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drawn from remote mediums, or from the absurdity of the contradictory suppositions.

Such indirect and remote arguments may also be sometimes used to confirm a proposition which has been before proved by arguments more direct and immediate.

VIII. Rule. Though arguments should give light to the subject, as well as constrain the assent, yet you must learn to distinguish well between an explication and an argument; and neither impose upon yourselves, nor suffer yourselves to be imposed upon by others, by mistaking a mere illustration for a convincing reason.

Axioms themselves, or self-evident propositions, may want an explication or illustration, though they are not to be proved by reasoning.

Similitudes and allusions have oftentimes a very happy influence to explain some difficult truth, and to render the idea of it familiar and easy. Where the resemblance is just and accurate, the influence of a simile may proceed so far as to shew the possibility of the thing in question: but similitudes must not be taken as a solid proof of the truth or existence of those things to which they have a resemblance. A too great deference paid to similitudes, or an utter rejection of them, seem to be two extremes, and ought to be avoided. The late ingenious Mr. Locke, even in his enquiries after truth, makes great use of similies for frequent illustration, and is very happy in the invention of them, though he warns us also lest we mistake them for conclusive arguments.

Yet let it be noted here, that a parable or a similitude used by any author, may give a sufficient proof of the true sense and meaning of that author, pro vided that we draw not this similitude beyond the scope and design for which it was brought: as when our Saviour affirms, Rev. iii. 3. I will come to thee as a thief;' this will plainly prove that he describes "the unexpectedness of his appearance, though it will by no means be drawn to signify any injustice in his design.

IX. Rule. In your whole course of reasoning, keep your mind sincerely intent in the pursuit of truth; and follow solid argument wheresoever it leads

you. Let not a party spirit, nor any passion or prejudice whatsoever, stop or avert the current of your reasoning in quest of true knowledge.

When you are enquiring therefore into any subject, maintain a due regard to the arguments and objections on both sides of a question: consider, compare, and balance them well before you determine for one side. It is a frequent but a very faulty practice, to hunt after arguments only to make good one side of a question, and entirely to neglect and refuse those which favour the other side. If we have not given a due weight to arguments on both sides, we do but wilfully misguide our judgment, and abuse our reason, by forbidding its search after truth. When we espouse opinions by a secret bias on the mind through the influences of fear, hope, honour, credit, interest, or any other prejudice, and then seek arguments only to support those opinions, we have neither done our duty to God nor to ourselves; and it is a matter of mere chance if we stumble upon truth in our way to ease and preferment. The power of reasoning was given us by our Maker for this very end, to pursue truth; and we abuse one of his richest gifts, if we basely yield up to be led astray by any of the meaner powers of nature, or the perishing interests of this life. Reason itself, if honestly obeyed, will lead us to receive the divine revelation of the gospel, where it is duly proposed, and this will shew us the path of life everlasting.

THE FOURTH PART OF LOGIC.

OF DISPOSITION AND METHOD.

IT is not merely a clear and distinct idea, a wellformed proposition, or a just argument, that is sufficient to search out and communicate the knowledge of a subject. There must be a variety and series of them disposed in a due manuer, in order to attain this end and therefore it is the design of the last part of Logic to teach us the art of method. It is this must secure our thoughts from that confusion, darkness, and mistake which unavoidably attend the meditations and discourses even of the brightest genius who despises the rules of it.

1. We shall here consider the nature of method, and the several kinds of it.

2. Lay down the general rules of method, with a few particulars under them,

CHAP. I.

OF THE NATURE OF METHOD, AND THE SEVERAL KINDS OF IT, (VIZ.) NATURAL AND ARBITRARY, SYNTHETIC AND ANALYTIC.

METHOD, taken in the largest sense, implies the placing of several things, or performing several operations, in such an order as is most convenient to attain some end proposed: and in this sense it is applied to all the works of nature and art, to all the divine affairs of creation and providence; and to the artifices, schemes, contrivances, and practices of mankind, whether in natural, civil, or sacred affairs.

Now this orderly disposition of things includes the ideas of prior, posterior, and simultaneous; of superior, inferior, and equal; of beginning, end, and middle, &c. which are described more particularly among the general affections of being in ontology.

But in Logic method is usually taken in a more limited sense, and the nature of it is thus described: method is the disposition of a variety of thoughts on any subject, in such order as may best serve to find out unknown truths, to explain and confirm truths that are known, or to fix them in the memory.

It is distributed into two general kinds, (viz.) natural and arbitrary.

Natural method is that which observes the order of nature, and proceeds in such a manner as that the knowledge of the things which follow depends, in a great measure, on the things which go before, and this is twofold, (viz.) Synthetic and Analytic, which are sometimes called Synthesis and Analysis*.

The word Analysis has three or four senses, which it may not be improper to take notice of here.

1. It signifies the general and particular heads of a discourse, with their mutual connections, both co-ordinate and subordinate, drawn out by way of abstract into one or more tables, which are frequently placed like an index at the beginning or end of a book.

2. It signifies the resolving of a discourse into its various sub jests and arguments, as when any writing of the ancient prophets

Synthetic method is that which begins with the parts*, and leads onward to the knowledge of the whole; it begins with the most simple principles and general truths, and proceeds by degrees to that which is drawn from or compounded of them: and therefore it is called the method of composition.

Analytic method takes the whole compound as it finds it, whether it be a species or an individual, and leads us into the knowledge of it by resolving it into its first principles or parts, its generic nature, and its special properties; and therefore it is called the method of resolution.

As synthetic method is generally used in teaching the sciences, after they are invented, so analytic is most practised in finding out things unknown. Though it must be confessed that both methods are sometimes employed to find out truth, and to communicate it.

If we know the parts of any subject easier and better than the whole, we consider the parts distinctly, and, by putting them together, we come to the knowledge of the whole. So in grammar we learn

is resolved into the prophetical, historical, doctrinal, and prac. tical parts of it; it is said to be analysed in general. When a sentence is distinguished into the Nouns, Verbs, Pronouns, Ad. verbs, and other particles of speech which compose it, then it is said to be analysed grammatically. When the same sentence is distinguished into Subject and Predicate, Proposition, Argu ment, Act, Object, Cause, Effect, Adjunct, Opposite, &c. then is is analysed logically and metaphysically. This last is what is chiefly meant in the theological schools, when they speak of analysing a text of scripture.

3. Analysis signifies particularly the science of algebra, wherein a question being proposed, one or more letters, as, x, y, z, or vowels, as, a, e, i, &c, are made use of to signify the unknown number, which being intermingled with several known numbers in the question, is at last by the rules of art separated or released from that entanglement, and its particular value is found out by shewing its equation, or equality to some known number.

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4. It signifies analytical method, as here explained in Logic. Note, It is confessed that synthesis often begins with the genus, and proceeds to the species and individuals. But the genus or generic nature is then considered only as a physical or essential part of the species, though it be sometimes called an universal or logical whole. Thus synthetic method maintains Its own description still, for it begins with the parts, and preceeds to the whole which is composed of them.

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first to know letters, we join them to make syllables, out of syllables we compose words, and out of words we make sentences and discourses. So the physician or apothecary knows the nature and powers of his simples, (viz.) his drugs, his herbs, his minerals, &c, and putting them together, and considering their several virtues, he finds what will be the nature and powers of the bolus, or any compound medicine, This is the synthetic method.

But if we are better acquainted with the whole than we are with particular parts, then we divide or resolve the whole into its parts, and thereby gain a distinct knowledge of them. So in vulgar life we learn in the gross what plants or minerals are; and then by chemistry we gain the knowledge of salt, sulphur, spirit, water, earth, which are the principles of them. So we are first acquainted with the whole body of an animal, and then by anatomy or dissection we come to learn all the inward and outward parts of it. This is the analytic method.

According to this most general and obvious idea of the synthetic and analytic methods, they differ from each other as the way which leads up from a valley to a mountain differs from itself, considered as it leads down from the mountain to the valley or as St. Matthew and St. Luke prove Christ to be the son of Abraham; Luke finds out by analysis, rising from Christ to his ancestors; Matthew teaches it in the synthetic method, beginning from Abraham, and shewing that Christ is found among his posterity. Therefore it is an usual thing in the sciences, when we have by analysis found out a truth, we use the synthetic method to explain and deliver it, and prove it to be true.

In this easy view of things, these two kinds of method may be preserved conspicuously, and entirely distinct; but the subjects of knowledge being infinite, and the ways whereby we arrive at this knowledge being almost infinitely various, it is very diffi cult, and almost impossible, always to maintain the precise distinction between these two methods.

This will evidently appear in the following obser

vations.

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