those inconveniences, or that it would not introduce more weighty evils. So we may sometimes have appeals to our charity, made on behalf of people in great distress, but the relief solicited might have the effect of increasing the misery it is intended to relieve. A talent for vivid description is a great advantage to a public speaker. But we should always recollect that the description is only half the argument, and like the half of a pair of scissors, will be quite inoperative unless well united to the other half.

SECTION II.

INTERROGATIVE REASONING.

By Interrogative reasoning we mean reasoning by asking questions. Dr. Young observes, in his Paraphrase of the Book of Job, that an interrogation differs from an ordinary argument as much as telling a man to hang himself differs from a common execution. By putting an appropriate question, you compel the party to pass sentence on himself.

-is more

Sometimes interrogation is employed for the purpose of more emphatic assertion, and often gives much additional force to the expression. Thus: "King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest forcible than," King Agrippa, I know that thou believest the prophets." "Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also." This is more forcible than, " He is not only the God of the Jews, but also of the Gentiles." (See also Jer. xlvii. 6, 7.)

Interrogation is the proper language of majesty incensed. (See Job xxxviii. 1–7; Ezek. xviii. 23-25.) It is also the language of compassionate reproof. (Hosea xi. 8; vi. 4.) It is also the language of wonder and adoration. (See Job xi. 7-9; Isaiah xl. 12—14.) It is also the language of fervent importunity. (Psalms lxxvii. 7-10; lxxxviii. 10-14; lxxxix. 46-49.)

Interrogation is sometimes employed, as we have inti

mated in the last Section, to give a more vivid description. (See Isaiah lviii. 3—10; lxiii. 1—4; Matt. xi. 7—9.)

But we are more particularly to observe the use of questions as employed in reasoning. Interrogative reasoning is of various kinds.

1. The first kind is the Socratical form of reasoning. The following description of it is taken from Dr. Watts's 'Improvement of the Mind :".

66

"THE SOCRATICAL WAY OF DISPUTATION.-This method of dispute derives its name from Socrates, by whom it was practised, and by other philosophers in his age, long before Aristotle invented the particular forms of syllogism in mood and figure, which are now used in scholastic disputations. The Socratical way is managed by questions and answers, in such a manner as this, viz. if I would lead a person into the belief of a heaven and a hell, or a future state of rewards and punishments, I might begin in some such manner of inquiry, and suppose the most obvious and easy answers.

Quest. Does not God govern the world? "Ans. Surely he that made it governs it.

"Q. Is not God both a good and righteous governor ? "A. Both these characters doubtless belong to him.

"Q. What is the true notion of a good and righteous governor? "A. That he punishes the wicked, and rewards the good.

"Q. Are the good always rewarded in this life?

A. No, surely; for many virtuous men are miserable here, and greatly afflicted.

"Q. Are the wicked always punished in this life?

"A. No, certainly; for many of them live without sorrow, and some of the vilest of men are often raised to great riches and honour.

Q. Wherein then doth God make it appear that he is good and righteous?

"A. I own there is but little appearance of it on earth.

"Q. Will there not be a time when the tables shall be turned, and the scene of things changed, since God governs mankind righteously?

"A. Doubtless there must be a proper time, wherein God will make that goodness and that righteousness to appear.

"Q. If this be not before their death, how can it be done?

"A. I can think of no other way but by supposing man to have some existence after this life.

Q. Are you not convinced, then, that there must be a state of reward and punishment after death?

"A. Yes, surely; I now see plainly that the goodness and righteousness of God, as governor of the world, necessarily require it.

"Now the advantages of this method are very considerable. It represents the form of a dialogue, or common conversation, which is much more easy, more pleasant, and a more sprightly way of instruction, and more fit to excite the attention, and sharpen the penetration of the learner. than solitary reading, or silent attention to a lecture. Man being a sociable creature, delights more in conversation, and learns better this way, if it could always be wisely and happily practised. This method hath something very obliging in it, and carries a very humble and condescending air, when he that instructs seems to be the inquirer, and seeks information from him who learns.-It leads the learner into the knowledge of truth as it were by his own invention, which is a very pleasing thing to human nature; and by questions pertinently and artificially proposed, it does as effectually draw him on to discover his own mistakes, which he is much more easily persuaded to relinquish when he seems to have discovered them himself. -It is managed in a great measure in the form of the most easy reasoning, always arising from something asserted or known in the foregoing answer, and so proceeding to inquire something unknown in the following question, which again makes way for the next answer. Now such an exercise is very alluring and entertaining to the understanding, while its own reasoning powers are all along employed, and that without labour or difficulty, because the querist finds out and proposes all the intermediate ideas or middle terms."

2. The second kind of Interrogative reasoning is the catechetical form.

Dr. Watts intimates that the Socratical mode of disputation might be introduced into catechisms for the instruction of children; and Mrs. Marcet seems to have

followed this form of reasoning in some of her interesting "Conversations." We take the following quotation from her "Willy's Grammar:"

"The following morning Willy came into the school-room with his grammar in his hand as usual. 'What am I to learn to-day, sir ? said he; I begin to like my grammar: especially now that there are stories belonging to it.'

"I am very glad to hear it,' observed Mr. Thompson; 'today you shall learn what an adjective is.'

66 6

Pray explain it, sir, for it is a very hard word.'

"Let us see first what the grammar says about it, Willy;' and he read,—““ An adjective is a word added to a noun, to express its quality; as, a good child, a wise man."

666

'Oh, but sir, I do not know what "to_express its quality means you must tell me all about it, or I shall never under

stand it."

666

Quality,' replied Mr. Thompson, 'means the sort of thing. Tell me what sort of a table this is.'

"Willy, after looking at the table a few seconds, said, ‘It is a round table.'

666

Well, then, round is an adjective, because it points out the quality of the table.'

"But it has other qualities, sir; it is a large table; is large an adjective too ?'

666

Yes, every word added to a noun which expresses a quality is an adjective.'

"If that is all, an adjective is not half so difficult as I thought; I dare say that I can find out some more adjectives for the table. Let me think a little: it is a wooden table: so wooden must be an adjective; then it is a pretty table, and pretty must also be an adjective; besides, it is an old table, for it has been in the room, I believe, before I was born. I can't think of any more adjec tives for the table,' said Willy; and, starting up suddenly to look at a bird that flew across the window, he upset an inkstand which stood upon the table. At first he was frightened, thinking he had broken it, but finding he had only spilled some of the ink, he said, 'Oh, sir, it is only another adjective for the table; for now,' added he, it is a dirty table.' Then taking a piece of blotting-paper, he soaked up the ink, and wiping the table carefully, said, And now it is a clean table.'

"You have gained two adjectives for the table,' said Mr. Thompson, and one for yourself.'

"One for me, sir? what is that?'

"Do not you think that you are an awkward child, to have overset the inkstand?'

“Yes; but, then, I am a tidy one, for having wiped the table

clean; so there is another adjective for me. But, sir, this other table has different adjectives; for it is square and small, not round and large, like the other.'"-Mrs. Marcet.

Catechisms as they are generally constructed, are not pieces of interrogative reasoning. The question merely asks for information what is supplied by the answer. They do not, therefore, come under our present notice. I may observe that in the catechisms of the Wesleyan Methodists the answer to each question is put in the form of a complete proposition, embodying the entire sense of both the question. and the answer. Thus: "How many sacraments hath Christ ordained in his Church? Christ hath ordained two sacraments in his Church, Baptism and the Lord's Supper."

3. Sometimes we ask questions in order to answer them with the view of removing from the discussion the topics to which they refer, or to increase the force of our expression.

Thus a writer on agricultural distress commences with questions in the form of inquiries to which he replies :—

"There is no denial, and there can be no doubt, that the whole agriculture of England is menaced at this moment with ruin. . . But what is the cause? Has Heaven stricken the land with barrenness?-the late harvest has been remarkably productive. Has the land been trampled by insurrection ?—it has exhibited a contrast to all Europe in its tranquillity. Has commercial failure driven away its credit ?-the panic of 1847 has virtually invigorated, by purifying, speculation. Has the country been stripped of its coin?-fifteen millions of bullion are lying in the cellars of the Bank, Consols are at 96, a Russian loan of five millions is taken up in five hours, and the grand difficulty of moneyed life now is to know what to do with money. Again we ask, what is the cause? The cause is simply this," &c.-Britannia.

The following address of Curran to a jury contains a good many interrogations :—

"Upon what are you to found your verdict? Upon your oaths. And what are they to be founded upon? Upon the oath of the witness. And what is that founded upon ? Upon this, and this only, that he does believe there is an eternal God-an intelligent Supreme Existence-capable of inflicting eternal punishment for offences, or conferring eternal compensation upon man, after he has passed the boundary of the grave. But where the witness believes that he is possessed of a perishing soul, and that there is nothing upon which punishment or reward can be

M