CHAPTER XVIII. 131 XIV. For the same reason, have a care of suddenly deter- mining any one question on which the determinationof anykind- red or parallel cases will easily or naturally follow. Take heed of receiving any wrong turn in your early judgment of things ; be watchful, as far as possible, against any false bias which may be given to the understanding, especially in younger years. The indulgence of some one silly opinion, or the giving credit to one foolish fable, lays the mind open to be imposed upon by many. The ancient Romans were taught to believe, that Romulus and Remus the founders of their state and empire, were exposed in the woods and nursed by a wolf : this story prepared theirminds for the reception of any tales of the like nature relating to other countries. Trogus Pompeius would enforce the belief, that one of the ancient kings of Spain was also nursed and suckled by a hart, from the fable of Romulus and Remus. It was by the same influence they learned to give up their hopes and fears to omens and soothsaying, when they were once persuaded that the greatness of their empire and the glory of Romulus their founder, were predicted by the happy omen of twelve vultures appearing to him when he sought where to build the city. They readily received all the following legends of prodigies, auguries, and prognostics, for many ages together, with which Livy has furnished his huge history. So the child who is once taught to believe any one occur- rence to be a good or evil omen, or any day of the month or week to be lucky or unlucky, bath a wide inroad made on the soundness of his understanding in the following judgments of his life : he lies ever open to all thesilly impressions and idle tales of nurses, and imbibes many a foolish story with greediness, which he must unlearn again if ever he become acquainted with truth and wisdom. XV. Have a care of interesting your warm and religious zeal in those matters which are not súfficiently evident in them- selves, or which are not fully and thoroughly determined and proved : for this zeal, whether right or wrong, when it is once engaged, will have a powerful influence to establish your own minds in those doctrines which are reallydoubtful, and to stop up all the avenues of further light. This will bring upon the soul a sort of sacred awe and dread of heresy: with a divine concern to maintain whatever you have espoused as divine, though perhaps you have espoused it without any just evidence, and ought to have renounced it as false and pernicious. We ought to be zealous for the most important points of our religion, and to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints ; but we ought not to employ this sacred fervour of spirit in the service of any article, till we have seen it made out with plain and strong conviction, that it is a necessary or impor-
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