CI-IAPTER III. 183 rather to keep and maintain his own opinions, if he cannot corne into yours without renouncing and abandoning every thing that he believed before. Human nature must be flattered a littleas well as reasoned With, that so the argument may be able to come at his understanding, which otherwise will be thrust off at a dis- tance. If you charge a roan with nonsense and absurdities, with heresy and self contradiction, you take a very wrong step towards convincing him. Remember that error is not to be rooted out of the mind of man by reproaches and railings, by flashes of wit and biting jests, by loud exclamations or sharp ridicule ; long declamations' and triumphover our neighbour's mistake, will not prove the way to convince him ; these are signs either of a bad cause, or of want of arguments or capacity for the defence of a good one. IV. Set therefore a constant watch over yourself, lest you grow warm in dispute before you are aware. Thepassions never clear the understanding, but raise darkness, clouds and confusion in the soul ; human nature is like water which has mud at the bottom of it, it may be clear while it is calm and undisturbed, and the ideas like pebbles appear bright at the bottom ; but when once it is stirred and moved by passion, the mud rises uppermost and spreads confusion and darkness over all the ideas ; you can- not set things in so just and so clear a light before the eyes of your neighbour, while your own conceptions are cloudedwith heat and passion. Besides, when your own spirits are a little disturbed, and your wrath is awakened, this naturally kindles the same fire in your correspondent, and prevents him from taking in your ideas, were they ever so clear ; for his passions are engaged 'all on a sudden for the defence of his own mistakes, and they combat as fiercely as yours do, which perhaps may be awakened on the side of truth. To provoke a person whom you would convince, not only rouses his anger, and sets it against your doctrine ; but directs its resentment against your person as well as against all your in- structions and arguments. You must treat an opponent like a friend, if you would persuade. him to learn any thing from you ; and this is one great reason why there is so little success on either side between two disputants or controversial writers, be- cause they are so ready to interest their passions in the subject of contest, and prevent the mutual light that might be given and received on either side ; ambition, indignation, and a professed zeal, reign on both sides; victory is the point designed, while truth is pretended, and truth oftentimes perishes in the fray, or retires from the field of battle ; the combatants end just where they began, the understandings hold fast the same opinions ; per-
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