92 THE IMPROVEMENT OP TIE MINN: be one among the students, viz. the respondent, always engaged in the support of supposed error : but all the rest would be ex- ercising their talents in arguing for the supposed truth ; whereas in the common methodsof disputation in the schools, especially where the students are numerous, each single student is perpe- tually employed to oppose the truth and vindicate error, except once in a long ti-lewhen it conies to his torn to be respondent. 10. Upon the whole, it seems necessary that these methods of disputation shouldbe learnt in the schools, is order to teach students better to defend truth, and to refute error, both in writing and conversation, where the scholastic forms are utterly neg- lected. But after all, the advantage which youth may gain by dispu- tationsdepends much on the tutor or moderator; he shouldManage with such prudence both in the disputation and at the end of it, as to make all the disputantsknow the very point of controversy, wherein it consists ; he should manifest the fallacy of sophistical objections, and confirm the solid arguments and answers. This might teach students how to make the art of disputation useful for the searching out the truth and thedefence of it, that it may not be learnt and practised only as an art of wrangling which reigned in the schools several hundred years, and divested the growing reason of youth of its best hopes and improvements. CHAP. XIV. Of Study or Meditation. I. IT has been proved and established in someof the fore- going chapters, that neither our own observations, nor our read- ing the labours of the learned, nor the attendance on the best lee- ' tures of instruction, nor enjoying the brightest conversation, can ever make a man truly knowing and wise, without the labours of his own reason in surveying, examining, and judging concern-' ingall subjects upon the best evidence he canacquire. A good genius, or sagacity of thought, a happy judgment, a capacious memory, and large opportunities of observation and converse, will do much of themselves towards the cultivation of the mind, where they are well improved : but where to the advantage of learned lectures, living instructions, and well chosen books, dili- gence and study are superadded, this man has all human aids concurring to raise him to a superior degree of wisdom and knowledge. Under the preceding headsof discourse, it has been already declaredhow our own meditation and rflection should examine, cultivate and improve all other methods and advantages of en- riching the understanding. 'What remains in this chapter is to give some further occasional hints hew to employ our own
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