Chap. 20.] Conferences of Fatalifm. $1$ 



On the whole, it is the part of true philofophy to 

 avoid equally the dangerous extremes of an arrogant 

 dogmatifm, which profeiTes, like the ignorant oppo- 

 nents of Socrates, to know every thing, and of that 

 perplexing fkepticifm which would deprive the human 

 underdanding of capacity and intelligence. As finite: 

 beings, many facts are neceflarily placed beyond the 

 reach of our refearches. They are neither fuited to 

 our faculties, nor our fituation in this life and where 

 we have rso bafis of fact on which to reafon, error will 

 generally be the confequence of our indulging in vifi- 

 onary {peculations. 



To confole us for this deficiency, we may (till re- 

 mark, with fatisfaction and gratitude, that if much is 

 concealed, much alfo is known. There is an immenfe 

 fund of practical knowledge perfectly within the grafp 

 of our faculties. There isfcarcely any human fciencej 

 which, to know it well, is not fufficient to employ the 

 mod protracted exiirence of man. I twill be more 

 confident with happkiefs, as well as with modefly, to 

 acquaint ourfelves with thefe, before we launch into the 

 unfathomable abyfs of metaphyfical fpeculation ; nor 

 indeed can any thing be more difgufting, than to hear 

 a loquacious difputant, who is unacquainted with the 

 plained and moil ufeful branches of knowledge, pre- 

 fuming to arraign the appointments of omnifcience, to 

 "re-judge his jufticej" to annihilate the intellectual, 

 and to confufe and difturb the moral world. Much 

 greater is his merit, much founder is his judgment, 

 who fabricates the fimpleft machine, cr plans or exe- 

 cutes the plained undertaking that may be practically 

 ufeful to mankind. 



Yet we may innocently amufe our curiofityj we 

 may innocently gratify our third of knowledge ; we may 

 innocently exercife our faculties. But let us, in the 



name 



