106 THE IMPROVEMENT OT THE MIND. leave so much as to examine or believe any thing beside the dictates of their own family or sect, or party, are justly charged with a narrowness of soul. Let us survey some in -. stances of this imperfection, and then direct to the eure of it. (1.) Persons who have been bred up all their days within the smoke of their father's chimney, or within the limits of their native town orvillage, are surprised at every new sight that ap- pears, when they travel a few miles from home. The plough- man stands amazed at the shops, the trade, the crouds ofpeople, the magnificent buildings, the pomp and riches and equipage of thecourt and city, and would hardly believe what was told him before he saw it. On the other hand, the cockney travelling into the country is surprised at many actions of the quadruped and winged animals in the field, and at many common practices of rural affairs. If either of these happen to hear, an account of the familiar and daily customs of foreign countries, they pro- nounce them at once indecent and ridiculous ; so narrow are their understandings, and their thoughts so confined, that they know not how to believe any thing wise or proper, besides what they havebeen taught to practise. This narrowness of mind should be cured by hearing and reading the accounts of different parts of the world, and the histories of past ages, and of nations and countries distant from our own., especially the more polite parts of mankind. Nothing tends in this respect so much to enlarge the mind, as travelling, that is, making a visit to other towns, citiesor coun- tries, besides those in which we were born and educated : and where our condition of life does not grant us this privilege, we must endeavour to supply the want of it by books. (2.) It is the same narrowness of mind that awakens the surprise and aversion of some persons, when they hear of doc- trines and schemes in human affairs or in religion quite dif- ferent from what they have embraced. Perhaps they have been trained up from their infancy in one set of notions, and their thoughts have been confined to one single tract both in the civil or religious life, without ever hearing or knowing what other opinions are current among mankind; or at least they have seen all other notions besides their own, represented in a false and malignant light, whereupon they judge and condemn at once every sentiment but what their own party receives, and they think it a piece of justice and truth to lay heavy censures upon the practice of every different sect in christianity orpolitics. They have so rooted themselves in the opinions of their party, that they cannot hear an objection with patience,' nor can they bear a vindication, or so much as an apology,for any set of prin- ciples beside their own ; all the rest is nonsense or heresy, folly or blasphemy.
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