446 toove: On, THE RIdliT cSE of neeso®. used to convey falsehood into the soul as well as troth ; and if the build our faith merely upon these foundations, without regard to the evidence of truth, and the strength of argument, our belief is but the effect of prejudice : for neither the positive, the auful ér solemn, the terrible or the gentle methods of address, carry, any certain evidence with them that truth lies on that side. There is another manner of proposing our own opinion, or rather opposing the . opinions of others, which demands a men- tion here, and that is when persons make a jest serve instead of an argument ; when they refute what they call error by a turn of wit, and answer every objection against their own sentiments, by casting a sneer upon the objector. These scoffers practise with- success upon weak and cowardly spirits ; such as have not been well established in religion or morality, have been laughed out of the best principles by a confident buffoon ; they have yielded . up their opinions to a witty banter, and sold their faith and religion for a jest. There is no way to cure these evils in such a degenerate. world as we live in, but by learning to distinguish well between the substance of any doctrine, and the mtanner of address, either in proposing, attacking, or defending it ; and then by setting a just and severe guard of reason and conscience over all the ex- ercises of our judgment, resolving to yield to nothing but the convincing evidence of truth, religiously obeying the light of reason in matters of pure reason, and the dictates of revelation in things that relate to our faith. Thus we have taken a brief survey of some of the infinite Varietiesofprejudice that attend mankind on every side in the pre- sent state, and the dangers of error or of rash judgment, we are perpetually exposed to in this life: this chapter shall conclude with one remark, and one piece of advice. The remark is this. The same opinion, whether false or true, may be dictated by many prejudices at the same time ; for, as I hinted before, prejudice may happen to dictate truth some- times as well as error. But where two or moreprejudices oppose one another, as it often happens, the stronger prevails and gains the assent ; yet how seldom does reason interpose with sufficient power to get the ascendent of them all, as it ought to do! The advice follows, namely, Since we find such a swarm of prejudices attending us both within and without ; since we feel.the weakness of our reason, the frailty of our natures, and our in- sufficiency to guard ourselves from error upon this account, itis not at all unbecoming the character of a logician or a philoso- pher, together with the advice already given, to direct every per- son in his search after truth to make his daily addresses to hea- ven, and implore the God of truth to lead him into all truth, and
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