CHAPTER II. 518 sary ; and it is a good judgment alone can dictate hots far to proceed in it, and when to stop. Compound ideas must be reduced to a simple form, in order to understand them well. You may, easily master that subject in all the parts of it by regular succession, which would confound the understanding to survey them at once. So we come to the knowledge of a very perplexed diagram in geometry, or a com- plicated machine in mechanics, by having it parcelled out to us into its several parts and principles, according to this and the foregoing rule of method. 3. " Call every idea, pròposition and argument to its proper class, and keep each part of the subject in its proper place." "Put those things all together that belong to one part or property, one consideration or view of your subject. This will prevent needless repetitions, and keep you from intermixing things which are different. We must maintain this distinction of things and places if we would be safe from error. It is confusion that leads its into endless mistakes, which naturally arise from a variety of ideas ill joined, sorted, or ill- disposed. It is one great use of method, that a multitude of thoughts and propositions may be so distinctly ranged in their proper situations, that the mind may not be overwhelmed with a confused attention to them all at once, or be distracted with their variety, nor be tempted to unité things which ought to be separated, nor to disjoin things which should be united 4. " In the partition of your discourse into distinct heads, take heed that your particulars do not interfere with the general, nor with each other." Think it is not enough that you make use of distinct expressions in each particular, but take care that the ideas be distinct also. It is mere foolery to multiply distinct particulars in treating of things, where the difference of your particulars lies only in names and words. Rule W. The method of treating a subject should be ple- nary or full, so that nothing may be wanting ; nothing which is necessary or proper should be omitted. When you are called to explain a subject, do not pass by, nor skip over any thing in it which is very difficult or obscure. When you enumerate the parts or the properties of any sub- ject, do it in a complete and comprehensive manner. When you are asserting or proving any truth, see that every doubtful or disputable part of the argument be well supported and confirmed. If you are to illustrate or argue a point of difficulty, he not too scanty of words, but rather become a little copious and diffu- sive in your language : set the truth before the reader in several lights, turn the various aides of it to view, in order to give a full idea and firm evidence of the proposition. il q
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=