CHAPTER II. 521 the logical, and metaphysical characters and relations of it; nor shew your critical learning in spreading abroad the various senses Of a word, and the various origin of those senses, the etymology Vf terms, the synonymous and the paronymous or kindred names, &c. where the chief point of discourse does not at all require it 1'ou would laugh at a pedant, who professing to explain the Aihanasian Creed, should acquaint you, that Athanasius is de- rived from aGreek word, which signifies immortality, and that the saine word A9ama a signifies also the herb tansy. There are some persons so fond of their learned distinc- tions, that they will shew their subtlety by distinguishing where there is no difference ; and the same silly affectation will intro- duce distinctions upon every occurrence, and bring three or four negatives upon every subject of discourse ; first to declare what it is not, and then what it is; whereas such negatives ought never to be mentioned where there is no apparent danger of mis- take. How ridieuloua would that writer: be, who if he were speaking of the Nicene Creed, should declare negatively, (1.) That he did not mean the doctrine which the inhabitants of Nice Relieved, nor (2.) A Creed written by them, but (a.) Positively a Greed composed by several Christian bishops met together in the city of Nice: 'l'he positive is sufficient here, and the two nega- tives are impertinent. 4. " Be not fond of proving those things which need no proof such as self - evident propositions and truths universally confessed, or such as are entirely agreed to and granted by our opponents. It is this vain affectation of proving every thing that has led geometricians to form useless and intricate demonstrations to support some theorems which are sufficiently evident to the eye ley inspection, or to the mind by the first mention of them : and it is the saine humour that reigns sometimes in the pulpit, and spends half the sermon in proving same general truth which is never disputed or doubted, and thereby robs the auditory of more useful entertainment. 5. A,s there are some things so evidently true, that they want no proof, so there are others so evidently false that they want no refutation, It is mere trifling, and a waste of our pre- nious moments, to invent and raise such objections as no man would ever make in earnest, and that merely for the sake of answering and solving them r- This breaks in notoriously upon the due brevity of method. 6. el Avoid in general all learned forms, all trappings of art, and ceremonies of the schools," where there is no need of them. It is reported concerning the late Czar of Muscovy, that when be first acquainted himself with mathetnatioal learn- MCA he psoto,tise4 a)l the rules pf eirout vallatiou and contra-
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