246 On the comparative Excellence 



Creator j who has opened before us his extenfivc 

 volume, and endowed us with abilities to judge 

 of, and tafte to enjoy the beauties it affords. 



Science, then, is either moral, or natural ; the 

 firft, immediately conne6ted with the condu(fl of 

 human life; the fecond, more remotely fd through 

 the medium of the works of nature : with refpeft 

 to the former, as it is the indifpenfable duty of 

 every man to be as fully acquainted with it as 

 his abilities and fituation will permit, fo it is 

 difgraceful and dangerous to negleft it; whilft 

 the latter, though honourable and ufeful in the 

 acquifition, may be poftponed, or omitted, till a 

 proficiency be made in more important ftudies. 



Notwithftanding this, it has been obferved of 

 late, and experience feems to juftify the obfer- 

 vaiion, that the prefent age is more attached to 

 the Itudy of natural philofophy, than to that of 

 morals : which may poffibly arife from an idea, 

 that the latter affords but a fmall fcope for the 

 exercife of the mind, and confifts chiefly of pro- 

 pofitions either felf evident, or capable of a (im- 

 ple and decided demonftration. Admitting for 

 a moment this to be the cafe ; yet it by no means 

 precludes the neceffity of transferring to our 

 own ufe, the refult of other men's labours ; which 

 can only be done by a diligent application to 

 the fame ftudies and purfuits. It is not whether 

 the fciencs be known, but whether I know it, 

 ftbout which I ought to be folicitous. 



It 



