2óÓ Tna IMPROVEMENT OF THE MIND. troverted truth, and yet he retains some prejudice against it, so that he dotti not yield to the convincing force of your arguments, you may sometimes have happy success in convincing him of that truth, by setting him to read a weak author, who writes against it: t} young reader will find such pleasure in being able to an- swer the arguments of the opposer, that he will drop his former prejudices against the truth, and yield to the power and evidenoe Of your reasons. I confess this looks like setting up one preju- dice to overthrow another ; but where prejudices cannot be fairly removed by `dint'of reason, the wisest and best' of teachers will sometimes find it necessary to make a way for reason and truth to take placeby this contrast of prejudices. II. When our design is to convince a whole family, or com- ntunity of persons of any mistake, or to lead them into any trtíth, we may justly suppose there are various reigning prejudices {tmong them : and therefore it is not safe to attempt, nor so easy to effect it, by addressing the whole number at once. Such a me- thod has been often found to raise a sudden alarm, and has pro- duced a violent opposition even to the most fair, pions, and use- ful proposals ; so that he win) made the motion, could never carry his point, We must therefore first make as sure as we can of the most. intelligent and learned, at least the most leading persons amongst them, by addressing them apart prudently, and offering proper reasons, till they are convinced and engaged on the side of truth ; and these may with more success apply them- selves to others of the same community; yet the original pro- poser should not neglect to make a distinct - application to all the Test, so far as circumstances admit. Where a thing is ha be de. termined by a number of votes, he should labour to secure a good majority, and then take care that the most proper persons should rnove and argue the matter in public, lest it be quashed in the very first proposal by some prejudice against the proposer. So unhappily are our circumstances situated in this world, that if truth and justice and goodness could put on human forms, and descend front heaven to propose the most divine and useful doc- trines, and bring with them the clearest evidence, and publish them at once to a multitude whose prejudices are engaged against them, the proposal would be vain and fruitless, and would nei- ther convince nor persuade. So necessary is it to join art and dexterity, together with the force of reason, to convince man- kind of truth, unless we came furnished with miracles or omni- potence to create a conviction*, - # The conduct of Christ and "his apostles, (armed as they were with super- natural powers) is the gradual openings of truth, against which the minds of their disciples were strongly preitidiced, -may not only secure such au address from the imputation cf dishonest crafi, butmay demonstrate the expediency, and in some cases the necessity of attending to it.
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