1 62 Mr. Bew on Blindnefs'. 
by this faculty, that may not, by attentive and 
patient perfeverance, be communicated to the 
man who has been doomed to darknefs fr-sm his 
birth. The bigot, or the enthufiaft, who con¬ 
demns the refearches of philofophy, and errone- 
oufly pronounces them to be incompatible with 
religion; perceives, with aftonifoment, the blind 
enabled to expatiate on light or colours; on 
reflection, refraCtion, and on the various fub- 
jedts, from which we might naturally fuppofe 
they would be excluded, by the deprivation 
of fight; and fatisfies hirrrfelf with abruptly 
referring the whole to the immediate difpen- 
fation of the Deity. The philofopher, on the 
other hand, though, with willing fubmiflion, he 
ultimately attributes the effects to Omnipotence; 
is, neverthelefs, defirous to avoid the cenfure 
pafied on the fervant, u who hurled his talent in 
a napkin •” and ventures to exert the abilities with 
which he may be endowed in endeavouring to 
inveftigate the means by which the effects are 
ordained 'to be accomplifoed, to the end, that 
the interefts of humanity may be ferved with 
greater certainty. 
The powerful influence of exercife and habit 
upon the intellectual, as well as upon the 
corporeal faculties, are too well known and 
acknowledged, to require much illuftration. 
The mufcles, of any part of the body, acquire 
peculiar vigour and fullnefs by habitual exer¬ 
cife i 
