch an ungrounded and precarious Philofophy, is a Dif temper of Mind, and a mere intellectual Debauch.

Acad.

XXXII.

Truth is fo hardly befet, and brought under fuch a State of Perfecution, by the falfe Colours of the Age, that few Men have Ingenuity enough to fpeak their Mind, or Refolution enough to be fincere. It requires a good Degree of Courage to be a Philofopher in good earneft. Nay, it fhews an uncommon Greatnefs of Soul, never to speak but what we think, and never to think but what we dare to fpeak. This was the Chara&ter given by Quintilian of the Roman Brutus, Scias eum fentire que dicit, You may perceive that he speaks from his Heart: The greater, therefore, the Lofs of that excellent Treatife of Virtue, which he compos'd:

compos'd: A moral Piece from fo great an Hand, and from fo noble and ingenuous a Temper, muft needs have been adorn'd with all the Perfections of Beauty. No Man ever deliver'd himself with more Opennefs and Freedom: And in this Excellence he propos'd Socrates for his Pattern, whofe Principle it was never to difguize his Thoughts. Men cannot fpeak against their Confcience, without betraying their Weakness. Intereft, Paffion, Headiness, Prepoffeffion, Custom, and worldly Dependencies, are the common Obftacles to the Purity and Sincerity of our Judgments. 'Tis by fome fuch foolish Biafs that we are carried out of our own Sentiments, to fall in at a Venture, with those of others: And it always argues a Bafenefs of Mind and a flavish Complaifance, to govern our Opinion by the Impreffions of those who are Maiters of our Fortune, and whom we are engaged in Policy to pleafe. Indeed, the beft Philofophy is the Art of Living; or the knowing how to accommodate our felves to Times, Perfons and Things, as Reafon fhall advife. But then, this Management must be free and unconstrain'd; unless we would imitate thofe mean Spirits, who maintain their Thoughts upon a borrow'd Fund; and who are fo little, that they can ftoop to an outward Compliance with fuch Opinions as they cannot inwardly approve; only for Want of Force to affert the Privilege of their Reason. Such a fervile Philofophy, Lands at the utmost Distance from true Wisdom. We have a notorious Example of it, in thofe Senators under Tiberius and Nero, mention'd by Tacitus; who after having proftituted themselves to the most infamous Flatteries, put on the Mask of Philofophy, to fhelter themselves from publick Justice; being too

much

much Cowards to fhew a true philofophical Spirit, or even to give a free Vote in the House.

XXXIII.

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Difputation is an Art of the Schools awaken the Powers of younger Minds, and to exercise their growing Wit. It is highly useful in difplaying Reafon to those who could not otherwife apprehend its Force, and in stopping the Mouths of vain Cavillers: But then it may be abused to the feeding of Contention, to the difguizing and colouring over the worst of Paffions, to the maintaining of an obftinate Temper in fpight of Truth and Senfe. There is no Philofopher, but may acquire a Readinefs and Facility by this Method. For every good Manager of an Argument, is in a Condition to defend his Thesis by Noife and Stratagem, when he is at a lofs for Reafon. In a Word, this, as all other Things, may be either good or bad, according as 'tis applied. And therefore, without prefuming to condemn it, let us content our felves with imploying it in good Service. At the fame time we should endeavour to open Men's Eyes, that it may not pass a Deception upon them, when perverted from its genuine Ufe. The Ground of moft Difputes is, that the Parties don't understand one another. Thales declar'd against a Vacuum; which Democritus admitted without Scruple: Let both explain themfelves on the Point, and both will be agreed. Epicurus relied upon the Teftimony of Senfe in all things; Empedocles would truft it in nothing: The Difpute would drop, if they could once come to a Refolution about the Nature of that Error of Senfe, which fometimes defeats its Teftimony. If we could explain to Descartes the true Nature of Senfation, he would make no Difficulty

culty of allowing an Horse to be an Animal. There has been a Debate among learned Men, of about three hundred Years length, concerning Liberty; only because they have not stated its Definition: If we can fhew Philofophers and Divines in what it properly confifts, they will fpeak but one Language about it. For all Difputes are brought to a fpeedy Iffue, when Men are guided by Reason, and are agreed upon Principles. The wide Diversity of Opinions that reigns in the World, is entirely owing to the different Ways of Mens Speaking and Thinking. Which occafion'd that Remark of Ariftotle, that when two Men of Senfe and Learning are divided in Judgment, the ufual Cafe is, that they express themselves after a various Manner, and the Contest lies rather in the Words, than in the Things.

XXXIV.

Tho' the Philofophy and Method of Difputation, now follow'd in the Schools, has been very feverely cenfur'd by Peter Ramus, about the End of the laft Century; by Gaffendus at the Beginning of this, and in general, by all the modern Naturalifts, of eminent Note and Diftinction; because the Masters of it have really alter'd the Purity of Ariftotle's Doctrine, which they profefs to maintain; yet I cannot but conceive it to be still most agreeable to the prefent Manner of Life, and most proper for the Inftitution of Youth, at that Age when it is commonly recommended to their Study. Because after all, it imprints upon the Mind a Character of Order and Regularity, and a Juftness of Thought; it teaches us to reduce the Subjects we treat of to certain Principles; and confequently to dif courfe upon them by Rule and Method: It exercifes younger Wits, by the Subtilties of Logick

and

and Metaphyficks, in the only Way of Improvement of which they are capable: It prefents them with but a Specimen and Abridgment of moral Doctrine, as not thinking them mature and firm enough to fuftain a long Series of Conclufions; which feems too grave an Employment for the active Heat and Vigour of Youth: and lastly, because these early Years have too little Experience to take delight in a strict Contemplation of Nature, and too little Capacity to embrace the vast Extent of human Things. Yet it were indeed to be wifh'd, that this Part of Philofophy were display'd more methodically in the Schools, and carried on thro' a Train of the most important Experiments and Obfervations. But fo it often happens, that Masters affect to teach Things merely useless, that they may be thought not to forget fuch as are neceffary. The Method now in ufe is certainly capable of greater Perfection; but this Perfection must arife from the Genius and Temper of its Profeffors, when they fhall once lay aside the Confideration of Things indifferent, and apply themselves only to fuch as are necessary and effential, according to the best Light that Experience holds out to them. But as Matters ftand, we can expect no advantagious Change, nor any well concerted Measures of Reformation. Befides, it is highly probable, that civil Laws, which permit no Innovating in Things univerfally establish'd, would authorize no other Method but that which is follow'd in the Universities, for fear of giving too wide a Liberty to the Paffion which Men naturally have for new Opinions, and which, if left to its Course, might prove of dangerous Confequence to a well regulated State: Efpecially if it be likewife confider'd, that Philofophy is one of those

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