on the works of former Logicians, but an elementary introduction to the science. And few, I suppose, would consider a treatise, for instance, on Agriculture, as incomplete, which should leave untouched the questions of, who was the inventor of the plough,-what successive alterations that implement has undergone,-and from what region wheat was first introduced.

And if again any should complain of the omission of such metaphysical disquisitions on the laws of thought, and the constitution of the human mind generally, as they have been accustomed to include under the head of Logic, my answer must be, that that term has been employed by me in a different sense; for reasons which I have stated in several parts of this treatise, and especially in Book IV. Chap. III.; and that I am therefore only to be censured, at the utmost, as not having undertaken a work of a different kind, and on a different subject.

I would not, on the other hand, be understood as complaining of those who have used the word Logic in a more extended sense, or as underrating the value of their works. Only, the reader should be cautioned against the mistake-much commoner, I believe, than is generally thought of confounding the extension of the application of a name, with the enlargement of the boundaries of a science.

It is proper however to mention that the first Part of the "Elements of Rhetoric" contains a discussion of such points as many writers have treated of under the department of Logic.

The technical language employed in this treatise, is, throughout, with the exception of a very few cases, where some departure from ancient usage appeared indispensable, that of the older works on the subject. Some degree of prejudice perhaps might have been, in the outset, avoided, and a far greater appearance of originality produced, by adopting novel forms of expression. There are also many writers who have found fault with the established technical language, as cumbrous and perplexing. I have always found however that the phraseology they adopt in its stead consists of far more tedious circumlocution than that which they censure; while it is often less clear and less correct.

It should be observed however that all technical language (as well as all rules of art) must be expected to present, at first, a difficulty for the learner to surmount; though in the end, it will greatly facilitate his procedure. But with this view it is necessary that such language and rules should be not only distinctly understood, but also learnt, and remembered as familiarly as the Alphabet, and employed constantly, and with scrupulous exactness. Otherwise technical language will prove an encumbrance instead of an advantage; just as a suit of clothes would be,

if instead of putting them on and wearing them, one should carry them about in his hands.

Of the correctness of the fundamental doctrines maintained in the work, I may be allowed to feel some confidence; not so much from the length of time that I have been more or less occupied with it,—enjoying at the same time the advantage of frequent suggestions and corrections from several judicious friends,- -as from the nature of the subject. In works of taste, an author cannot be sure that the judgment of the Public will coincide with his own; and if he fail to give pleasure, he fails of his sole or most appropriate object. But in the case of truths which admit of scientific demonstration, it is possible to arrive by reasoning at as full an assurance of the justness of the conclusions established, as the imperfection of the human faculties will admit; and experience, accompanied with attentive observation, and with repeated trials of various methods, may enable one long accustomed to tuition, to ascertain with considerable certainty what explanations are the best comprehended. Many parts of the detail, however, may probably be open to objections; but if, (as experience now authorizes me the more confidently to hope) no errors are discovered, which materially affect the substantial utility of the work, but only such as detract from the credit of the author, the object will have been attained which I ought to have had principally in view.

No credit, I am aware, is given to an author's own disclaimer of personal motives, and profession of exclusive regard for public utility; since even sincerity cannot, on this point, secure him from deceiving himself; but it may be allowable to observe, that one whose object was the increase of his reputation as a writer, could hardly have chosen a subject less suitable for his purpose than the present. At the time of the first publication the study was neither popular, nor, apparently, likely soon to become so. Ignorance, fortified by prejudice, opposed its reception, even in the minds of those who are considered as both candid and well-informed. And as, on the one hand, a large class of modern philosophers might be expected to raise a clamour against "obsolete prejudices;" "bigoted devotion to the decrees of Aristotle;"

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confining the human mind in the trammels of the Schoolmen," &c., so, on the other hand, all such as really are thus bigoted to every thing that has been long established, merely because it has been long established, were likely to exclaim against the presumption of an author, who presumes to depart in several points from the track of his predecessors.

There is another circumstance, also, which tends materially to diminish the credit of a writer on this and some other kindred subjects. We can make no discoveries of striking novelties: the senses of our

readers are not struck, as with the return of a Comet which had been foretold, or the extinction of a taper in carbonic-acid gas: the materials we work upon are common and familiar to all, and, therefore, supposed to be well understood by all. And not only is any one's deficiency in the use of these materials, such as is generally unfelt by himself, but when it is removed by satisfactory explanations-when the notions, which had been perplexed and entangled, are cleared up by the introduction of a few simple and apparently obvious principles, he will generally forget that ary explanation at all was needed, and consider all that has been said as mere truisms, which even a child could supply to himself. Such is the nature of the fundamental principles of a science-they are so fully implied in the most evident and well-known truths, that the moment they are fully embraced, it becomes a difficulty to conceive that we could ever have been not aware of them. And hence, the more simple, clear, and obvious any principle is rendered, the more likely is its exposition to elicit those common remarks, "of course! of course ! no one could ever doubt that;" "this is all very true, but there is nothing new brought to light;—nothing that was not familiar to every one, there needs no ghost to tell us that." I am convinced that a verbose, mystical, and partially obscure way of writing on such a subject, is the most likely to catch the attention of the multitude. The generality verify the observation of Tacitus, " omne ignotum pro mirifico:" and when any thing is made very plain to them, are apt to fancy that they knew it already; so that the explanations of scientific truths are likely, for a considerable time at least, to be, by most men, underrated the more, the more perfectly they accomplish their object.

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A very slow progress, therefore, towards popularity (far slower indeed than has in fact taken place) is the utmost that I expected for such a treatise as I have endeavoured to make the present. I felt myself bound, however, not only as a member of Society, but more especially as a Minister of the Gospel, to use my endeavours towards promoting an object which to me appears highly important, and (what is much more) whose importance was appreciated by very few besides. The cause of Truth universally, and not least, of religious Truth, is benefited by every thing that tends to promote sound reasoning, and facilitate the detection of fallacy. The adversaries of our Faith would, I am convinced, have been on many occasions more satisfactorily answered, and would have had fewer openings for cavil, had a thorough acquaintance with Logic Deen a more common qualification than it is. In lending my endeavours, therefore, whether with greater or less success, towards this object, I trust that I am neither uselessly nor unsuitably employed.

Those who are engaged in, or designed for the Sacred Ministry, and all others who are sensible that the cause of true religion is not a concern of the Ministry alone, should remember that this is no time to forego any of the advantages which that cause may derive from an active and judicious cultivation of the faculties. Among the enemies of Christianity in the present day, are included, if I mistake not, a very different description of persons from those who were chiefly to be met with a century, or even half a century ago: what were called "men of wit and pleasure about town;"-ignorant, shallow, flippant declaimers, or dull and powerless pretenders to Philosophy. Among the enemies of the Gospel now, are to be found men not only of learning and ingenuity, but of cultivated argumentative powers, and not unversed in the principles of Logic. If the advocates of our religion think proper to disregard this help, they will find, on careful inquiry, that their opponents do not. And let them not trust too carelessly to the strength of their cause. Truth will, indeed, prevail, where all other points are nearly equal; but it may suffer a temporary discomfiture, if hasty assumptions, unsound arguments, and vague and empty declamation, occupy the place of a train of close, accurate, and luminous reasoning.

It is not, however, solely, or chiefly, for polemical purposes, that the cultivation of the reasoning-faculty is desirable; in persuading, in investigating, in learning, or teaching, in all the multitude of cases in which it is our object to arrive at just conclusions, or to lead others to them, it is most important. A knowledge of logical rules will not indeed supply the want of other knowledge; nor was it ever proposed, by any one who really understood this science, to substitute it for any other: but it is no less true that no other can be substituted for this; that it is valuable in every branch of study; and that it enables us to use to the greatest advantage the knowledge we possess. It is to be hoped, therefore, that those Academical Bodies, who have been wise enough to retain this science, will, instead of being persuaded to abandon it, give their attention rather to its improvement and more effectual cultivation.

It may be needful here to mention that there are some passages in the last and in the present edition of this work (especially in the part relating to Induction) inserted in answer to certain objections which many of my Readers may have never seen or heard of, even though having in their hands the very book in the first edition of which those objections appeared. For in a subsequent edition of that book, those objections (doubtless, from their having been fully answered, and found untenable) were silently suppressed: and hence, I might, but for this notice, appear to some of my readers to be combating a shadow.

ELEMENTS OF LOGIC.