CHAPTER I. 13 I would be glad among a nation of Christiane, to find young Men heartily engaged in the practice of what this heathen wri- ter teaches. X. Maintain a constant watch at all times against a dogmatical spirit : fix not your assent to any proposition in a firm and unalterable manner, till you have some firm and unal- terabl ground for it, and till you have arrived at some clear and sure ev.ictence; till you have turned the proposition on all sides, and Searched the matter through and through, so that you can- not be mistaken. And even where you may think you have full grounds of assurance, be not too early, nor too frequent in ex- pressing this assurance in too peremptory and positive a manner, remembering that human nature is always liable to mistake in this corrupt and feeble state. A dogmatical spirit bas many inconveniences attending it as, 1. It stops the ear against all further reasoning upon that subject, and shuts up the mind from all farther improvementsof knowledge. If you have resolutely fixed your opinion, though it be upon too slight and insufficient grounds, yet you will stand determined to renounce the strongest reason brought for the con- trary opinion, and grow obstinate against the force of the clear- est argument. Positivo is a man of this character, and has often pronounced his assurance of the Cartesian vortexes: last year some further light broke in upon his understanding, with uncontrollable force, by reading something of mathematical phi- losophy; yet having asserted his opinions in a most confident manner, he is tempted now to wink a little against the truth, or to prevaricate in his discourse upon that subject, lest by admitting conviction, he should expose himself to the necessity of confess- inghis former folly and mistake ; and he has not humility enough for that. 2. A dogmatical spirit naturally leads us to arrogance of mind, and gives a man some airs in conversation, which are too haughtyand assuming. Amiens is a man of learning, and very good company, but his infallible assurance renders his carriage sometimes insupportable. A dogmatical spirit inclines a man to be censorious of his neighbours. Every one of his opinions appears to him written as it were with sun - beams, and he grows angry that his neigh. hours does not see it in the same light. He is tempted to dis- dain his correspondents as men of a low and dark understanding, because they will not believe what he does. Furto goes farther in this wild track, and charges those who refuse his notions, with wilful obstinacy and vile hypocrisy : he tells them boldly, that they resist the truth, and sin against their consciences. These are the men, that when they deal in controversy, de- light in reproaches. They abound in tossing about absurdity and
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