1855.] On Mental Education. 485 



that one has the complete capacity for judgment which another 

 is naturally without. I am of opinion that all may judge, and 

 that we only need to declare on every side the conviction that 

 mental education is wanting, and lead men to see that through 

 it they hold, in a large degree, their welfare and their character 

 in their own hands, to cause in future years an abundant de- 

 velopment of right judgment in every class. 



This education has for its first and its last step humility. It 

 can commence only because of a conviction of deficiency ; and 

 if we are not disheartened under the growing revelations which 

 it will make, that conviction will become stronger unto the end. 

 But the humility will be founded, not on comparison of our- 

 selves with the imperfect standards around us, but on the in- 

 crease of that internal knowledge which alone can make us 

 aware of our internal wants. The first step in correction is to 

 learn our deficiencies, and having learned them, the next step 

 is almost complete : for no man who has discovered that his 

 judgment is hasty, or illogical, or imperfect, would go on with 

 the same degree of haste, or irrationality, or presumption as 

 before. I do not mean that all would at once be cured of bad 

 mental habits, but I think betterof humannature than to believe, 

 that a man in any rank of life, who has arrived at the con- 

 sciousness of such a condition, would deny his common sense, 

 and still judge and act as before. And though such self-school- 

 ing must continue to the end of life to supply an experience of 

 deficiency rather than of attainment, still there is abundant 

 stimulus to excite any man to perseverance. What he has lost 

 are things imaginary, not real ; what he gains are riches before 

 unknown to him, yet invaluable ; and though he may think more 

 humbly of his own character, he will find himself at every step 

 of his progress more sought for than before, more trusted with 

 responsibility and held in pre-eminence by his equals, and more 

 highly valued by those whom he himself will esteem worthy of 

 approbation. 



And now a few words upon the mutual relation of two classes, 

 namely, those who decline to educate their judgments in regard 

 to the matters on which they decide, and those who, by self- 

 education, have endeavoured to improve themselves ; and upon 

 the remarkable and somewhat unreasonable manner in which 



