CHAPTER IV. 199 opinione of lilt instructors; and though he may justly suspend his judgment in matters which his tutors dictate, till lie perceive sufficient evidence for them ; yet neither parents nor tutors should be directly opposed without great and most evident reasons, such as constrain the understanding or conscience of those concerned. 2. Persons of years and long experience, of human affairs, when they give advice in matters of prudence or civil conduct, ought to have a considerable deference paid to their authority by those that are young and have not seen the world, for it is most probable that the elder persons are in the right. 3. In the affairs of practical godliness, there should be mach deference given to persons of long standing in virtue and piety. I confess in the particular forins and ceremonies of religion, there may be as much bigotry and superstition amongst the old as the young; but in questions of inward religion and pure de- votion, or virtue, a man who has been long engaged in the sin- cere practice of those things, is justly presumed to know more than a youth with all his ungoverned passions, appetites and pre- judices about him. 4. Men in their several professions and arts, in which they have been educated, and in which they have employed them- selves all their days, must be supposed to have greater know- ledge and skill than others ; and therefore there is due respect to be paid to their judgment in those matters. 5. In matters of fact, where there is not sufficient testimony to constrain our assent, yet there ought to be due deference paid to the narratives of persons wise and sober, according to the de- grees of their honesty, skill, and opportunity to acquaint them- selves therewith. I confess in many of these cases, where the proposition is a mere matter of speculation, and (loth not necessarily draw practice along with it, we may delay our assent till better evi- dence appear ; hut where the matter is of a practical nature, and requires us to act one way or another, we ought to pay much deference to authority or testimony, and follow such probabilities where we have no certainty ; for this is the best light we have, and surely it is better to follow such sort of guidance, wherewe can have no better, than to wander and fluctuate in absOlute un- certainty. It is not reasonable to put out our candle, and sit still in thedark, because wehave not the light of sun-beams. VOL. Nett. N
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