580 ON THE EDUCATION OF YOOTU. terial air, butby way of advice recommended to him such studies and such methods o? improvements, as his experience had long approved ; he gave frequent hints of the danger of some opinions, and the fatal consequences of some modish and mistaken princi- ples. He let him know generally what sentiments he himself em- braced among the divided opinions of the age, and what clear and comprehensive knowledge, what satisfaction of judgment, sereni- ty of mind, and peace of conscience, were to be found in the principles which he had chosen ; but he exhorted his pupil still to Choose wisely for himself, and led him onward in the sciences, and iu common and sacred aflàirs, to frame his own sentiments by just rules of reasoning : though Eugenio did not superstitiously con- fine his belief to the opinions of his instructor, yet he could not but love the man that indulged him in such a liberty of thought, and gave him such an admirable clue, by which he let himself into the secrets of knowledge, human and divine : thus under the hap- py and insensible influences of so prudent a supervisor, he traced the paths of learning, and enjoyed the unspeakable pleasure of being his own teacher, and of framing his opinions himself. By this means he began early to use his reason with freedom, and to judge for himself, without a servile submission to the authority of others ; and yet to pay a just and solemn deference to persons of age and experience, and particularly to those who were the pro- per and appointed guides of his youth, and who led him on so gently in the paths of knowledge. He loves to call himself by the honourable name of a Chris- tian i and though his particular sentiments approach much nearer to the opinions of some parties than to others ; yet he likes not to be called by the name of any party, for he is wise and hold enough to be a bigot to none. He practises a noble and an exten., sive charity to those that, in lesser matters, differ widely from him, if they do but maintain the most essential and necessary parts of Christianity ; nor does he seclude them from his commu- nion, nor withhold himself from theirs ; but as the providence of God gives him just occasions, he eats and drinks with them at the table of their common Lord, provided always that they impose nothing' upon his practice contrary to his conscience. Yet his charity has its limits too : for he hardly knows how to worship the Son of God in the most solemn ordinance of coin- munion with those that esteem him but a mere man ; nor can he join with an assembly of professed Socinians to commemorate the death of Christ, who deny it to be a proper atonement for the sins of men. He dares to believe the doctrines of original sin, the satis- faction of Christ, the iruences of the blessed Spirit, and other despised truths of the gospel ; and this not because his ancestors believed them, but because he cannot avoid the evidence of them
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