108 THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE MIND. flesh by his physician ; but 'hearing that rabbits were provided for the dinner of the family, desired earnestly to eat of them ; and suppose he became impatient because his physician did not permit him, and he insisted upon it, that it could do him no hurt ; surely rather than let him persist in that fancy and that desire, to the danger of his life, I would tell him that these animals were strangled, which sort of food was forbidden by the Jewish law, though I myself may believe that law is now abolished. In the same manner was Tenerilla persuaded to let Damon her husband prosecute a thief, who broke open their house on a Sunday. At first she abhorred the thoughts of it, and refused it utterly, because if the thief were condemned, according to the English law, he must he hanged ; whereas (said she) the law of God in the writings of Moses, does not appoint death to be the punishment of such criminals, but tells us, that a thief shall be soldfor his theft; Ex. xxii. 3. But when Damon could no other way convince her that the thief ought to be prosecuted, he put her in mind that the theft was committed on a Sundaymorn- ing; now the same law of Moses requires, that the $abbath- breaker shall surely be put to death ; Ex. xxxi. 15. Num. xv. 35. This argument prevailed with Tenerilla, and she consented to the prosecution. Encrates used the same means of conviction when he saw a Mabometan drink wine to excess, and heard him maintain the lawfulness and pleasure of drunkenness : 'Encrates reminded him, that his own prophet Mahomet had utterly forbidden all wine to his followers ; and the good man restrained his vicious appetite by his superstition, when he could no otherwise con- vince him that drunkenness was unlawful, nor withhold himfrom excess. Where we find any person obstinately persisting in a mis- take in opposition to all reason, especially if the mistake be very injurious or pernicious, and we know this person will hearken to the sentiment or authority of some favourite name, it is needful sometimes to urge the opinion and authority of that favourite person, since that is likely to be regarded much more than reason. I confess I am almost ashamed to speak of using any influence of authority, while I would teach the art of reasoning. But in some cases it is better that poor, silly, perverse, obstinate crea- tures should be persuaded to judge and act right, by a veneration for the sense of others, than to be left to wander in pernicious errors, and continue deaf to all argument, and blind to all evi- . dente. They are but children of a larger size ; and since they persist all their lives in their minority, and reject all true reason- ing, surely we may try to persuade them to practise what is for their Own interest by such childish reasons as they will
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