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man; and that he cannot be a finished Philofopher till he is a Chriftian*.

But whence it is that moral philosophy, which was fo carefully cultivated in the ancient academy, fhould be forced in the modern to give place to natural, that was originally defigned to be fubfervient to it? which is to exalt the handmaid into the place of the mistress +; which appears not only a prepofterous, but a pernicious method of institution: for as the mind takes a turn of future life fuitable to the tincture it hath received in youth, it will naturally conclude that there is no neceffity to regard, or at least to lay any stress upon those things which were never inculcated upon it as things of importance then; and fo will grow up in a neglect or difesteem

Te in fcientia proficiffe credas, quantum in moribus fueris emendatior; eo ufque doctum, in quantum bonum; ita philosophum, ut christianum. Præf.

ad Nem.

*

+ Things were coming to this pass fo early as Seneca's time; who laments that plain and open truth was turned into a dark and intricate fcience. "Philofophy (fays he) is turned into philology; and "that through the fault both of masters and scho"lars. The one teach to difpute, not to live; and "the other come to them to mend their wits, not

their manners. Whereas philofophy is nothing "elfe but a rule of life." Quid autem philofophia, nifi vitæ lex eft? Epift. 95.

difesteem of those things, which are more neceffary to make a perfon a wife and truly understanding man, than all those rudiments of science he brought with him from the school or the college.

It is really a melancholy thing to fee a young gentleman of fhining parts and a fweet difpofition, who has gone through the common course of academical studies, come out into the world under an abfolute government of his paffions and prejudices; which have increased with his learning, and which, when he comes to be better acquainted with human life and human nature, he is foon fenfible and ashamed of; but perhaps is never able to conquer as long as he lives, for want of that affiftance which he ought to have received in his education: for a wrong education is one of those three things to which it is owing (as an ancient Chriftian philofopher juftly observes) that so few have the right government of their paffions *. I would

Εγγινονται δε τα φαύλα παθη τη ψυχή δια τριων τελων δια κακης αγωγης, εξ αμαθίας, υπο καχεξίας μη αλβίνες γαρ καλως εκ παίδων ως δυνασθαι κράζειν των παθών εις την αμετρίαν αυτών εμπιμπτομεν. “ Bad paf "fions fpring up in the mind three ways; viz. through a bad education, great ignorance, or a difor"der in the animal frame. 1. From a bad education:

I would not be thought to difparage any part of human literature; but should be glad to fee this most useful branch of science, the knowledge of the heart, the detecting and correcting hurtful prejudices, and the right government of the temper and paffions, in more general efteem, as neceffary at once to form the Gentleman, the Scholar, and the Chriftian.

And if there be any thing in the following fheets which may be helpful to ftudents, who have a regard to the right government of their minds, whilft they are furnishing them with ufeful knowledge, I would particularly recommend them to their perufal.

I have nothing further to add, but to defire the reader's excuse for the freedom with which I have delivered my fentiments in this matter, and for detaining him fo long from the fubject of the enfuing Treatife, which I now leave to his candid and serious thoughts, and the bleffing of Almighty God to make it useful to him.

A TREA

"For if we have not been taught from our childhood "to govern our paffions with all poffible care, they "will foon come to have the government of us.' Nemef. de Nat. Hom. p. 182.

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A

TREATISE

OF

SELF-KNOWLEDGE.

PART I.

CHAP. I.

The Nature and Importance of the Subject.

A

DESIRE of knowledge is natural to all human minds. And nothing difcovers the true quality and difpofition of the mind more than the particular kind of knowledge it is most fond of.

Thus we fee that low and little minds are moft delighted with the knowledge of trifles, as in children; an indolent mind, with that which ferves only for amufement, or the entertainment of the fancy; a curious mind is best pleased with facts; a judicious, penetrating mind, with de monftration and mathematical fcience; a worldly mind esteems no knowledge like

A

that

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