tHiPTEit d3 fion, espëcially on subjects of natural, moral, or divine seiencet is not merely to know' the opinion of the author or "speaker, for this is but the mere knowledge of history ; but your chief btisi- ness is toconsider whether their opinions are right or no, and to improveyour own solid knowledgeof that subject by meditating on the themes of their writing or discourse. Deal freely wits every author you read, and yield up your assent only to evidence and just reasoning on the subject. Here I would be understood to speak only of human authors, and not of the sacred and inspired writings. In these, our busi- ness indeed is only to find out the sense, and understand the true meaning of the paragraph and page, and our assent then it bound to follow, when we are before satisfied that the writing is divine. Yet I might add also, that even this is just reasoning, and this is sufficient evidence to demand our assent. But in the composures of men, remember you are a man as well as they ; and it is not their reason but your own, that is given to guide ,+ou when you arrive at years of discretion, of manly age and Judgment. VI. Let this therefore be your practice, especially after you have gone through one course of any science in your academical studies ; if a writer on that subject maintains the same senti- ments as you do, yet if he does not explain his ideas or prove his 'jiositions well, mark the faults or defects, and endeavour to do it better, either in the margin of your book, or rather in some pa- pers of your own, or at least let it be clone in your private medi- tations. As for instance : Where theauthor is obscure, enlighten him ; wherelie is im- perfect, supply his deficiencies; where he is toe brief and con= cise, amplify a little, and set his notions in a fairer view ; where -- be is redundant, mark those paragraphs to be retrenched ; when he trifles and grows impertinent, abandon those passages or pages ; where he argues, observe whether his reasons be conclu- hive; if the conclusion be true, and yet the argument weak, en- deevour to confirm it by better proofs ; where he derives or infers any propositions darkly or doubtfully, make the justice of the inference appear, and add further inferences or corollaries, if inch occur to your mind ; where you suppose he is in a mistake, propose your objections, and correct his sentiments; where he Writes so well as to approve itself to your judgment bothas just And useful, treasure it up in your memory, and count it a part of your intellectual gains. Note, Many of these same directions which I havenew given, may be practised with regard' to conversation, as well as fending, in order to render it useful in the most extensive and lasting manner. VII. Other things also of the like nature tnay bé usefulli Vox. tits, f~
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