FOURTH LAW OF TESTIMONY. We must believe that the person had the means or opportunity for observing and learning the truth of his statements.

We would place more confidence in Dr. Kane's statements as to facts concerning the Northern Arctic Ocean, than in the statements of a geographer, who had never visited those regions; "Because," we would say, "the Dr. had the better means or opportunity for learning those things." We have confidence in OPPORTUNITY or MEANS.

FIFTH LAW OF TESTIMONY. His statements must not conflict with any well-known or established laws of Nature, unless he states them as miracles.

If a person, who had been in Spain, should tell me that all the water there was as combustible as alcohol, I should not believe him, because I know that water is anti-combustible in its very nature.

If the occurrence be stated as a miracle, then three conditions must be shown to have existed; First, that the occasion was one of sufficient importance to demand a miracle, which is only another name for a change or temporary suspension, by the Creator, of some of those laws, which he, himself, enjoined on matter, and to change which does not involve anything inconsistent with the attributes of his character. Second, the circumstances, under which the miracle was performed, must have been such as to leave no chances for deception. It must have been in public and subject to the inspection of those, who could not easily be duped-who would be more disposed to doubt and reject, than to believe and accept. Third and lastly, he must show that the object to be accomplished was worthy of a miracle, instead of being an insignificant matter, unworthy of any, even the most trivial, special intervention of Divine Providence.

We have confidence in that Divine Constitution of all things, which is called the Laws of Nature.

590

IMAGINA FOURTH EXERCISE. OTIONS.

FOURTH EXERCISE. (See page 557.)

1. What kind of our Knowledge is sometimes called Internal? What other name for it?

2. How many and what mental faculties are used in its acquisition? What faculty is not used?

3. Which must be gained first, the Rational or the Sensuous? Why? 4. Can we have Internal without External Knowledge?

5. What kind of knowledge do we get through the use of the senses? 6. What kind of knowledge do we get by thinking or reasoning? 7. Suppose I say that a quart of water is heavier than a quart of oil, and you believe it; what kind of knowledge is it to you? What kind of knowledge is it if you weigh them?

8. What is the difference between the theory and the practice of a pursuit ?

9. What is the difference in teaching between telling me how to play the game of ball, and showing me how to do it?

10. Is your knowledge of the city of London personal or derived? Why?

11. Tell some of your derived knowledge.

12. Tell some of your personal knowledge.

13. Is your knowledge of yourself personal knowledge?

14. Of which kind have you the larger share?

15. Which is generally the better understood, personal or derived knowledge?

16. Which is the more useful?

17. Why do you not obtain all your knowledge personally?

18. How rapidly could a single intellect examine and understand knowledge, discovered by others?

19. Apply the Rules or Laws of Testimony to the following cases; 20. A, speaking of himself, declares that he is an honest man; must you believe him? Why?

21. What did our Savior say of a man bearing witness of himself? (Third Law.)

22. Suppose that B, who is a warm friend to A, says the same of A, that A says of himself, would it be any better testimony? Would you believe him sooner than A?

23. Suppose that C who is a bitter enemy to A, says the same; would you believe C sooner than either of the others? Why?

24. Suppose A confesses that he has done wrong, would you believe him sooner than you would in the former case? Suppose B says the same of A, would it be better proof than the confession of A? Suppose C says it, what then?

25. Which is the stronger testimony, that which we bear for or against ourselves?

26. Three persons, equally strangers to you, differ in statements concerning an event, which happened where A resided at the time, through which B was passing, and in which C had never been; which would you be most inclined to believe? (Fourth Law.)

27. Suppose that you afterward found that A was of unsound mind, B a liar, and C a wise, honest man; how would that affect your opinion? (Second Law.)

28. Suppose ten men tell you that "the bees in Ireland are as large as sheep, and the beehives about the size of ours;" what would you believe? (Fifth Law.)

MENTAL GROWTH OR DEVELOPMENT.

1. THE mind, like the body, requires growth or a general development of its powers, before attempting to gain Abstract and Scientific Knowledge.

It is sufficient that the infant grows and learns. At first, we do not expect it to use its strength and knowledge even to take care of itself; but, as time passes, it begins to do both, and afterward continues to make progress in development and in usefulness. Yet the first and main object is its development.

In the same manner, a plant must grow to some size before it begins to bear fruit. If it bear too soon, either the fruit will be poor, or the plant itself will be injured. Let the tree gain some size and be thrifty, and then we may expect it both to grow and to bear fruit in proportion to its growth. In short, the great law of being is development or growth before service or reproduction.

2. The Growth or Development of the simple intellect is gained by a Primary or Preparatory Course.

3. This Primary Course begins with Objects, and hence is called the Objective Course. It follows the order of nature, or of discovery. It is sometimes called the Synthetic, or putting together Course, because from the parts it forms the whole of a subject. Some times it is called the Inductive Course, because it first proves, and then asserts.

4. The Objective or Synthetic Course supposes the learner to be a discoverer, and that, following the order of Nature, he begins with things and facts; goes from these toward the abstract, by the aid of playthings, models, pictures, &c., to concrete names, principles, and rules, with their abbreviations, signs, and symbols.

If we observe the infant, we see that; first, its appetites are aroused, and while satisfying them, new sensations are felt; as tasting, feeling, seeing, hearing; then it begins to attend, to perceive, and to remember.

The infant first distinguishes persons; as parents, brothers, and sisters; second, actions; as falling, rocking, dandling; third, qualities; as sweet or sour, warm or cold, &c.; fourth, particular sounds, as belonging to particular things; and then it begins to use words.

In teaching the names of objects to children at home, we are satisfied, that the child knows the use of a term, when it can point to the person or object, to which that term belongs. This furnishes a valuable hint to teachers in regard to definitions.

5. With beginners the thing defines its name, and the name afterward defines the thing.

The child next begins to imagine by attaching names of persons to its playthings and by personifying the various ob jects, by which it is surrounded; then to reason, and lastly,

to judge. The desire to exercise these different mental powers, is called, Curiosity or a disposition to investigate.

"In the pleased infant see its power expand,

When first the coral fills his little hand;
Throned in his mother's lap, it dries each tear,

As her sweet legend falls upon his ear;
Next it assails him in his top's strange hum,
Breathes in his whistle, echoes in his drum;
Each gilded toy, that doting love bestows,

He longs to break and every spring expose."

6. RULES FOR A PRIMARY COURSE.

FIRST RULE. All those beginning a study are to be considered as PRIMARIES, and as requiring a Synthetic or Objective Course by way of preparation for the Higher Course.

The previous development, which the pupil has gained in other studies, will render each succeeding preparatory course simpler and shorter than the preceding.

SECOND RULE. In a Primary Course, present the thing before presenting its term or name, so that every term or name may refer to some thing, fact, or principle already familiar.

By pursuing this course, we shall be sure that the terms used will be properly and completely understood by the pupil. It is both strange and unfortunate, that so many consider words as the definitions of words, even when the words of the definition are quite as unknown to the pupil, as the word defined. The first effort of the mind in using language is to find the names of things.

Many suppose that the difference between a Primary and a Higher work is in the size of the books, without regard to the arrangement of the matter, which each contains. Others suppose that a book, which omits all the terms or, at least, the more difficult ones, is a Primary book. These erroneous views, and the practices depending on them, come from over