﻿IS 
  THE 
  DISCUSSION 
  LEGITIMATE? 
  9 
  

  

  prohibit 
  others 
  from 
  entering 
  upon 
  the 
  same 
  

   ground, 
  or 
  from 
  producing 
  such 
  arguments 
  as 
  

   they 
  may 
  be 
  able 
  to 
  find 
  in 
  support 
  of 
  an 
  

   opposite 
  conclusion. 
  But 
  there 
  are 
  some 
  

   better 
  arguments 
  than 
  this. 
  This, 
  indeed, 
  

   is 
  enough 
  to 
  show 
  that 
  the 
  discussion 
  must, 
  

   as 
  a 
  matter 
  of 
  necessity, 
  be 
  encountered, 
  

   even 
  though 
  it 
  should 
  be 
  deplored. 
  But 
  other 
  

   considerations 
  may 
  perhaps 
  convince 
  us 
  that 
  

   it 
  ought 
  not 
  to 
  be 
  avoided. 
  It 
  may 
  be 
  true, 
  

   and 
  I 
  believe 
  it 
  to 
  be 
  ■ 
  true, 
  that 
  the 
  desire 
  

   of 
  knowledge 
  is 
  capable 
  of 
  excess. 
  The 
  

   spirit 
  which 
  in 
  the 
  ordinary 
  concerns 
  of 
  

   life 
  is 
  condemned 
  as 
  idle 
  or 
  vicious 
  

   curiosity 
  has, 
  surely, 
  its 
  counterpart 
  in 
  the 
  

   higher 
  pursuits 
  of 
  intellect. 
  David 
  seems 
  to 
  

   imply 
  as 
  much 
  when 
  he 
  pleads 
  in 
  favour 
  of 
  

  

  