been many others, who have fo ably defended OLD OPINIONS by NEW ARGUMENTS, as to be juftly intitled to be enrolled on the lift of ORIGINAL WRITERS.

But the hiftory of fcience will teach us, that very little danger is to be feared, from any prepoffeffions in FAVOUR OF NEW opinions.-The great obftruction to the improvement and advancement of knowledge, arifes from the violence of the prepoffeffions too generally imbibed, and cherished AGAINST them.

The pursuit of an original train of thought has, it must be confeffed,

an obvious tendency to prepoffefs contemporary writers againft it's reception, however clear may be it's deductions, or evident it's truth.— For, it is impoffible to establish it's evidence, without a refutation of all the opinions of the moft eminent writers, which militate against it.But, the established reputation of fuch writers, occafions the generality of the world, not only to look up to their opinions with the highest deference; but even to confider their pofitions, as incontrovertible truths. The MAJORITY, therefore, will of course, not only be unwilling to refign fentiments, endeared to them by long poffeffion; but,

will likewife with reluctance, believe their favourite writers to be fallible, upon whose fuppofed difcoveries, they have built all their own pretenfions to knowledge,-from which, they have derived all their principles of judgment, and on which, they must altogether found their own claim,-as candidates for fame.

This is a prepoffeffion, in part founded, indeed, upon a partial principle of affection in our nature, which deferves refpect; and upon a weakness in it, so common to the generality of individuals, that it ought at least to. be treated with tendernefs. If however, it be cherished,

and

and indulged fo far, as to produce in any one, a total rejection of new opinions, it becomes a bigotry, which merits no favour; and a determined warfare against truth, which deferves no quarter. Had the fame obftacles at all times prevailed, the very writers, to whofe reputations, thefe very perfons are themselves fo attached, would not have attained the reputation they now enjoy; and confequently, their followers could never have received thofe difcoveries, which they now fo zealoufly defend.. For, even thofe writers themfelves, can have no claim, to any exalted degree of fame, but from the difcovery of new truths; and to which,

they

they also never could have attained, but by the rejection of old errors.

It must not be concealed, that other motives alfo, much less honourable than thefe, which have been hitherto affigned, have generally likewife much influence in the formation of an oppofition to NEW

OPINIONS.

Moft writers, are eager in pursuit of fame, either as one fingle ULTIMATE OBJECT; or as the means to fome other gratification, arifing from the acquifition of RICHES, or POWER. They therefore conceiving, that all other writers must likewise

be