CHAPTER XVIII. 135 doubted of by others ; for some persons have been unreasonably credulous, and others have been as unreasonably sceptical. Then only should a proposition be called an axiom or a self-evident truth, when bya moderate attention to the subject and predicate, their connexion appears in so plain a light and so clear an evi- dence, as needs no third idea or middle term to prove them to be connected. X. While you are in search after truth in questions of a doubtful nature, or such as you have not yet thoroughly ex- amined, keep up a just indifference to either side of the question, if you would be led honestly into the truth : for a desire or in- clination leaning to either side, biasses the judgment strangely ; whereas by this indifference for every thing but truth, you will be excited to examine fairly instead of presuming, and your assent will be secured from goingbeyond your evidence. XL For the mostpart people are born to their opinions, and never question the truth of what their family or their country or their party profess. They clothe their minds as they do their bodies, after the fashion in vogue, nor one of a hundred ever examines their principles. It is suspected of lukewarmness to suppose examination necessary, and it will be charged as a ten- dency to apostacy if we go about to examine them. Persons are applauded for presuming they are in the right, and (as Mr. Locke saith) he that considers and enquires into the reasons of things is counted a foe toorthodoxy, because possibly he may deviate from some of the received doctrines. And thus men without any in- dustry or acquisition of their own, (lazy and idle as they are) inherit local truths, that is, the truths of that place where they live, and are inured to assent without evidence. This hath a long and unhappy influence ; for if a man bring his mind once to be po- sitive and fierce for propositions whose evidence he bath never examined, and that in matters of the greatest concernment, he will naturally follow this short and easy way of judging and be- lieving in cases of less moment, and build all his opinions upon insufficient grounds. XII. In determining a question, especially when it is a mat- ter of difficulty and importance, do not take up with partial ex- amination, but turn your thoughtson all sides, to gather in all the light you can toward the solution of it. Take time, and use all the helps that are tobe attained before you fully determine, ex- cept onlywhere present necessity of action calls for speedy deter- mination. If you would know what may be called a partial ex- amination take these instances, viz. When you examine an ob- ject of sense, or enquire into some matter of sensation at too great a distance from the object, or in an inconvenient situation of it, or under any indisposition of the organs, or any disguise whatsoever relating to the medium or the organ of the object
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