{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_13285/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_13285","id":"gutenberg_13285","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/13285","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Philosophy & Ethics","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Category: Teaching & Education","Christian life -- Anglican authors"],"text":"OCCASIONAL THOUGHTS\n\n\n              In reference to a\n\n\n             Vertuous or Christian\n\n\n                   LIFE.\n\n\n\n                   LONDON,\n\n\n       Printed for A. and J. Churchil at the\n            Black Swan in Pater-noster Row.\n                    1705.\n\n\n\nTHE PREFACE.\n\n\n\n_The following discourse was written some Years since, not without the\nthought that, possibly, it might be of farther use than for the\nentertainment of the Writer: Yet so little express Intention was there\nof Publishing the Product of those leisure Hours it employ'd, that\nthese Papers lay by for above two Years unread, and almost forgotten.\nAfter which time, being perus'd and Corrected, they were communicated\nto some Friends of the Authors, who judging them capable to be useful,\nthey are now sent into the World in that Hope.\n\nThere is nothing pretended or suppos'd to be in them which is not\nobvious: but Truths the most evident, are sometimes overlook'd, or not\nsufficiently and universally attended to: And where these are Truths\nof moment, it is no ill Service, by frequent representations of them,\nto procure them attention.\n\nI think there can be few heartily concerned for the Vice and\nImmorality that abounds amongst us, who have not sometimes reflected\nupon loose or careless Education, as one cause thereof: But yet the\ngreat weight that right Instruction and Discipline of Youth, is of, in\nrespect both of Peoples present and future Felicity, is (as I take it)\nfar from being generally so settl'd in the Minds of Parents, as to be\nsteadily look'd upon by them as the one thing to that degree\nnecessary, that without due care taken thereof, all other indeavours,\nto render their Children happy, either in this Life, or in that which\nis to come, are likely to be very inefficacious.\n\n\nThat right Instruction, in regard of Vertue, consists in joining\ntogether, inseparably, good Principles with early Habits, either of\nthese being insufficient without the other, is likewise, I presume, no\nnew Thought: But is yet what appears to me to be very little reflected\nupon. When this is duly consider'd, People cannot, I think, but be\nsoon convinc'd from what Hands the right Instruction spoken of, ought\nto come; for nothing can, in my Opinion, be more obvious than that is.\nIf these_ OCCASIONAL THOUGHTS _shall produce better digested ones\nfrom any other Hand; or shall themselves be any way serviceable to\nthe reducing or directing of one single Soul into the paths of Vertue,\nI shall not repent the Publishing them: And however useless they may\nbe to this end (sincerely aim'd at) yet the very Design will intitle\nthem to no unfavourable reception: For but to indeavour to contribute,\nin the least degree, to the Honour of God, or Good of Mankind, can\nnever stand in need of Pardon. And such a Modesty or Fear of\ndispleasing any as withholds Men from enterprising the one, or the\nother of these, where nothing but their own Credit is hazarded, should\nthe design not succeed, is, on the contrary, very blameable.\n\nBesides these two Motives, could I need any other to ingage me in the\ndefence of Vertue, I should find yet a very powerful one in that\ndutiful Affection which I pay, and which every Subject ows to a_ GOOD\nPRINCE: _Since the_ QUEEN, _I am fully perswaded, would not so much\nrejoyce in the Accession of great Kingdoms to her Dominions, as to see\nthe People, already happy in Her Government over them, indeavouring to\nmake themselves and one another so, in following the great Example\nwhich She sets them of Vertue and Piety._\n\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n\n\n\n\n\n                  OCCASIONAL THOUGHTS\n\n\n                   In reference to a\n\n\n                 Vertuous or Christian\n\n\n                        LIFE.\n\n\n\n\n\nThere is no so constant and satisfactory a Pleasure, to those who are\ncapable of it, as Rational Conversation gives: And to me, depriv'd of\nthat Enjoyment, the remembrance thereof, is, in my present Solitude,\nthe most delightful Entertainment: Wherein some of my leisure hours\nwill not, I hope, be mispent, should this engage me to prosecute such\nThoughts as were lately suggested to me by others. The which taking\ntheir rise from a particular Enquiry, and thence proceeding to a\ngeneral Consideration of the Folly and Madness of Rational Creature's\nacting, as if they had no other Principle to direct or determin them,\nthan the Incitements of their Passions and Appetites, comprehended at\nonce the unhappiness of Mankind, both Here and Hereafter. Since those\nBreaches of the Eternal Law of Reason, which disorder Common-wealths\nand Kingdoms; disturb the Peace of Families; and make by far the\ngreatest part of the Private Infelicities of Particular Persons in\nthis World, are what the Sovereign Disposer of all things has\nordain'd, shall render Men miserable in a future Life also.\n\nA survey of which Moral Irregularities, as bringing into view a large\nScene of Human Depravity, does indeed furnish matter for melancholy,\nrather than pleasing Contemplations: But the Mind is sometimes no less\naffected with Delight, wherein there is a mixture of sadness on\nSubjects, which in themselves consider'd are ungrateful, than on\noccasions the most welcome to us: And such a just zeal in any for the\ninterests of Vertue, as makes them, with a Charitable concern, reflect\non the miscarriages of others, and thence take occasion to examine\ntheir own Actions by the true Rules and Measures of their Duty,\nexpresses a disposition of Mind too becoming Rational Creatures, and\ntoo seldom met withal, not to please, tho' excited by Representations\nwhich are disagreeable; provided they are of such a matter as is not\nthen new to our Thoughts.\n\nThat the Gross of Mankind do every where live in opposition to that\nRule of Nature which they ought to obey, is a sad Truth; but that we\nwho have this Rule enforc'd by a clearer Light, are included herein,\nand do in this find the source of many Evils, not only fear'd, but\nwhich we actually feel, are Considerations yet more affecting, and not\na little aggravated in that, within Memory, this heretofore sober\nNation has been debauch'd from Principles of Vertue and Religion, to\nsuch an excess of Vice and Prophaneness, that it has been Fashionable\nto have no shame of the grossest Immoralities; and Men have thought\neven to recommend themseves by avow'd Impiety. A Change which could\nnot be consider'd without extream regret by all who either were in\nearnest Christians, or who truly lov'd the Prosperity of their\nCountry: And as upon this occasion there was reason to be sensible\nthat nothing operates so powerfully as the example of Princes; some\nhave been of later Years induc'd to hope for a revolution in our\nManners, no less advantageous than what has hitherto secur'd those\nCivil and Religious Liberties, without which it is impossible for\nVertue to subsist among any People whatsoever. But Experience shows\nthat Humane Nature is much easier led into Evil, than reduc'd from it;\nand that inveterate Maladies are difficultly cur'd.\n\nWhen Men's Practices have infected their Principles and Opinions; and\nthese have had time again reciprocally to confirm them in their\nVicious Habits and Customs, the whole Constitution is corrupted; and\nthe Personal Vertue then of the Prince (however conspicuous) will not,\nwithout a concurrence of other means, influence farther than to make\n(it may be) some change in the Garb, or Fashion of Men's Vices.\n\nA due and vigorous Execution of proper Laws against Immorality and\nProphaneness, is that alone which will effectually restrain them: And\na right care had of Education, is the only humane means of making\nPeople truly Vertuous. Whenever our inferiour Magistrates shall be\nsuch as will be _a terror to Evil doers, and encouragers of those who\ndo well_, and when Parents shall be perswaded that it is in their\npower to procure to their Children more valuable Treasures than Riches\nand Honours; the ancient Vertue of our Ancestors will then quickly be\nequall'd, if not surpass'd, by that of their Posterity: But till then,\nit is in vain to expect that any great Advances should be made towards\nan Amendment, as necessary to our present and National, as to our\nPersonal and Future Happiness.\n\nWhat the force of Education is upon our Minds, and how by a due regard\nhad to it, Common-wealths and Kingdoms have flourished, and become\nfamous; and how much this has been recommended by Wise Men in all\nAges, requires but a small consideration of Humane Nature, and\nAcquaintance with History to inform us; nor is any thing more obvious\nto observe than the power of Education. This matter yet has no where\nbeen ordinarily look'd after, proportionably to the moment it is\nvisibly of: And even the most sollicitous about it, have usually\nemploy'd their care herein but by halves with respect to the Principal\nPart in so great a concernment; for the information and improvement of\nthe Understanding by useful Knowledge, (a thing highly necessary to\nthe right regulation of the Manners) is commonly very little thought\nof in reference to one whole Sex; even by those who in regard of the\nother, take due care hereof. But to this omission in respect of one\nSex, it is manifestly very much to be attributed, that that pains\nwhich is often bestow'd upon the other, does so frequently, as it\ndoes, prove ineffectual: Since the actual assistance of Mothers, will\n(generally speaking) be found necessary to the right forming of the\nMinds of their Children of both Sexes; and the Impressions receiv'd in\nthat tender Age, which is unavoidably much of it passed among Women,\nare of exceeding consequence to Men throughout the whole remainder of\ntheir Lives, as having a strong and oftentimes unalterable influence\nupon their future Inclinations and Passions.\n\nAs those Persons who afforded that agreeable Conversation I have\nmention'd, were the greater part of them Ladies, it was not strange if\nthey express'd much displeasure at the too general neglect of the\nInstruction of their Sex; a Reflection not easily to be avoided by\nthem, when their thoughts upon the miscarriages and unhappiness of\nMankind in general, terminated in a more peculiar Consideration of\nthat part which those of their own Condition had in the one, and the\nother. Wherein the Conversation concluded where it had begun; the\noccasion which introduced it having been the Enquiry of a Lady, What\nwas the Opinion of one in the Company concerning a Book Intitled\n_Conseils d'Ariste sur les Moyens de conserver sa Reputation_? Of\nwhich (she said) she had heard divers Persons of Merit and Quality,\nspeak very differently: Some as if it contained the most useful\nInstructions that could be given for the rendring any young Lady such\nas her best Friends could wish she should be; and others, as relishing\ntoo much of an Antiquated severity, not indulgent enough either to the\nnatural and agreeable Gaiety of Youth, or to that innocent Liberty now\nin use, deriv'd like most of our other Fashions, from that Nation\nwhere these _Counsels_ were thought needful.\n\nI remember not the Book you speak of enough to answer to your desire,\n(reply'd the Person to whom this Enquiry was address'd) but what you\nsay is objected to these _Conseils_ is without doubt impertinent,\nunless the Precepts therein meant to be condemn'd, are shown to be in\nthemselves faulty; it being certainly otherwise no matter of exception\nto them that they are not Indulgent to what an Age, the Manners\nwhereof they were intended to correct, had establish'd or found\nagreeable. This Objection yet can hardly (I think) be less just, than\nsuch a Character of any Book of this Nature, as some it seems give of\nthis: the Author whereof pretended not (as I suppose) to so much in\nhis Design, as these People find in his Performance. And the nature\nand extent of a Christian's Duty is but little in their thoughts, who\nthink that any Rules dictated by Prudence, or Experience of the World,\nand directed to the Glory of a good Name, are such Instructions as can\nrender any one what they ought to be. A _solid Vertue_ can alone do\nthis; the Possession whereof is infinitely preferable to that of\nReputation; with which yet it is so rarely unattended, that one may\naffirm there is no so secure and easie a way (especially for a Lady)\nto acquire and conserve the Reputation of being Vertuous, as really to\nbe so.\n\nBut Vertue is not (tho often so misrepresented) included in Innocency;\nor does consist in a partial Practice of Actions praiseworthy; for its\nextent is equal to our liberty of Action; and its Principle the most\nActive one of the Mind; Vertue being the natural result of a sincere\ndesire to conform in all things to the Law set us by our Maker; which\nwho so truly endeavours, will not find much occasion for such kind of\nAdvices as the above-mentioned ones, either to correct their Faults,\nor teach them to put a mask over them; an ill use sometimes made of\nthis sort of Instructions: However a better might be, since it is\ntrue, that young People from the Experience of others may learn many\nthings in reference to their Conduct, the knowledge whereof they would\nbuy too dear at their own. The difficulty yet that there is in\napplying general Rules to particular Cases, makes (I presume) Books of\nthis sort, how good soever in the kind, of less advantage to those who\nmost need them, than some imagine them to be.\n\nThis which was then said on the Subject of these _Conseils_ (lying by\naccident in the way) suggests to me now two things, wherein the\nDocuments ordinarily given to such young Ladies, as are intended to\nhave the best care taken of their Instruction, are, I think, very\ndefective; and the fitter to be redress'd, as being of peculiar ill\nconsequence in a Sceptical, loose and unthinking Age; wherein Wit is\napt to pass upon many for Reason.\n\nThe first of these is, That those Notions, or Ideas of Vertue, and\nconsequent Rules of Action, which are usually given to such young\nPersons, do rarely carry along with them an entire conviction of their\nTruth and Reasonableness: Whence if these Instructions at any time\nhappen strongly to cross the Inclinations of those to whom they are\ngiven, it will appear rational to question their Solidity: And when\nPrinciples that thwart People's passions or interests, come once to be\ndoubted of by them, it is great odds, that they will sooner be\nslighted, than better examin'd.\n\nNow, this want of apparent Truth and Reasonableness, is not only\nwhere the _Notions_ and _Precepts_ giv'n, are in themselves such as\neither in Whole, or in Part, are not True or Rational; but also\n(oftentimes) where they are altogether conformable to right Reason: In\nwhich cases, the want of apparent Reasonableness, proceeds from a\ndefect of such Antecedent Knowledge in those who are design'd to be\ninstructed, as is necessary to the seeing their Reasonableness of the\nInstructions giv'n them; that is to say, To their discerning the\nconformity with, or evident deduction of such Instructions from some\nTruths which are unquestion'd by them: the which should be the\nPrinciples of True Religion, so clearly made out to them, as to be by\nthem acknowledg'd for Verities. Religion being (as I shall take it at\npresent for granted) the only sufficient ground or solid support of\nVertue; For the belief of a Superior, Omnipotent Being, inspecting\nour Actions, and who will Reward or Punish us accordingly, is in all\nMen's Apprehensions the strangest, and in truth the only stable and\nirresistible Argument for submitting our Desires to a constant\nRegulation, wherein it is that Vertue does consist.\n\nHow far Natural Religion alone is sufficient for this, is very fit to\nbe consider'd: But I conclude that among us, there are few who pretend\nto recommend Vertue, but who do so either with no respect at all to\nReligion, and upon Principles purely Humane, or else with reference to\nthe Christian Religion. The first of these, it is already said, will\nbe ineffectual; and it is no less certain that the Christian Religion\ncannot be a solid Foundation for Vertue, where Vertue being inculcated\nupon the Declarations of the Gospel, those who are thus instructed,\nare not convinc'd of the Authority and Evidence of that Revelation;\nwhich but too commonly is the Case: Instructors, instead of Teaching\nthis necessary previous Knowledge of Religion, generally, supposing it\nto be already in them whom they instruct, who in reality neither have\nit, or have ever been so before-hand Taught, as to make it a\nreasonable Presumption that they should have it. Whence all the\nEndeavours of making them Vertuous in consequence of their\nChristianity, are but attempting to raise a real Superstructure upon\nan only imaginary Foundation; for Truths receiv'd upon any other\nGround than their own Evidence, tho' they may, perhaps, find\nentertainment, yet will never gain to themselves a sure hold upon the\nMind; and so soon as they become troublesome, are in great danger of\nbeing question'd; whereby whatever is Built upon them, must be\nlikewise liable to be suspected for fallacious: And however empty\nDeclamations do often-times make livelier impressions upon Young\nPeople than substantial Reasoning, yet these impressions are, for the\nmost part, easily effac'd; and especially are so out of their Minds\nwho naturally are the capablest of right Reason; as among other\ninstances appears in this, that prophane Wits do often even railly\nWomen of the Best Parts (Religiously Bred as they call it) out of\ntheir Duty: These not seeing (as they should have been early Taught to\ndo) that what they have learn'd to be their Duty is not grounded upon\nthe uncertain and variable Opinion of Men, but the unchangeable nature\nof things; and has an indissolvable Connection with their Happiness or\nMisery.\n\nNow those who have the Direction of Young Ladies in their Youth, so\nsoon as past Child-hood, whether they be the Parents, Governesses, or\nothers, do not, most commonly, neglect the Teaching them That which is\nthe Ground and Support of all the Good Precepts they give them;\nbecause that Principles of Religion are by them believed to be\nunnecessary; or are not in their Thoughts; but because they presume,\nas has been said, that those now under their Care are already\nsufficiently instructed herein; viz. When their Nurses, or Maids,\nTaught them their Catechisms; that is to say, Certain Answers to a\nTrain of Questions adapted to some approv'd System of Divinity.\n\nThat this is sufficient Instruction in Religion, is apparently a\nBelief pretty general: And not only such Young Ladies as have newly\nput off their Bibs and Aprons, but even the greatest Number of their\nParents, and Teachers themselves, would, yet less than They, be\npleas'd if one should tell them that those who know so much as this,\nmay nevertheless be very Ignorant concerning the Christian Religion;\nthese Old People no more than the Young Ones, being able to give any\nfarther Account thereof than they have thus been taught. It is yet\ntrue that many who have Learn'd, and who well remember long\nCatechisms, with all their pretended Proofs, are so far from having\nthat Knowledge which Rational Creatures ought to have of a Religion\nthey profess to Believe they can only be Sav'd by, as that they are\nnot able to say, either what this Religion does Consist in, or why it\nis they Believe it; and are so little instructed by their Catechisms,\nas that, oftentimes, they understand not so much as the very Terms\nthey have Learn'd in them: And more often find the Proportions therein\ncontain'd, so short in the Information of their Ignorance; or so\nunintelligible, to their Apprehensions; or so plainly contradictory of\nthe most obvious Dictates of common Sense; that Religion (for the\nwhich they never think of looking beyond these Systems) appears to\nthem indeed a thing not Built upon, or defensible by Reason: In\nconsequence of which Opinion, the weakest attaques made against it,\nmust needs render such Persons (at the least) wavering in their Belief\nof it; Whence those Precepts of Vertue, which they have receiv'd as\nbottom'd thereon, are, in a Time wherein Scepticism and Vice, pass for\nWit and Gallantry, necessarily brought under the suspicion of having\nno solid Foundation; and the recommenders thereof, either of\nIgnorance, or Artifice.\n\nBut the not making Young People understand their Religion, is a fault\nnot peculiar in regard to the instruction of one Sex alone, any\notherwise than as consider'd in its Consequences; whereby (ordinarily\nspeaking) Women do the most inevitably suffer; as not having the like\nAdvantage (at least early enough) of Correcting the Ignorance, or\nErrors of their Child-hood that Men have.\n\nThe other thing which I imagine faulty, does more peculiarly concern\nthe Sex, but is yet chiefly practic'd in regard of Those of it who are\nof Quality, and that is, the insinuating into them such a Notion of\nHonour as if the praise of Men ought to be the Supreme Object of their\nDesires, and the great Motive with them to Vertue: _A Term_ which when\napply'd to Women, is rarely design'd, by some People, to signifie any\nthing but the single Vertue of Chastity; the having whereof does with\nno more Reason intitle a Lady to the being thought such as she should\nbe in respect of Vertue, than a handsome Face, unaccompany'd by other\nGraces, can render her Person truly Amiable. Or rather, _Chastity_ is\nso essential to, singly, so small a part of the Merit of a Beautiful\nMind, that it is better compar'd to Health, or Youth, in the Body,\nwhich alone have small Attractions, but without which all other\nBeauties are of no Value.\n\nTo perswade Ladies then that what they cannot want without being\ncontemptible, is the chief Merit they are capable of having, must\nnaturally either give them such low thoughts of themselves as will\nhinder them from aspiring after any thing Excellent, or else make them\nbelieve that this mean Opinion of them is owing to the injustice of\nsuch Men in their regard as pretend to be their Masters. A belief too\noften endeavour'd to be improv'd in them by others.\n\nBut whether any Natural, or Design'd ill consequence follow from\nhence or no, this is certain, that a true Vertue is the best Security\nagainst all the Misfortunes that can be fear'd, and the surest Pledge\nof all the Comforts that can be hop'd for in a Wife, _viz._ such a\nVertue whose Foundation is a desire above all things, of approving our\nselves to God; the most opposite Principle whereunto is the making the\nEsteem of Men the chief End, and Aim of our Actions; as it is propos'd\nto be of Their's who have the empty Idea of Glory set before them as\nthe great Motive to, and high Reward of that particular Duty, which\n(as if it included all others) does ordinarily ingross the Name of\nVertue, with regard to Women. A very wrong Motive this, to Those who\naim at what is truely Honourable, and such as may (and often does) as\nwell produce an ill, as a good effect.\n\nBut these wrong or partial Notions of Vertue, and Honour, are the\nProduct only of such Men's Inventions as are unwilling to regulate\ntheir own Actions by the Universal, and Eternal Law of Right; and\ntherefore are ever desirous to find out such Rules for other People,\nas will not reach themselves, and as they can extend and contract as\nthey please. In saying of which, it is not deny'd, that the love of\nPraise may be sometimes usefully instill'd into very Young Persons, to\ngive them the desire of Eminence in things wherein they should\nendeavour to excel: But as this ought never to be made the incitement\nto any Vertue but in the earliest Childhood of our Reason, so also at\nno time should Glory (which is the Reward only of Actions\ntranscendently Good, either in kind, or degree) be represented as the\npurchase of barely not meriting Infamy: The apprehension of which, is\na much stronger perswasive to most People not to do amiss, than that\nof Glory, which cannot consist with it: For no Body can rationally\nthink that Glory can be due to them for doing that, which it would be\nshameful in them not to do. But there is yet a farther Folly and ill\nConsequence in Men's intitling Ladies to Glory on account of Chastity\nwhich is, that the conceit hereof (especially in those who are\nBeautiful) does ordinarily produce in them a Pride and Imperiousness,\nthat is very troublesome to such as are the most concern'd in them.\n\nOne whose business it was to remark the Humours of the Age, and of\nMankind in general, has, I remember, made a Husband on this occasion\nto say,\n\n\n     _Such Vertue is the Plague of Human Life,\n     A Vertuous Woman, but a Cursed Wife._\n\n\nAnd he adds,\n\n\n     _In Unchaste Wives,\n     There's yet a kind of recompencing Ease,\n     Vice keeps 'em Humble, gives 'em care to please.\n     But against clamorous Vertue, what Defence?_\n\n\nIf Mr. _Dryden_ did distinguish herein, between real Vertue and that\nIdol one of Men's Invention, he was, perhaps, not much in the wrong in\nwhat he suggests: But if he design'd in this a Satyr against Marriage,\nas a state in the which a Man can no way be happy, it appears then how\nmuch Vertue is prejudiced by this foreign Support, whilst it becomes\nthereby expos'd to such a Censure; which if it may be Just in\nreference to a vain Glorious Chastity, yet can never be so of a truly\nVertuous one: Obedience to the Law of God, being an Universal\nPrinciple, and admitting of no Irregularity in one thing any more than\nin another, which falls under it's Direction.\n\nIt is indeed only a Rational Fear of God, and desire to approve our\nselves to him, that will teach us in All things, uniformly to live as\nbecomes our Reasonable Nature; to inable us to do which, must needs be\nthe great Business and End of a Religion which comes from God.\n\nBut how differently from this has the Christian Religion been\nrepresented by those who place it in useless Speculations, Empty\nForms, or Superstitious Performances? The Natural Tendency of which\nthings being to perswade Men that they may please God at a cheaper\nRate than by the Denial of their Appetites, and the Mortifying of\ntheir Irregular Affections, these Misrepresentations of a pretended\nDivine Revelation have been highly prejudicial to Morality: And,\nthereby, been also a great occasion of Scepticism; for the Obligation\nto Vertue being loosen'd, Men easily become Vicious; which when once\nthey are, the Remorse of their Consciences bringing them to desire\nthat there should be no future Reckoning for their Actions; and even\nthat there should be no God to take any cognizance of them; they often\ncome (in some degree at least) to be perswaded both of the one, and\nthe other of these. And thus, many times, there are but a few steps\nbetween a Zealous Bigot, and an Infidel to all Religion.\n\n_Scepticism,_ or rather _Infidelity,_ is the proper Disease our Age,\nand has proceeded from divers Causes: But be the remoter or original\nones what they will, it could never have prevail'd as it has done, had\nnot Parents very generally contributed thereto, either her by\nnegligence of their Children's Instruction; or Instructing them very\nill in respect of Religion.\n\nIt might indeed seem strange to one who had no experience of Mankind,\nthat People (however neglected in their Education) could, when they\ncame to years of Judgment, be to such a degree wanting to themselves,\nas not to seek right Information concerning Truths of so great Moment\nto them not to be Ignorant of, or mistaken in, as are those of\nReligion. Yet such is the wretched Inconsideration Natural to most\nMen, that (in fact) it is no uncommon thing at all to see Men live day\nafter day, in the pursuit of their Inclinations, without ever exerting\ntheir Reason to any other purpose than the gratification of their\nPassions; and no wonder can it then be if they give in to the belief,\nor take up with a blind Perswasion of such Opinions as they see to be\nmost in Credit; and which will also the best suit their turn?\n\n_Absolute Atheism_ does no doubt the best serve Their's, who live as\nif there was no God in the World; but how far so great Non-sense as\nthis, has been able to obtain, is not easie to say: downright Atheism\nbeing what but few Men will own. To me it appears (in that Those who\nwill expose themselves to argue against the Existence of a God, do\nrarely venture to produce any Hypothesis of their own to be fairly\nexamin'd and compar'd with that which they reject: But that their\nopposition to a Deity, consists only in Objections which may as well\nbe retorted upon themselves, and which at best prove nothing but the\nshortness of Humane Understanding) to me, I say, it appears from hence\nprobable that the greatest part of Atheistick Reasoners, do rather\ndesire, and seek to be Atheists, than that in reality they are so.\nMen, who are accustom'd to Believe without any Evidence of Reason for\nwhat they Believe, are, it is likely, more in earnest in this wild\nOpinion: And in all appearance very many there are among us of such as\na Learned Man calls _Enthusiastick Atheists, viz._ who deny the\nExistence of an Invisible, Omniscient, Omnipotent, first Cause of all\nthings, only through a certain Sottish disbelief of whatsoever they\ncannot either see or feel; never consulting their Reason in the Case.\nThat there are some who do thus, their Discourses assure us: The\nActions of many others, are unaccountable without supposing them to be\nof this Number; and it is very suspicious that to this Atheism as to a\nsecret Cause thereof, may be attributed the avow'd Averseness of many\nMen to reveal'd Religion, since in a Country where People are\npermitted to read the Scriptures, and to use their Reason freely in\nmatters of Religion; and where, in effect, there are so many Rational\nChristians, 'tis hard to conceive that Men can be long Scepticks in\nregard of Christianity, if they are indeed hearty Deists; and fully\nperswaded of the Truths of Natural Religion.\n\nBut it being sufficiently obvious that want of Instruction concerning\nReligion does in a Sceptical Age dispose Men to Scepticism and\nInfidelity, which often terminates in downright Atheism; let us see\nwhether, or no, Ill, by which I mean, all irrational Instruction in\nregard of Religion, has not the same Tendency.\n\nIt is as undeniable as the difference between Men's being in, and out\nof their Wits, that Reason ought to be to Rational Creatures the Guide\nof their Belief: That is to say, That their Assent to any thing,\nought to be govern'd by that proof of its Truth, whereof Reason is the\nJudge; be it either Argument, or Authority, for in both Cases Reason\nmust determine our Assent according to the validity of the Ground it\nfinds it Built on: By Reason being here understood that Faculty in us\nwhich discovers, by the intervention of intermediate Ideas, what\nConnection Those in the Proposition have one with another: Whether\n_certain_; _probable_; or _none at all_; according whereunto, we ought\nto regulate our Assent. If we do not so, we degrade our selves from\nbeing Rational Creatures; and deprive our selves of the only Guide God\nhas given us for our Conduct in our Actions and Opinions.\n\nAuthority yet is not hereby so subjected to Reason, as that a\nProposition which we see not the Truth of, may not nevertheless be\nRationally assented to by us.\n\nFor tho' Reason cannot from the Evidence of the thing it self induce\nour assent to any Proposition, where we cannot perceive the Connexion\nof the Ideas therein contain'd; yet if it appears that such a\nProposition was truly reveal'd by God, nothing can be more Rational\nthan to believe it: since we know that God can neither Deceive, nor be\nDeceived: That there are Truths above our Conception, and that God may\n(if he so pleases) communicate these to us by Supernatural Revelation.\n\nThe part of Reason then, in regard of such a Proposition as this, is,\nonly to examine whether it be indeed a Divine Revelation: which should\nReason not attest to the Truth of; it is then evidently Irrational to\ngive, or require assent to it as being so.\n\nAnd as plainly Irrational must it be to give, or require assent to\nany thing as a Divine Revelation, which is evidently contrary to\nReason; no less being herein imply'd than that God has made us so as\nto see clearly that to be a Truth, which is yet a Falshood; the which,\nwere it so, would make the Testimony of our Reason useless to us; and\nthereby destroy also the Credit of all Revelation; for no stronger\nproof can be had of the Truth of any Revelation than the Evidence of\nour Reason that it is a Revelation.\n\nNow if the Christian Religion be very often represented as teaching\nDoctrines clearly contrary to Reason; or as exacting belief of what we\ncan neither perceive the Truth of, nor do find to be reveal'd by\nChrist, or his Apostles: And, (what is still more) that this pretended\nDivine Religion does even consist in such a Belief as This; so that a\nMan cannot be a Christian without believing what he neither from\nArguments or Authority has any Ground for believing; what must the\nNatural Consequence of this be upon all whoever so little consult\ntheir Reason, when in riper Years they come to reflect hereupon, but\nto make them recal, and suspend, at least, their assent to the Truth\nof a Religion that appears to them thus Irrational? since an\nIrrational Religion can never Rationally be conceived to come from\nGod.\n\nAnd if Men once come to call in question such Doctrines as (tho' but\nupon slender Grounds for it) they had received for unquestionable\nTruths of Religion, they are ordinarily more likely to continue\nScepticks, or to proceed to an intire disbelief of this Religion, than\nto take occasion from hence to make a just search after its Verity:\nThe want either of Capacity, Leisure or Inclination for such an\ninquiry, disposing Men, very generally, to neglect it; and easily to\nsatisfy themselves in so doing, from a perswasion that the Christian\nReligion is indeed self condemn'd: Those whom they imagine to have\nunderstood it as well as any Men, having never taught them that this\nReligion does so much as pretend to any Foundation in, or appeal to\nReason, that Faculty in us which distinguishes us from Beasts, and the\nActual use thereof from Mad-Men; but indeed Taught them the contrary:\nAnd thus prejudg'd, it truly is that the Christian Religion, by those\nwho disbelieve it, has usually come to be rejected; without ever\nhaving been allow'd a fair Examination.\n\nFrom what has been said, I think it does appear, that Ill, that is to\nsay, Irrational Instruction concerning Religion, as well as want of\nInstruction, disposes to Scepticism: And this being so, what wonder\ncan it be that Scepticism having once become fashionable, should\ncontinue so? the un-instructed, and the ill-instructed, making by so\ngreat odds, the Majority. For Those who have no Religion themselves,\ndo not often take care that others should have any: And They who\nadhere to a misgrounded Perswasion concerning Religion, retaining a\nReverence for their Teachers, do, in consequence thereof, commonly\npresume that their Children cannot be better taught than they have\nbeen before them; which is generally (as has been said) only by the\nlearning of some approved Catechism; wherein, commonly enough, the\nfirst principles of Religion are not, as they should be, laid down,\nbut suppos'd: and from whence Those who learn them, learn nothing\nexcept that certain Propositions are requir'd to be Believed, which\nperhaps, they find inconceivable by them; or (at best) whereof they\nsee neither use, nor certainty: These Catechisms yet being\nrepresented to Children by those whom they the most Esteem, and\nCredit, as containing Sacred verities on the Belief of which Salvation\ndoes depend, they quickly become afraid to own that they are not\nconvinc'd of the Truth of what is deliver'd in them: For the greater\npart among our selves are instructed in Religion much after the same\nmanner that that good Lady of the Church of _Rome_ instructed her\nChild; who when the Girl told her, she _could not believe\nTransubstantiation_; Reply'd, _What? You do you not believe\nTransubstantiation? You are a naughty Girl, and must be whip'd._\n\nInstead of having their reasonable Inquiries satisfy'd, and\nincourag'd, Children are ordinarily rebuk'd for making any: from\nwhence not daring in a short time to question any thing that is taught\nthem in reference to Religion; they, (as the Girl above-mention'd was)\nare brought to say, that they _do Believe_ whatever their Teachers\ntell them they must Believe; whilst in Truth they remain in an\nignorant unbelief, which exposes them to be seduc'd by the most\npitiful Arguments of the Atheistical, or of such as are disbelievers\nof reveal'd Religion.\n\nThe Foundation of All Religion is the belief of a God; or of a Maker\nand Governour of the World; the evidence of which, being visible in\nevery thing; and the general Profession having usually stamp'd it with\nawe upon Children's Minds, they ought perhaps most commonly to be\nsuppos'd to Believe This, rather than have doubts rais'd in them by\ngoing about to prove it to them: because those who are uncapable of\nlong deductions of Reason, or attending to a train of Arguments, not\nfinding the force thereof when offer'd to prove what they had always\ntaken for a clear, and obvious verity, would be rather taught thereby\nto suspect that a Truth which they had hitherto look'd on as\nunquestionable, might rationally be doubted of, than be any ways\nconfirm'd in the belief of it. But if any doubts concerning the\nExistence of God, do arise in their Minds, when they own this, or that\nthis, can be discover'd by discoursing with them: such doubts should\nalways be endeavour'd to be remov'd by the most solid Arguments of\nwhich Children are capable. Nor should They ever be rebuk'd for having\nthose doubts; since not giving leave to look into the grounds of\nasserting any Truth, whatever it be, can never be the way to establish\nthat Truth in any rational Mind; but, on the contrary, must be very\nlikely to raise a suspicion that it is not well grounded.\n\nThe belief of a Deity being entertain'd; what should be first taught\nus should be what we are in the first place concern'd to know.\n\nNow it is certain that what we are in the first place concern'd to\nknow, is that which is necessary to our Salvation; and it is as\ncertain that whatever God has made necessary to our Salvation, we are\nat the same time capable of knowing. All Instruction therefore which\nobtrudes upon any one as necessary to their Salvation, what they\ncannot understand or see the evidence of, is to that Person, wrong\nInstruction; and when any such unintelligible, or unevident\nPropositions are delivered to Children as if they were so visible\nTruths that a reason, or proof of them was not to be demanded by them,\nwhat effect can this produce in their Minds but to teach them betimes\nto silence and suppress their Reason; from whence they have afterwards\nno Principle of Vertue left; and their practices, as well as\nopinions, must needs (as is the usual consequence hereof) become\nexpos'd to the Conduct of their own, or other Men's Fancies?\n\nThe existence of God being acknowledg'd a Truth so early receiv'd by\nus, and so evident to our Reason, that it looks like Natural\nInscription; the Authority of that Revelation by which God has made\nknown his Will to Men, is to be firmly establish'd in People's Minds\nupon its clearest, and most rational evidence; and consequentially\nThey are then to be refer'd to the Scriptures themselves, to see\ntherein what it is that God requires of them to _believe_ and _to do_;\nthe great Obligation they are under diligently to study these Divine\nOracles being duly represented to them. But to exhort any one to\nsearch the Scriptures to the end of seeing therein what God requires\nof him, before he is satisfy'd that the Scriptures are a Revelation\nfrom God, cannot be rational: since any ones saying that the\nScriptures are God's Word, cannot satisfy a rational and inquisitive\nMind that they are so: and that the Books of the Old and New Testament\nwere dictated by the Spirit of God, is not a self evident Proposition,\nbut a Truth that demands to be made out, before it can be rationally\nassented to.\n\nIt should also be effectually Taught, and not in Words alone, That it\nis our Duty to study and examine the Scriptures, to the end of seeing\ntherein what God requires of us to _believe_, and to _do_. But none\nare effectually, or sincerely taught this, if notwithstanding that\nthis is sometimes told them, they are yet not left at liberty to\nbelieve, or not believe, according to what, upon examination, appears\nto them to be the sense of the Scriptures: for if we must not receive\nthem in that sense, which, after our best inquiry, appears to us to be\ntheir meaning, it is visible that it signifies nothing to bid us\nsearch, and examine them.\n\nThese two things, _viz._ a rational assurance of the Divine Authority\nof the Scriptures, and a liberty of fairly examining them, are\nabsolutely necessary to the satisfaction of any rational Person,\nconcerning the certainty of the Christian Religion, and what it is\nthat this Religion does consist in: and He who when he comes to be a\nMan, shall remember that being a Boy he has been check'd for doubting,\ninstead of being better inform'd when he demanded farther proof than\nhad been given him of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures: or that\nhe has been reprehended for thinking that the Word of God contradicted\nsome Article of his Catechism; has just ground, when he reflects\nthereupon, to question, whether or no, the Interaction of his\nChildhood has not been an Imposition upon his Reason; which he will no\ndoubt be apt to believe the more, when others shall confidently affirm\nto him that it has been so: And in that Age of Men's Lives when they\nare in the eagerest pursuit of Pleasure, it is great odds (as has been\nalready observ'd) that if, in regard of Religion, they come to lose\nthe belief of what they have once thought unquestionable, they will\nmore often be perswaded that there is no Truth at all therein, than\nset themselves seriously to find out what is so.\n\nHow dangerous a thing then is such Instruction in Religion, as teaches\nnothing unless it be to stifle the Suggestions of our Natural Light?\nBut that such Instruction as this, is all that the far greatest Number\nof People have, there is too much ground to conclude, from the\nvisible Ignorance even of the most of Those who are Zealous in some\nProfession of Christian Faith, and Worship: Few of These not being at\na loss to answer, if ask'd, either, _What the Faith of a Christian\ndoes consist in_? Or, _Why they believe such Articles concerning it,\nas they profess to believe_?\n\nThat their God-fathers, and God-mothers ingag'd for them that they\nshould believe so; is a reason for their doing it that I suppose,\nthere are but Few who would not be asham'd to give; as seeing that a\n_Mahumetan_ could not be thought to assert his Faith more absurdly in\nthe Opinion of any indifferent By-stander, and yet it is evident that\nno better a reason than this have very many for their Belief.\n\n_What is the chief and highest end of Man_? is a Question which,\nmethinks, supposes the resolution of more antecedent Questions, than\nChildren, untaught, can be presum'd to be resolv'd in. But be this\nQuestion ever so proper to begin a Catechism withal, the answer\nhereto, _viz. That Man's chief and highest end is to glorifie God, and\nenjoy him for ever_; is not surely very instructive of an ignorant\nChild. It is a good Question in the same Catechism; _How doth it\nappear the Scriptures are the Word of God_? But who would imagine that\nfor the information of any one who wanted to be inform'd herein, it\nshould be answer'd, _That the Scriptures manifest themselves to be the\nWord of God by their Majesty and Purity: by the consent of all the\nParts, and by the scope of the whole; which is to give all Glory to\nGod: by their Light and Power to convince, and convert Sinners; to\ncomfort and build up Believers to Salvation: But the Spirit of God\nbearing Witness by and with the Scriptures, in the Heart of Man is\nalone able fully to perswade that they are the very Word of God._ One\nwould almost be tempted to suspect that Men who talk'd thus, were not\nthemselves thorowly perswaded that the Scriptures were indeed the Word\nof God; for how is it possible not only for a Young Boy, or Girl, but\neven for an _Indian_ Man, or Woman, to be by this answer more\nconvinc'd than they were before, of the Scriptures being what they are\npretended to be? To assure any rational inquirer of Which, it is\nnecessary they should be satisfied, That the Scriptures were indeed\nwritten by those whose Names they bear; That these Persons were\nunquestionable Witnesses, and Faithful Historians of the matters they\nrelate; and that they had such a Guidance, and Direction from the\nSpirit of God as led them to deliver all necessary Truth, and to\npreserve them from all error prejudicial thereunto: which Things have\nso good evidence, that none who are not manifestly prejudic'd, can\nrefuse assent thereto, when they are duly represented to them: but\nwithout having weigh'd this evidence, the Divine Authority of the\nScriptures may, possibly, be by some firmly believ'd, but cannot be so\nupon the conviction of their Reason.\n\nThe Instruction then of most Peoples Younger Years being such as we\nhave seen in regard of Religion: and _Vertue_, viz. The right\nregulation of our Passions, and Appetites, having (as has been\nabovesaid) no other sufficient inforcement than the Truths of\nReligion; can it reasonably be thought strange, that there is so\nlittle Vertue in the World as we find there is? or that\ncorrespondently to their Principles, Peoples Actions generally are (at\nbest) unaccountable to their Reason? For Time, and more Years, if they\ngive strength to our Judgments whereby we may be thought able to\ninform our selves, and correct the errors and defects of our\nEducation, give also strength to our Passions; which grown strong, do\nfurnish and suggest Principles suited to the purposes and ends that\nthey propose; besides, that Ill Habits once settl'd, are hardly\nchang'd by the force of any principles of which Reason may come to\nconvince Men at their riper Age: A Truth very little weigh'd; tho'\nnothing ought more to be so with respect to a vertuous Education;\nsince rational Religion, so soon as they are capable thereof, is not\nmore necessary to the ingaging People to Vertue, than is the fixing,\nand establishing in them good Habits betimes, even before they are\ncapable of knowing any other reason for what they are taught to do,\nthan that it is the Will of Those who have a just power over them that\nthey should do so. For as without a Knowledge of the Truths of\nReligion, we should want very often sufficient Motives, and\nEncouragements to submit our Passions and Appetites to the Government\nof Reason; so without early Habits establish'd of denying our\nAppetites, and restraining our Inclinations, the Truths of Religion\nwill operate but upon a very few, so far as they ought to do.\n\nBy Religion I understand still _Reveal'd Religion_. For tho' without\nthe help of Revelation, the Commands of Jesus Christ (two positive\nInstitutions only excepted) are, as dictates likewise of Nature,\ndiscoverable by the Light of Reason; and are no less the Law of God to\nrational Creatures than the injunctions of Revelation are; yet few\nwould actually discern this Law of Nature in its full extent, meerly\nby the Light of Nature; or if they did, would find the inforcement\nthereof a sufficient Ballance to that Natural love of present\npleasure which often opposes our compliance therewith; since before we\ncome to such a ripeness of understanding as to be capable by\nunassisted Reason to discover from the Nature of Things the just\nmeasures of our Actions, together with the obligations we are under to\ncomply therewithal; an evil indulgence of our Inclinations has\ncommonly establish'd Habits in us too strong to be over-rul'd by the\nForce of Arguments; especially where they are not of very obvious\ndeduction. Whence it may justly be infer'd that the Christian Religion\nis the alone Universally adapted means of making Men truly Vertuous;\nthe _Law of Reason, or the Eternal Rule of Rectitude_ being in the\nWord of God only, to those of all capacities, plainly, and\nAuthoritatively deliver'd as the Law of God, duly inforc'd by Rewards\nand Punishments.\n\nYet in that Conformity with, and necessary support which our Religion\nbrings to the Law of Reason, or Nature, that is to say, to Those\ndictates which are the result of the determinate and unchangeable\nConstitution of things (and which as being discoverable to us by our\nrational Faculties, are therefore sometimes call'd the Law of Reason,\nas well as the Law of Nature) Christianity does most conspicuously and\nevidently appear to be a Divine Religion; _viz._ to be from the Author\nof Nature; however incongruous some Men may phancy it to be for God\nsupernaturally to reveal to Men what is naturally discoverable to\nthem, by those Faculties he has given them: The which conceit together\nwith not considering, or rightly weighing the inforcements which\nNatural Religion needs, and receives from Revelation, has very much\ndispos'd many to reject reveal'd Religion. Whereunto such Notions of\nChristianity as agree not to the Attributes of an Infinitely Wise and\nGood Being, which Reason teaches the first cause of all things to be,\nhave also not a little contributed; for from hence many Men, zealous\nfor the Honour of God and lovers of Mankind, have been prejudic'd\nagainst the Truth of the Christian Religion: In consequence whereof\nthey have reasonably concluded that there was no such thing as\nreveal'd Religion; and from thence have again infer'd that Men had no\nneed thereof to the Ends of Natural Religion.\n\nThose yet who think Revelation to be needless in this regard, how well\nsoever they may, possibly, intend to Natural Religion, do herein\nentertain an Opinion that would undermine it: Experience shewing us\nthat Natural Light, unassisted by Revelation, is insufficent to the\nEnds of Natural Religion: A Truth necessary to be acknowledg'd to the\nhaving a due value for the benefit that we receive by the Revelation\nof Jesus Christ; and many, who profess belief in him, have not a right\nestimation of that benefit on this very account, _viz._ as thinking\ntoo highly, or rather wrongly of Natural Light: notwithstanding that\nnothing is more undeniably true than that from the meer Light of\nNature Men actually were so far from discovering the Law of Nature in\nits full extent or force, as that they did not generally own, and but\nvery imperfectly discern, its prescriptions or obligation. 'Tis also\nalike evident that as Christianity has prevail'd, it has together with\nPolytheism, and (in great measure) Idolatry, beaten out likewise the\nallow'd Practice of gross Immorality; which in the Heathen World was\ncountenanc'd, and incourag'd by the examples of their very Gods\nthemselves; and by being frequently made even a part in Religious\nWorship. For the Truth of this effect of Christianity we must appeal\nto History; from whence if any one should imagine they could oppose\nany contrary example, it could (I think) be taken but from one only\nCountry; wherein (if the Historian says right) Morality was more\nexemplary than in any other that we know of for near 400 Years that\nits Pagan Natives possess'd it; whose exterminators (calling\nthemselves Christians) made it a most deplorable Scene of Injustice,\nCruelty and Oppression, bringing thither Vices unknown to those former\nInhabitants. But what only can follow from this example is, That a\nPeople, having a continu'd Succession of Princes, who study to advance\nthe good of the Community, making that the sole Aim of their\nGovernment; and directing all their Laws, and Institutions to that\nEnd (which was the peculiar felicity of those happy _Americans_) will\nwithout other than Natural Light much better practice all social\nVertues, than Men set loose from Law and Shame; who tho' Baptiz'd into\nthe Name of Christ have not yet so much as a true Notion of\nChristianity, to the which, may certainly be added, or than any other\nPeople, who tho' they have the Light of the Gospel among them, yet are\nnot govern'd by the Laws thereof; and a truly Christian Common-wealth\nin this sense, remains yet to be seen in the World; which when it is,\nthe Vertue, and Felicity of such a People will be found much to\nsurpass the (perhaps partial) account which we have of that of the\n_Peruvians_; whose so long uninterrupted Succession of Excellent\nPrinces, is what only is admirable in the account we have of them; and\nnot the Force of the Light of Nature in those People, who being\napparently of tractable, gentle dispositions, and tir'd with the\nMiseries of a Life to the last degree Brutish, did from the visible\nwretchedness and inconveniences thereof, gladly obey such whom they\nbelieved were (as they told them they were) Divinely sent to teach\nthen a happier way of living. And in the Vertues which these their\nfirst Lawgivers taught them, their Successors easily retain'd them;\ncontinuing still to maintain in them a perswasion of their Divine\nExtraction, and Authority. From the which it will be found that this\ninstance of the _Peruvian_ Morality makes for the need of Revelation\nto inforce Natural Religion, and not against it. But how far\nRevelation is needful to assist Natural Light, will be the best seen\nin reflecting a little upon what we receive from each of these Guides\nthat God has given us. And if it shall appear from thence that\nNatural Religion has need of Revelation to support it; and that the\nRevelation which we have by Jesus Christ is exquisitely adapted to the\nend of inforcing Natural Religion; this will both be the highest\nconfirmation possible, that to inforce Natural Religion or Morality,\nwas the design of Christianity; and will also shew that to the want of\ntheir being in earnest Christians, is to be attributed the immorality\nof such who, professing Christianity, live immoral Lives. The\nconsequence from whence must be, That to reclaim a Vicious People, it\nshould be consider'd, as the most effectual means of doing so, how to\nmake Men really, and in earnest Christians.\n\nTo see what light we receive from Nature to direct our Actions, and\nhow far we are Naturally able to obey that Light; Men must be\nconsider'd purely as in the state of Nature, _viz._ as having no\nextrinsick Law to direct them, but indu'd only with a faculty of\ncomparing their distant Ideas by intermediate Ones, and Thence of\ndeducing, or infering one thing from another; whereby our Knowledge\nimmediately received from _Sense_, or _Reflection_, is inlarg'd to a\nview of Truths remote, or future, in an Application of which Faculty\nof the mind to a consideration of our own Existence and Nature,\ntogether with the beauty and order of the Universe, so far as it falls\nunder our view, we may come to the knowledge of a _First Cause_; and\nthat this must be an _Intelligent Being, Wise_ and _Powerful_, beyond\nwhat we are able to conceive. And as we delight in our selves, and\nreceive pleasure from the objects which surround us, sufficient to\nindear to us the possession and injoyment of Life, we cannot from\nthence but infer, that this _Wise_ and _Powerful Being_ is also most\n_Good_, since he has made us out of nothing to give us a Being wherein\nwe find such Happiness, as makes us very unwilling to part therewith.\n\nAnd thus, by a consideration of the Attributes of God, visible in the\nWorks of the Creation, we come to a knowledge of his Existence, who is\nan Invisible Being: For since _Power, Wisdom_ and _Goodness,_ which we\nmanifestly discern in the production and conservation of our selves,\nand the Universe, could not subsist independently on some substance\nfor them to inhere in, we are assur'd that there is a substance where\nunto they do belong, or of which they are the Attributes.\n\nWhich Attributes of God would not be discoverable by us, did we not\ndiscern a difference in Things; as between _Power_ and _Weakness,\nBenevolence_ and _no Benevolence_, or its contrary; and betwixt\ndirecting means to an End, and acting at hap-hazard without any\ndesign, or choice: A knowledge, which, by whatever steps convey'd into\nthe mind, is no other than a seeing things to be what they are, and\nthat they cannot but be what they are.\n\nFrom which diversity and immutability in the Nature of things, there\nnecessarily arises a diversity of respects and relations between them,\nas unchangeable as the things themselves: wherein the Will of the\nCreator in reference hereunto is reveal'd to every intelligent Agent,\nso far as he is made capable of discerning these relations,\ndependencies and consequences; and whatsoever with respect to his own\nActions, such a Being finds resulting from any of these as most\nconformable to the design of his Creator in making him such a part as\nhe is of the whole, he cannot but consider as the Will of God, thereby\ndictated to him; since otherwise, God would act contradictiously to\nhis Wisdom in making him what he is.\n\nWe being then indu'd, as we are, with a capacity of perceiving and\ndistinguishing these differences of Things; and also with a liberty of\nacting, or not, suitably and agreeably hereunto; whence we can\naccording to the preference of our own minds, act either in conformity\nto, or disconformity with, the Will of the Creator (manifested in his\nWorks no less than the Will of any Humane Architect is in his) it\nfollows, That to act answerably to the nature of such Beings as we\nare, requires that we attentively examine, and consider the several\nnatures of Things, so far as they have any relation to our own\nactions.\n\nWhich attentive consideration of the Works of God objected to our\nview, implies an exercise thereupon of that Faculty in us by which we\ndeduce, or infer, one thing from another: Whence (as has been said)\nour knowledge immediately deriv'd to us from sensation, or reflection,\nis inlarg'd by the perception of remote, or distant Truths. The more\nobviously eminent advantages accruing to us from which faculty of\nreason, plainly make known the Superiority of its Nature; and that its\nsuggestions, ought to be hearken'd to by us preferably to those of\nSense; where these (as it too often happens) do not concur. For did we\nknow nothing by _Inference_ and _Deduction_, both our knowledge and\ninjoyment would be very short of what they now are; many considerable\npleasures depending almost intirely upon Reason; and there being none\nof the greatest Enjoyments of Sense which would not lose their best\nRelish, separated from those concomitant satisfactions which\naccompany them only as we are rational Creatures. Neither is it our\ngreatest happiness alone which is manifestly provided for in our being\nindu'd with this Faculty; but our much greater safety, and\npreservation likewise; since _these_ require a capacity in us of\nforeseeing distant Events, and directing means to an End, oftentimes\nthrough a long train of Actions; which is what we can only do by that\nin us, whereby the Relations, Dependencies and Consequences of things\nare discoverable to us.\n\nBut as _Reason_ is that which either in kind or degree, differences\nMen from Brutes; and that there are few, if any, who would lose this\ndistinction, it is by common consent acknowledg'd that Reason is in\nrespect of all others, a preferable indowment. And if Beasts, only\ninferiour to Men in the advantages of this Faculty, appear hereby\nintended to be subjected to Men, it cannot be less evident That that\npart in Men which they have in common with Beasts, was likewise\ndesign'd by their Maker to be subjected to their Reason also. From All\nwhich, it undeniably follows that we do not act answerably to the\nWill, or pleasure of God, in making us such Creatures as we are, if we\neither neglect the Search of those Measures of our Actions prescrib'd\nto us by the discernable Natures of Things; or, if seeing these, we\nyet conform not our selves thereunto.\n\nNow for any Creature knowingly to oppose the Will of its Creator, is\nnot only disingenuity in regard of what is owing from it to its\nSovereign Benefactor, and Folly in respect of that dependence which it\nhas on him for its Being, as it is commonly represented to us to be;\nbut is also in the Nature of Things (simply consider'd) so repugnant\nto right Reason, that were such a Creature consistent with it self\nherein, and could act pursuantly to That Will, it would operate to its\nown destruction; since its Existence evidently depends upon That of\nits Maker; whose Will, as reveal'd to us, being but a different\nconsideration of his Attributes, the knowledge whereof is all the\nKnowledge we have of God, cannot be so much as conceiv'd by us\nseparable from the Being of God; unless the God, which we conceive, be\na Fiction of our own Imagination, and not the Creator of All Things;\nwho is an invisible Being only knowable to us in, and by, the\nexemplifications of his Attributes: The infinite Perfection, and the\ninseparable Correspondence, and Harmony of which (discernable in the\nFrame and Government of the Universe) plainly tells us, That the\nDivine Will cannot be (like ours) successive Determinations without\ndependance, or connection one upon another; much less inconsistent,\ncontradictory, and mutable; but one steady, uniform, unchangeable\nresult of infinite Wisdom and Benevolence, extending to, and including\nAll his Works. So that Sin, or disobedience to our Maker is manifestly\nthe greatest Nonsense, Folly and contradiction conceivable, with\nregard purely to the immutable perfection of the Divine Nature; and to\nthe Natural constitution of things, independently upon any positive\ncommand of God to us, or his irresistible power over us.\n\nBut as without a capacity in The Creature to act contrary to the will\nof the Creator there could be no defect, or self-excellency in any\nCreated Being; contrariety to the Will of God is therefore permitted\nin the Universe as a necessary result of Creaturely imperfection,\nunder the greatest endowment that a Created Being is capable of\nhaving, viz. _That of Freedom or Liberty of Action_: And as the\nconstitution of such Creature, as this, implies that what is _best_ in\nreference to the design of the Creator, and of its own Happiness,\nshould not be always necessarily present to the Mind as Best; such a\nCreature may oppose the Will of his Maker with various degrees of\nGuilt in so doing; or (possibly) with none at all; for no Agent can\noffend farther than he wilfully abuses the Freedom he has to act.\n\nBut God having made Men so as that they find in themselves, very\noften, a liberty of acting according to the preference of their own\nMinds, it is incumbent upon them to study the Will of their Maker; in\nan application of the Faculty of Reason which he has given them, to\nthe consideration of the different respects, consequences, and\ndependencies of Things, so as to discern from thence, the just\nmeasures of their actions in every circumstance and relation they\nstand plac'd in; which _measures_ are nothing else but the dictates\nresulting from those views which such a consideration of things as\nthis gives us, of what is consonant, or not so, to the design of the\nCreator in every particular, wherein we are concern'd to act. And\nthese manifestations of his Will, thus discoverable to us, ought to be\nregarded by us, as his Commands.\n\nYet however certain it is, that the dictates of _Reason_, or _Nature_,\ndiscernable by our natural Faculties, are the commands of God to us,\nas rational Creatures; it is equally true that the love of happiness\n(which consists in pleasure) is the earliest, and strongest principle\nof Humane Nature; and therefore whatever measures Reason does, or\nmight, prescribe, when particular occasions occur, the sentiment of\nwhat Men find pleasing or displeasing to them, however contrary to\nthose dictates of right Reason, is very apt to determine their choice.\nGod yet who is the Author of Order, and not of Confusion, has fram'd\nall things with Consistency, and Harmony; and however, in Fact, it too\noften happens that we are misled by that strong desire of happiness\nimplanted in us, yet does this no way necessarily interfere with our\nacting in an intire conformity to the prescriptions of the Law of\nReason; but the contrary: For from hence it is that this Law has its\nSanction, _viz._ That, duly considering it, we shall evidently find\nour happiness, and misery, are annex'd to the observance, or neglect,\nof that unalterable Rule of Rectitude, discoverable to us by the\nNature of Things; so that this Rule of Rectitude, or Eternal Will of\nGod, has also the force of a Law given to it by that inseparable\naccord that there is betwixt our happiness or misery, with our\nobedience, or disobedience, hereunto. Thus our duty and happiness, can\nnever be divided, but when we prefer a less happiness to a greater;\nand therein act not conformably to the dictates of our natural desire\nof happiness, or pleasure; which two Terms differ only in this, that\nwe apply the Term _Pleasure_ to any agreeable Sentiment, or Sensation,\nhow small, or short soever in its duration; but that of _Happiness_,\nonly to such degrees of pleasure, as do, in some considerable degree,\nout-ballance our Evils.\n\nThat we are many ways capable of receiving pleasure, we experimentally\nfind; every sense furnishes something to delight, and please us, in\nits Application to Objects suited to a grateful exercise thereof. And\nthe operations of our own Minds upon the Ideas presented to them by\nour Senses, afford us also other pleasures, oftentimes preferable by\nus to those that we receive immediately from Sense. But be our\npleasures excited how they will; or whatsoever they consist in, Those\nthat Men receive from the Gratification of antecedent desire, are the\npleasures that they have the strongest relish of. _A Good_ not\ndesir'd, making (comparatively) but a small Impression upon us.\n\nNow the Gratification of their desires is not always in Men's Power,\nbut oftentimes it is so. It is then often in their choice to procure\nto themselves pleasure, or not. Whence it is reasonable for them to\ninquire, since happiness consists in pleasure; and the Gratification\nof their Desires, and Appetites, always gives them pleasure; whether,\nor no, to Gratifie _These_ should not therefore always be that which\nshould determine their actions in pursuance of this their chief End?\n\nThat happiness consisting in pleasure, we are so much the happier as\nwe enjoy more pleasure, must unquestionably, be found true; but that\nthe Gratification of Men's Desires and Appetites cannot therefore be\nthat which should always, as they are rational Agents, determine, or\nregulate their actions in pursuit of happiness, is no less evident; in\nthat we perceive our selves, and the Things to which we have relation,\nto be so fram'd, and constituted, in respect one of another, that the\nGratification of our present Desires and Appetites, does sometimes for\na short, or small pleasure, procure to us a greater, and more durable\nPain: and that on the contrary, the denial, or restraint of our\npresent Desires, and Appetites, does sometimes for a short, or small\nPain, procure to us a greater, or more durable Pleasure. Since then\nthat we should act contrary to our own end therein, and prefer less\npleasure to greater, it is apparent that the Gratification of our\npresent Appetites cannot be that which always, as we are rational\nAgents, proposing to our selves happiness for our chief end, should\ndetermine, or regulate our voluntary actions; present Appetite telling\nus only what will give us present pleasure; not what will, in the\nwhole, procure to us the most pleasure. What else then appears to be\nthe Rule, or Measure of Men's actions acting purely with respect to\nthe pursuit of happiness as their chief End, but the determinations of\nthat Faculty in them which, in reference to the different properties\nand relations discernable in Things, can alone be the Judge what will,\nin the whole, procure to them the most pleasure? And thus the very\ndesire of happiness, or love of pleasure, rightly pursu'd, does oblige\nus to make the determinations or dictates of Reason, and not the\nsuggestions of present Appetite, the Measure, and Rule of our actions\nin our pursuit after happiness. Which that we might possess was no\ndoubt the end of our Creator in giving us Being; since he could not\nstand in need of, or be better'd by our Existence. And if that we\nmight be happy was the end for which God made us, it is most certain\nthat he has neither set any such measures to our Actions, or put any\nsuch unhappy Biass upon our Minds, as shall necessarily contradict\nthis his end. Whence it again appears that the love of Pleasure\nimplanted in us (if we faithfully pursue it in prefering always that\nwhich will, on the whole, procure to us the most pleasure) can never\nmislead us from the observance of the Law of Reason: And that this Law\nenjoyns only a right regulation of our natural desire of pleasure, to\nthe end of our obtaining the greatest happiness that we are capable\nof: so that there is an inseparable connection, or relation of Moral\nGood and Evil, with our Natural Good, and Evil. To assert therefore\nthat our chief Good does consist in pleasure, is far from drawing\nafter it any such consequence as many have pretended it does, in\nprejudice to the Law of Reason, that Natural Revelation of Gods Will\nto us; since no Man can upon due consideration thereof Judge, That the\nGratification of his present Appetites ought to be to him the Measure\nor Rule of his Actions in consequence of Pleasures being his chief\nGood: experience it self, we see, contradicting such a consequence:\nand that so evidently that I think we do not in fact find that even\nThose, who the most indulge to their Passions and Appetites, do so as\nbelieving upon a cool examination thereof, that to do thus is the\ntruest Wisdom, in consequence of our greatest Good consisting in\npleasure; but such Men indulge to their present Appetites meerly as\nbeing strongly induc'd (contrary oftentimes to the suggestions of\ntheir own minds therein) thro' the love of pleasure, and abhorrence of\npain, to do, or forbear whatever they find will procure to them the\none, or free them from the other at the present Time; the\nGratification whereof They prefer to that which is Future. It is\nhowever true that such declamations as are sometimes made against\npleasure absolutely (not the irregular pursuit of it) as if pleasure\nwas in its own Nature, a false, and deceitful, not a real and solid\nGood, have produc'd this ill effect, that many from the absurdity\nhereof are confirm'd in an evil indulgence of their Appetites, as if\nto Gratifie These was indeed the truest Wisdom of a rational Creature,\nin consequence of pleasure, being his chief Good. But they judge not\nthus from a due examination, or any examination at all of the nature\nof Things, but from a Reason (if it may be call'd so) of opposition.\nFor so ridiculously weak are a great part of Men in their Reasoning,\nthat seeing they are in the wrong who oppose them, they become from\nthence as much perswaded, and as well satisfy'd that the contrary to\nsuch Mens Assertions is true; or that themselves are in the right, as\nif they saw that these things really were so. This arguing yet is no\nmore irrational than that whereby a palpable Truth is deny'd, only\nbecause some have indeavour'd to draw, or have been thought to have\ndrawn ill consequences from it: Which is yet all the ground of not\nallowing that Pleasure, and Pain, are truly Good, and Evil; the\ndenying of which, can be of no Service to Morality, but the contrary,\nsince Moral Good, and Evil, consider'd antecedently to any positive\nLaw of our Maker, are apt to be thought but a Notion where that\ninseparable Relation is overlook'd which there is between actions\ndenominated by us vertuous, or vicious, and the Natural Good, and Evil\nof Mankind.\n\nChristians, perhaps, need not the confederation of this to inforce\ntheir obedience to the Will of their Maker; but as it is a great\nrecommendation of the Precepts of the Gospel to find that they have an\nexact correspondence with, and conformity to the Nature of Things: So\nalso those who are not influenc'd by, as not being yet thorowly\nperswaded of this Divine Revelation, will sooner be induced to imbrace\nVertue, and contemn the allurements of Vice, when they see These to\nhave the very same reality, in Nature as their Happiness and Misery\nhave; than when (tho' ever so pompously set out) Vertue appears\nfounded only upon nice, or subtle Speculations. But some Men there\nare so far from approving of any Notion or Theorem being advanc'd with\nrespect to Deists whereby, as such, they may be induc'd to the love of\nVertue (which is the best predisposition to the entertainment of\nChristianity) that they are ready to treat as not being themselves\nChristians if not as Atheists, any one who in the view of gaining thus\nmuch upon these Men assert Vertue by any other Arguments than such as\nthey will not admit of, _viz._ those drawn from Revelation.\n\nHowever true yet it is that happiness, or our chief Good, does consist\nin pleasure; it is no less true that the irregular Love of pleasure is\na perpetual source to us of Folly, and Misery. That we are liable to\nthe which irregularity, is but a necessary result of our Creaturely\nimperfection: for we cannot love pleasure, and not love present\npleasure: and the love of present pleasure it is which misleads our\nnarrow, and unattentive Minds from a just comparison of the present,\nwith what is future. Nor is it a wonder if we are oftentimes thus\nmislead; since we frequently wander from the right way with less\nexcuse for doing so: Men, not seldom, going astray from Reason, when\nthe love of present pleasure is so far from misguiding their variously\nfrail Natures, that its allurements will not retain them in the paths\nof Vertue; and tho' Reason only has Authority to set Bounds to their\ndesires, they subject both Them, and Her to an Unjust and Arbitrary\nDominion, equally Foreign to both: A thing manifest, not only in\ninstances here and there, but in the examples of whole Nations; who\neither by positive institution, or allow'd of Custom, have\ntransgressed against the plainest prescriptions of Reason, in things\nso far from gratifying their Appetites, as that they are contrary,\nand even sometimes grievous to Mens natural desires. To account for\nwhich, will not here be impertinent; nor (in order to the doing so) to\nconsider first what the Terms _Vertue_ and _Religion_ have, in their\nvulgar acceptation, every where generally stood for.\n\n_Religion_ has, I think, been rightly defin'd to be _the knowledge how\nto please God_, and thus taken, does necessarily include vertue, that\nis to say, _Moral Rectitude_; but as Men have usually apply'd these\nTerms _Vertue_ and _Religion_, they stand for things very different\nand distinct, one from another. For by a Vertuous Man, in all\nCountries of the World, or less Societies of Men, is commonly meant,\nby those who so call any one, such a Man as steadily adheres to that\nRule of his Actions which is establish'd for a Rule in his Country\nTribe, or Society, be that what it will. Hence it has been that\n_Vertue_ has in different Times and Places chang'd Face; and sometimes\nso far, as that what has been esteem'd Vertuous in one Age, and in one\nCountry, has been look'd upon as quite the contrary in others: tho' in\nall Times and Places, wherein Men have not degenerated into a\ndownright Brutish, or altogether Animal Life (as some whole Nations\nhave done) but have set any Rules, or Measures to their Actions, the\ndictates of right Reason have more, or less, taken Place with them, so\nfar as the manifest advantages, or rather necessity thereof to the\nsubsistence or convenience of Society, has directed Men. And so much\nas Custom, or the Injunctions of some Lawgiver inforc'd these dictates\nof Reason, or Nature, so far and no further, did obedience thereunto\ndenominate Men Vertuous; without any distinction made in reference to\nthese prescriptions, as being Precepts of the Eternal Law of Right, or\nas obligatory any other ways than as being part of the Law, or Fashion\nof that Country, or Society, wherein these Rules had prevail'd or were\nestablish'd. A firm and steady adherence to which, whether\nconformable, or not, to the Law of Reason, being alike that which ever\nintitled Men to be esteem'd Vertuous among those who profess'd to live\nby the same Rule.\n\nNow since Man is a Creature that has variable, and disagreeing\nInclinations, as having passions very changeable, and oftentimes\ncontradictory one to another, there is not any fix'd Rule, or Measure,\nwhatsoever that can possibly be set to his Actions, which can\nconstantly be adher'd to by him, without some difficulty, or\nuneasiness; because any steady, and unalterable Rule must necessarily\noftentimes, thwart and cross his changeable Appetites, and differing\nInclinations; even altho' that Rule was contriv'd, and intended ever\nso much, to be indulgent to the Passions, and Desires of Humane Nature\nin general.\n\nConformity therefore of Mens actions to any fix'd, and unvariable\nRule, is a thing of some difficulty, be the Rule what it will: And\ntherefore Transgression against that Rule which Men profess'd\nthemselves oblig'd to act by, has always, every where been; and but\nfew Men comparatively, were strictly Vertuous: That is, did in all\nthings conform, or sincerely endeavour to conform their Actions to\nthat, which they acknowledged for the Rule of them.\n\nThose yet who believ'd a Superior Invisible Power that made them,\ncould not be satisfy'd with themselves in Transgressing against that\nwhich they thought ought to be their Rule: For however they\nunderstood this Rule to be deriv'd, they yet believ'd it carry'd with\nit, some way or other, an obligation upon them to Obedience; since\notherwise they would not have look'd upon it as a Rule. Now, as they\ncould not know that God would not punish their Disobedience to That\nwhich they look'd upon as obliging them to Obedience; but, on the\ncontrary, had more, or less, Reason to apprehend that he would do so,\nThey therefore (thinking him to be an exorable as well as an\nOmniscient, and Omnipotent Being) were hereby on These occasions\ntaught to deprecate his Vengeance, and implore his Mercy: And hence\nthe more Guilty and Fearful came to invent Attonements, Expiations,\nPenances and Purgations, with all that various Train of Ceremonies\nwhich attended those Things; Naturally imagining that the Divine\nNature resembled their own; and thence believing that they should the\nmore easily appease his Anger, and avert the effects of his Wrath, if\nby such means, as these, they did, as it were, in Gods behalf Revenge\nupon themselves their Disobedience to him. And as the Solemnity of\nthese Matters requir'd peculiar Hands to Execute them; and Devotion\nexacted that such should be liberally rewarded, and highly respected\nfor their Pious performances; from hence the profit which some reap'd\nby these things, as well as the satisfaction that others found\ntherein, who were unwilling to be rigorously restrain'd by the Rule of\ntheir Actions, yet were uneasie under the reproaches of their\nConsciences when they transgressed against it, made these Inventions,\nand the value set upon them, to be daily improv'd; till Men at last\nhave sought to be, and have effectually been perswaded that they\nmight render themselves acceptable to God without indeavouring\nsincerely to obey the Rule by which they profess'd to believe they\nwere oblig'd to live; and that even when they did think that this was\na Law giv'n them by God himself.\n\nNow the great practicers, and promoters of the abovesaid things, are\nevery where Those who are generally esteem'd, and call'd _Religious_.\nWhence the Term _Religion_ appears ordinarily to have stood for\nnothing else, but _some Expedient, or other, found out to satisfy Men\nthat God was satisfied with them, notwithstanding that their\nConsciences reproach'd them with want of Conformity to the\nacknowledg'd Rule, or Law of their Actions._\n\nHaving premis'd thus much concerning the Notions Men vulgarly have had\nof _Vertue_ and _Religion,_ let us now proceed to see how it has come\nto pass, That they have with Allowance, Approbation, and oftentimes,\nwith injunction of their Lawmakers and Governours, transgress'd\nagainst the most visible Dictates of the Law of Nature, or Reason, in\nThings not favourable to their Natural Passions and Appetites; but\neven, sometimes, contrary thereunto; as are denying themselves the\nlawfullest Enjoyments of Life; Macerating their Bodies; Prostituting\ntheir Wives; and exposing their Off-spring and Themselves to cruel\nTorments, and even Death it self. The cause of which I think appears\nplainly to be; that Mankind having been generally convinc'd that there\nwas a Maker of themselves and of the World, who they concluded was as\nwell able to take cognisance of what they did, as to produce them into\nBeing; and to whom they could not believe that all the Actions of his\nCreatures were alike pleasing, or displeasing; they became fearful\n(as has been said) of incurring his displeasure, whenever they did\nany thing which their Consciences reproach'd them for: From the which\nFear of a Superior invisible Power, inspecting their Actions, they\nwere early induc'd to hearken to, and follow such who profess'd\nthemselves to have some Knowledge Supernaturally reveal'd to them of\nGod's Will. And we find, in the Histories of all Nations, that the\ngenerality of Mankind were perswaded (contrary to the Sentiments of\nsome Modern Deists) That it was a thing very congruous to the Divine\nBeing, that he should in this way reveal to Men his pleasure\nconcerning them; since the greatest part, every where, did with little\ndifficulty give Credit to such who had the confidence to affirm to\nthem, that they were sent by God to teach them what he required of\nthem: the which being so, a submission of Mens Reason to the dictates\nof suppos'd inspir'd Teachers must necessarily follow: and they from\nthence become liable to be impos'd upon, all the ways that could serve\nthe ends of such who made use of this pretence to promote thereby any\nInterest of their own, or others.\n\nAnd as there is scarce any Country can be nam'd where there has not\nbeen these pretences to Revelation; so no Instance, I believe, can be\nfound of any Institution or generally approv'd of Practice, opposite\nto the obvious Dictates of Nature, or Reason, and not in Favour of\nMens Appetites, which does not appear, or on good ground may not be\npresumed to have been receiv'd on this pretence of Supernatural\nRevelation; which has ever procur'd the firmest adherence to any New\nInstitution whatsoever; and was very sufficient to make the absurdest\nthings be swallow'd equally with the most reasonable; it being\nundeniably true, that whatever God does Command, his Creatures are\nunder an equal Obligation of Obedience thereunto.\n\nSome Men, it is likely, there have, in all Ages and Places, been, who\nwere too Sagacious to admit of that as Revelation from God, which\nmanifestly oppos'd Natural Light; and who needed a proof of the Divine\nMission of such pretenders as these. But the unthinking Multitude were\never Credulous; and thence have been always practic'd upon in various\nkinds, and measures, as has best suited the occasion: Those who have\nhad vicious Inclinations, or little Aims, and short views, having\nimpos'd upon them suitably to their Ends: And such as have had larger\ncomprehensions, generous designs, and Minds above Vulgar, Base and\nSordid Passions, having answerably to their Aims, serv'd themselves of\nthe same credulity. Of the last kind were such who have propos'd the\nreclaiming of Men from vices more obviously prejudicial to Society,\nand civil Government; thereby to erect or restore some flourishing\nKingdom, or common-wealth; And these, tho' they have deceived Men, in\nmaking them believe that their Laws were Divinely inspir'd, have yet\ndeservedly been Honour'd by them as Benefactors, because of that\nhappiness which they procur'd to them thereby, in this World; beyond\nwhich, their views extended not, as having no knowledge of a future\nLife. The which sort of Men, however rational, and Vertuous they were,\nyet (like other pretenders to Revelation) that they might the better\nprocure Authority to their Dictates, did with their civil\nInstitutions, mix Holy Mysteries; and that usually as peculiar Secrets\ntaught them by some Divinity. They also, how much soever they,\nperhaps, secretly contemn'd such things, did yet generally pay a great\noutward regard to matters of Religion; which have ever abounded in the\nbest Govern'd, and most Flourishing Kingdoms, and Common-wealths.\n\nNow (as has been already said) the exact observers of the civil\nInstitutions of their Country, or Customs of their Ancestors, were\nlook'd upon as Men of Vertue; and whoso apply'd himself eminently to\nthe observation of such superstitions as consisted of Sacrifices,\nProcessions, Lustrations, &c. with a various Train of Pompous\nCeremonies, diversify'd according to the Phancies of their Authors,\nwas look'd upon as a Religious Man; whilst there was a third sort of\nMen (inconsiderable always in their Number) who judged, by the true\nrule of Reason, what was right, and what was wrong, in the first of\nthese; and who contemning the Fopperies of the last, were oftentimes\n(thro' their means who most found their Account in those Matters) in\ndanger of passing with the silly People for Atheists: such as search\nfor their opinions, and the Measures of their Actions in the Reason\nand Truth of Things, having always been very unacceptable to Those\nwhose Interest it has been to keep up the Credit and Authority of vain\nTraditions and Superstitious Practices; because if _These_ should be\nhearken'd to, _Those_ Apprehended that they should become useless.\n\nMen of this third sort are They who are vertuous in a Rational and\nChristian estimation; for if adherence to the Rule of Mens Actions (be\nthat what it will) denominates Men vertuous among those of their own\nperswasion therein; then That which denominates a Man vertuous amongst\nThose who take the prescriptions of right Reason, or of the Gospel\n(for these are but one, and the same, differently promulg'd) for the\nRule of their Actions, must be an adherence to the Law of right\nReason, or of this Revelation: Which Rule, is not (as all others are)\na changeable, because (as we have seen) no Arbitrary thing; it being\nfounded in Relations, and Connexions, which are as immutable as that\ndeterminate constitution in Things, which makes every thing what it\nis. From whence it has been that such Men in all Ages, and Places, as\nwere above the prejudices of their Country Religion, and Manners,\n_viz._ such as we have now spoken of, have ever had much the same\nSentiments in respect of Vertue. But these have always been but a\nsmall Number: Custom, and blind Opinion, have ever govern'd the World;\nand the light of Reason has neither appear'd to Men to be, nor in\nFact been any where sufficient to direct the generality of Mankind to\nTruth; as some imagine it capable of doing; who because of that clear\nEvidence which Reason gives to those verities that Revelation has\nalready taught them, think that they owe, or might have ow'd to this\nlight of Reason what they are not indebted to it for; and what it is a\nThousand to One odds they would not have receiv'd from it, had they\nbeen Born where there was no other than Natural Light.\n\nFor we find not any Country in any Age of the World, wherein Men did\ngenerally acknowledge, by the meer force of Reason, Natural Religion\nin its full extent; or where the Law of Nature was by the Light of\nNature universally own'd. Some Dictates of it as suggested by\nnecessity, or convenience, having only been receiv'd, (as has been\nalready said) but not distinguish'd from the most Arbitrary\nInstitutions of Men; altho' it is probable that the greater Conformity\nany Law had to the dictates of right Reason, it did the more\nuniversally and easily obtain Belief of its being divinely reveal'd to\nhim who pretended so to have receiv'd it; and this apparently it was\nwhich gave so great Success to the _Peruvian_ Lawgivers; whose\nIdolatry was the most specious that was possible; and whose Rules of\nLiving (pretended to have been receiv'd by them from the Sun, their\nFather, and Vicegerent of _Pachacama_, the Supream Invisible and\nUnapproachable God) were highly suitable to the dictates of right\nReason.\n\nThis Law nevertheless not being receiv'd by that People but as a\nSupernatural Revelation, the great Morality of the _Peruvians_ affords\nno Argument against, but (on the contrary) proves strongly the need\nof Revelation; since whatever Force of Reason these Natural Truths did\nappear to this People to carry with them, when represented as divine\nCommands, this light had never yet attracted their sight purely by its\nown Brightness; nor ever has any where done so, but here and there in\na few Instances of Persons of more than ordinarily inquisitive Minds;\nand (probably) for the most part, exempted by a happy priviledge of\nNature from the servitude of sensual, and sordid Passions.\n\nAnd tho' nothing can be more evident to those who reflect thereupon,\nthan that Mens Actions should be regulated, and directed by that\nFaculty in them which shows them the different properties, relations,\nand dependencies of things, and not by their Appetite, which only can\ntell what will at the present please, or offend them; not what will,\nupon the whole, procure to them the most pleasure, or uneasiness; yet\nsuch appears to be the unreflecting Nature of the generality of\nMankind, and such their fondness of present pleasure, as either not to\nconsider this Truth, or when they do so, to be induc'd (in consequence\nthereof) to obey the most manifest dictates of Reason, or Natural\nLight, which will lay any restraint upon their pleasing, and,\noftentimes, violent Inclinations: Much less will they be at pains to\nsearch for any such Measures of their Actions in the Constitution and\ndependances of things; which is indeed what the far greater part of\nMen have not the Capacity, or Leisure to do: Neither are Any able to\ndo this so early as to prevent their irregular Inclinations from being\nfirst strengthen'd and confirm'd by ill habits: which when once they\nare, Reason does in vain oppose them, how clear soever her dictates\nappear. On the contrary, our Passions grown strong, do usually so far\ncorrupt our Reason as to make her joyn parties with them against her\nself; we not only doing amiss, but likewise finding Arguments to\njustify our so doing, even to our selves as well as others.\n\nBut there is still, beyond this, a farther impediment to Mens obeying\nthe Law of Nature, by vertue of the meer Light of Nature; which is,\nthat they cannot, in all circumstances, without Revelation, make\nalways a just estimate in reference to their happiness. For, tho' it\nis demonstrable that the Law of Reason is the Law of God, yet the want\nof an explicite knowledge of the penalty incur'd by the breach of that\nLaw, makes it not to be evident to all Men that the incuring of this\npenalty shall (in all cases) make the preference of breaking this Law,\nan ill Bargain: which it may, sometimes not be to many, in regard of\nthe discernable natural consequences of such a Transgression. For tho'\nobservance of the Law of Reason is, in the constitution of Natural\nCauses, visibly to those who consider it (generally speaking) the\nmeans of our greatest happiness, even in this present World, yet if\nthere be no future Life (which that there is, is made certain to us,\nonly by the Revelation thereof in the Gospel) to answer in for\nTransgression of this Law; the breach of it may, tho' not naturally,\nyet accidentally, in some cases, conduce to Mens greater happiness;\nand, very often, notwithstanding that to have obey'd the Law of Reason\nthey may discern would have been better for them than to have follow'd\ntheir Appetites, had they been early so accustom'd, yet now that they\nhave contracted different Habits, which are like a _Right Hand_, or\n_Eye_ to them, the difficulty of a new course of Life may appear too\ngreat for the attempt of it to be adviseable; since the consideration\nof the shortness and uncertainty of Life may make Men apt to say to\nthemselves on such occasions,\n\n\n     _Who would lose the present Hour,\n     For one that is not in his Power?\n     Or not be happy now he may,\n     But for a Future Blessing stay:\n     Who know not he shall live a Day?_\n\n\nThe Revelation of an Eternal Life after this, with an express\nDeclaration of Everlasting Rewards and Punishments annex'd to our\nObedience, or Disobedience, to the Law of Nature (tho' such a Future\nState may be reasonably infer'd from all things happening alike to the\nGood, and to the Bad in this World, and from Men's Natural desire of\nImmortality) is yet but a necessary inforcement of the Law of Nature\nto the far greatest part of Mankind, who stand in need of this\nknowledge, and are uncapable of an Inference so repugnant to what\ntheir Senses daily tell them in the case; and wherein the Truth\nasserted has scarcely ever procur'd an unwavering assent from the most\nrational of the Heathen Philosophers themselves. Now the\nunquestionable certainty of a Future State, wherein Men shall receive\nEverlasting Rewards, and Punishments, we alone owe the knowledge of to\nJesus Christ, _who only has brought Life and Immortality to Light_.\nThe willingest to believe the Souls Immortality were before our\nSaviours coming, at best, doubtful concerning it; and the generality\nof Mankind, were yet far less perswaded of it.\n\nFables indeed concerning a life hereafter (wherein there were Rewards\nand Punishments) the _Greeks_ had; and from them, they were deriv'd\nto some other Nations; but that for Fables they were taken is evident,\nand we are expressly told so by _Diodorus Siculus_, who applauding the\nHonours done to Good Men at their Funerals, by the _Egyptians, because\nof that warning and encouragement which it gave to the Living to be\nmindful of their Duty_, says, _That the Greeks, as to what concern'd\nthe Rewards of the Just, and the Punishment of the Impious, had\nnothing among them but invented Fables and Poetical Fictions which\nnever wrought upon Men for the Amendment of their Lives; but on the\ncontrary, were despis'd and laugh'd at by them_.\n\nWhether, or no, Men should subsist after Death depending plainly upon\nthe good Pleasure of their Maker, the Pagan World (to whom God had not\nreveal'd his Will herein) could not possibly have any certainty of a\nLife after this. Arguments there were (as has been said) that might\ninduce rational Men to hope for a future Existence as a thing\nprobable; and they did so: But the Gross of Mankind saw not the Force\nof these Reasonings to be perswaded thereby of a thing so\ninconceivable by them as that the Life of the Person was not totally\nextinguish'd in the Death of the Body; and a Resurrection to Life, was\nwhat they thought not of, the certainty of which, together with future\nReward and Punishment, by enabling us to make a right estimate\nconcerning what will most conduce to our happiness, plainly brings\nthis great encouragement to our Observance of the Law of God, that it\nlets us see our happiness, and our Duty, are inseparably united\ntherein; since whatever pleasure we voluntarily deprive our selves of\nin this World from preference of Obedience to God's Commands, it\nshall be recompenced to us manifold in the World that is to come: So\nthat now we can find our selves in no Circumstance, wherein our\nNatural Desires of Happiness, or love of Pleasure, can rationally\ninduce us to depart from the Rule of our Duty.\n\nThe little which has been said, do, methinks, sufficiently evince the\nneed of Revelation both to Teach and inforce Natural Religion: But the\ndefectiveness of the Light of Nature to this end, is a Verity of so\ngreat use to be establish'd, that the consideration thereof should not\nbe left upon such short Reflections as these; was not this Truth at\nlarge made out in a late Treatise intitled, _The reasonableness of\nChristianity as delivered in the Scriptures_.\n\nA work which the unhappy mistakes and disputes among us concerning the\nChristian Religion, makes useful to all Men; and which has been\npeculiarly so to many, as the only Book wherein they have found the\ninsufficiency of Natural Light to Natural Religion, has been fully\nshewed, although that to reconcile Men to, or establish them in the\nbelief of Divine Revelation, nothing was more requisite to make this\nappear, in an Age wherein the prevalency of Deism has been so much and\nso justly complain'd of.\n\nBut against the insufficiency of Natural Light to the ends of Natural\nReligion, the World having been so many Ages without it, is, by some,\nthought an Objection: For, if Supernatural Light had been so needful\nas is pretended to be, how could it comport, say they, with the Wisdom\nof God not to have given it to Men sooner and more universally?\n\nTo judge of all the Ends and Designs of the Divine Wisdom in the\nCreation or Government of the World, is to suppose that we have a\ncomprehension of God's Works, adequate or commensurate thereunto;\nwhich is not only to conceive of his Wisdom as not being infinite, but\neven to circumscribe it within very narrow bounds. If the Wisdom of\nGod, (like his other Attributes) does infinitely surpass our reach,\nhis Views must, for that reason, be necessarily oftentimes, as much\nbeyond our short Sight. For us then, when we see not the reason why\nany thing is, to take upon us to say that such a thing does, or does\nnot comport with the Wisdom of God, must needs be the highest Folly\nthat can be, since it implies a presumption, that we see all in\nrespect of such a Subject that God sees: And the Objection here made\nturns only upon the _unaccountableness_ of the Divine Wisdom herein\nto our Understandings. For God's dealing thus with Men, can by no\nmeans be said by us to imply any _contradiction_ to his Wisdom. Whilst\nwe having an assurance highly Rational (from those numberless Worlds\nwhich surround us) that we are but a small part of the Intellectual\nCreation of our Maker; and being certain that our abode here bears but\na very inconsiderable proportion of Time to millions of Ages, and is\nas nothing to Eternity, cannot tell but that to know much more than we\ndo, in this State, of the intire Scheme of Providence with respect to\nthe whole extent of intelligent Beings, may be necessary to our seeing\nthe Beauty of anyone part of the design of our Creator. And it is the\nmost suitable to the All-comprehensive Wisdom of God for us to\nconceive, that without having this knowledge, we may be far less able\nto judge of the Divine oeconomy, in reference to his Dealings with us\nhere, than he who should see but one Scene of a Dramma, would thereby\nbe capacitated to judge of the Plot or Design of the whole. In\nObjecting therefore against the need of Revelation to support Natural\nReligion, because that we understand not why, if Revelation was\nnecessary to this end, the World had it no sooner: Men are guilty of\nso great an Absurdity as to argue from a Matter only unknown to them\nagainst the reality of that evidently _is_: Which is always irrational\nto do; but is especially so, when, if we cannot answer what is\nObjected, we yet see plainly that That Objection may be very\nanswerable, and accountable for, even to our Conceptions; were but our\nviews a little more enlarged, and such as, perhaps, they shall be\nhereafter.\n\nBut in urging this consideration as sufficient to silence any\nObjection to the needfulness of Revelation from its lateness and want\nof Universality; I suppose not that the Divine, oeconomy is herein\nactually incomprehensible by Men; or at least, may not be accounted\nfor, if not demonstratively aright, yet suitably to the Divine\nAttributes: and a due reflection upon the intire design of\nChristianity, so far as it is reveal'd to us, will, it is likely,\nconduct us best to a sight hereof. But our present business is not\nthis inquiry, but to see what those advantages are which we receive by\nthe Revelation of Jesus Christ, the design of whole coming into the\nWorld appears to have been, to inforce the Rule of Rectitude, by\nsetting it in a clearer Light, with the manifest Attestation of Divine\nAuthority, and promulging it as the Law of God, by Declaration of\neternal Rewards and Punishments, annexed to the observance or breach\nthereof.\n\nYet to deliver clearer and more excellent Precepts of Morality; to\nattest to the Divinity hereof by Miracles; or to bring Immortalitie to\nlight, were not (as the means of inforcing Natural Religion) the whole\nbusiness for which Christ took our Nature upon him. It was a Decree as\nimmutable as the Divine Nature, that no unrighteous thing should have\neverlasting Life: Wherefore all, both Jews and Gentiles having broken\nthe Law, and being thereby condemn'd (since the Law necessarily\nrequir'd perfect Righteousness, and could admit of no abatement\nthereof) Christ came to establish betwixt God and Man, a Covenant of\nGrace in order to Mens obtaining eternal Life, which they could not\nobtain by the Works of the Law. The which Covenant of Grace was, that\nto as many as believe in his Son, taking him for their King, and\nsubmitting to his Law, God would grant remission of their Sins; and\nthat this _their Faith should be imputed to them for Righteousness_;\nthat is, accepted of by him, in lieu of perfect Obedience, in all such\nwho sincerely indeavour'd to live up to the Precepts of Christ, their\nLord.\n\nMen have ever been solicitous, to reconcile Pardon of Sin to the\nPurity of God's Nature, which has expos'd them (as we have seen) to\ndivers Delusions, and to wearisome and costly Superstitions; even\nsometimes to the giving _the Fruit of their Bodies to attone for the\nsins of their Souls_. All the Forms of Pagan Religion have abounded\nwith Institutions of this Nature; and that of the Jews consisted very\nmuch of tiresome and unpleasant performances; which being Types and\nShadows of him that was to come, were practis'd to the same purpose.\nAll which things we are freed from by the Gospel; _Christ having\noffer'd up himself once for all, through whom forgiveness of Sin is\npreached to as many as believe in him_, truly repenting of their past\nSins, and _walking in newness of Life_, conformably to the Law of him\ntheir Master; but and if, thro' humane Weakness or Imbecillity, we do\nSin, he is our _Advocate with the Father_, who for the sake of him his\nBeloved Son, will justify, or accept as Righteous, those who truly\nbelieve in him, whence we are justify'd by God's free Grace or Favour,\nand not by the Works of the Law, against which all have transgressed,\nand fail'd of a perfect Obedience.\n\nThe great end then of Christianity is (in short) to teach us\neffectually to _renounce all Ungodliness and every evil work_, by\ndeclaring to us, that if we sincerely repent of our Sins past, and\nindeavour, for the time to come, to obey the Law of our Lord and\nMaster Jesus Christ, which is no other than the Law of Reason, or the\neternal Rule of Right, we need not despair of God's Mercy from the\nImperfection of our Obedience; since he will for the sake of his Son,\npardon their Sins who believe in him: Sincere indeavours after perfect\nRighteousness being accepted in those who believe in Christ as if they\nattained it, which is call'd, _the Righteousness of Faith_. And thus\nour Blessed Lord, that he might _purchase to himself a peculiar people\nzealous of good Works_, has propos'd to his Followers the strongest\nMotives and Encouragements that are conceivable to induce free Agents\nto Obedience, putting them at once upon using their utmost Diligence\nto _fullfil_ _the Law_; yet, at the same time, delivering them from\nthe fear that their defective _Righteousness should_ render their\nLabour vain in the Lord, by assuring them that he will be merciful to\ntheir Sins.\n\nThe which Christian Doctrine concerning the forgiveness of Sins\n(contrary to that of other Religions) effectually obliges Men to use\ntheir utmost care not to commit Sin, and leaves no room for the Lusts\nof their Hearts, or devices of cunning Men to deceive them by any\nSuperstitious Inventions of expiating or attoning for Transgression;\nwhereby Vertue (as we have seen) was always undermin'd. For, tho' in\nthe Christian Religion, there is an abatement of the rigour and\nseverity of the Law, which could not but require an unsinning\nObedience; yet we are therein taught, that Jesus Christ is the only\nAttonement for Sin: And such a Faith in him as makes us to become his\nobedient Subjects, is the only means to us of Salvation: An\ninforcement of the Law of Righteousness which was wanting to the Pagan\nWorld; whose persuasion of the placability of the Divine Nature (as we\nhave seen) generally taught them, only to find out such imaginary ways\nof appeasing God's Anger, and expiating for their Sins, as did more or\nless supersede their indeavours after Obedience to the Law.\n\nWhence it appears that the assurance of future Existence, with the\nknowledge of eternal Rewards and Punishments annex'd to Mens\nObservance, or not observance of the Law of Reason had Men had it,\nwithout the Revelation of the Gospel, would not have been so universal\nor powerful an inforcement of Obedience to them as it is to us; to\nwhom together with this, is preach'd also the Doctrine of forgiveness\nof Sins, through Faith in Jesus Christ. For the consciousness of\ntransgression against this Law, which, under such a Penalty exacted\ntheir Obedience, must either have driven Men into despair of being\naccepted by God, whence they would have given over the indeavours of\nobeying him as a fruitless Labour; or else if they believ'd that God\nwould accept of some Compensation for their defective Righteousness,\nthey would have been induc'd no less, but even more strongly from\ntheir knowledge of a future Life, than they were without it, to seek\nto attone the Divine Wrath by such ways as would inevitably draw on a\nneglect of conformity to his Law. Whereas Christianity doth provide\nagainst both these Mistakes, in that it assures us that God will\naccept of our imperfect Obedience for the sake of his Son, if we\nbelieve in him, and withal sincerely indeavour to obey him; whereby\nFaith does plainly _not make void, but establish the Law_, it laying\nthe highest Obligation as well as Encouragement that is possible upon\nMen to do their utmost to live up to the Prescriptions of it.\n\nAnd thus the Christian Religion, we find, is every way admirably\nadapted by the Divine Wisdom, to the end of inforcing the eternal Law\nof Reason or Nature; which evidently needed this inforcement. From\nwhence it is manifest, that whoso directly or indirectly teaches Men\nto look upon Christianity as separable from Morality, does the most\nthat is possible misrepresent it; and therein (as effectually as they\ncan do so) undermine both Natural and Reveal'd Religion; the latter of\nwhich dispences not with any breach of the former; and exempts us only\nfrom the burthen of such outward performances as have no Efficacy to\nthe making Men better, but often do make them very much worse; they\nconceiving that they are able, thereby, to expiate or attone for their\nSins; whence they become less careful in regard of their Duty: A\nNatural effect of all those things, beneficial alone to the contrivers\nor directors of them; who, by means thereof, have liv'd in Ease and\nPlenty upon other Peoples Labours, whilst they (instead of repining\nthereat) were skilfully taught to reverence them for their usefulness.\n\nSuch Men as these profited not a little by the superstition of the\nPeople; and therefore could not but always have an interest opposite\nto that of Vertue: Since the more vertuous Men were, the less they\nstood in need of, or minded those Matters, of which these managers of\nMysteries and Ceremonies had the gainful direction. No wonder then at\nall was it that the Gospel found so much opposition, whose design was\nso Diametrically contrary to the interest of a Party every where in\nsuch Power and Credit; and whose Author so expresly declared, that his\ncoming was to abolish all such Institutions and Practices.\n\nThe Power of God yet prevail'd in spight of that of Men; and\nChristianity in a little time had spread itself through the Roman\nEmpire.\n\nWhat remedy then remain'd more fit to be devis'd by the Devil or evil\nMen, to make the Gospel of no effect, than under specious pretences of\nowning and honouring it, to corrupt it with the old Pagan Principles\nand Practices, introduc'd under a Christian Disguise? But it being so\nplainly deliver'd in the whole Tenour of the New Testament, that\n_Christ being once for all offer'd up, there remained no more\nSacrifice for Sin_; and that he came to teach Men _to worship God in\nSpirit and, in Truth_. There was no room left for the searchers for\ntheir Religion in these Holy Oracles to be led into the formerly\nmention'd Pagan Superstitions. The Scriptures therefore must be\ndiscarded, or, what was the same thing, shut up from vulgar Readers:\nWhich were all but those who had made it their interest to mislead\nothers by their Explications: The which, together with vain\nTraditions, supported by the Authority of reverend Names, coming in\nthe place of Scripture, were enjoyn'd to be receiv'd equally with\nDivine Truths on Terrour of eternal Punishment to as many as could be\nso persuaded, but to be sure of Temporal Penalty to all who durst\nwithstand this violence done to the common reason of Mankind.\n\nThe which Spirit of Imposition and Persecution began to shew itself\nvery early among the Professors of Christianity: And so soon as these\nwere arm'd with secular Power, they fail'd not to make use of it one\nagainst another, for imposing of Humane Inventions to the neglect of\nwhat all profess'd to believe God indispensibly requir'd of them. The\nwhich _Mystery of Iniquity_, tho' it _already worked_, in the Apostles\nDays, yet could not be reveal'd even 'till the power of Heathen _Rome_\nwas taken out of the way: And Christianity had Civil as well as\nEcclesiastical Jurisdiction, by their Religions, becoming that of the\nEmpire: Which, when it did, Antichrist soon appear'd in his full\nDimensions; and the Christian World became a very Aceldama; A History\nof which (sad as it is) might perhaps, with some pleasure, be perus'd,\nwere those Tragedies now at an end; or the Reformed part of\nChristendom had no share in the Guilt.\n\nWe generally indeed exclaim against the Cruelties of the _Roman_\nChurch exercis'd over Men, on account or pretence of Religion: And it\nis true, that they have excell'd herein; yet all Parties among us,\nproportionally to the extent of their Power, have practis'd the same\nthing; and the _Best_, when restrain'd from it by the Civil\nMagistrate, make it evidently appear, that they bear that restraint\nuneasily.\n\nBut whilst the first Spring, which moves such _Animosities_ is a\ndesire in _ambitious_ and _ill_ Men or _Dominion_; well-meaning\nignorant People are misled by these from the Truth of the Gospel, to\nsuch Zeal for some distinguishing Tenets or Forms as if the stress of\nChristianity lay in those things: And that our Religion consisted not\nin such a Faith in Jesus Christ, as to receive him for our King,\nbecoming his obedient Subjects; but in the belief of Opinions, which\nhave no influence upon our Practice, to the making us live more\nvertuously; or in Worshipping God after some peculiar Mode or Fashion.\nAnd thus among us Christians, as heretofore in the Heathen World,\n_Vertue_ and _Religion_ are again distinguish'd; and Religion as\nsomething more excellent (and, to be sure, more easy) does still, as\nformerly it did, eat out Vertue.\n\nAmong our selves it is true, that those of the Establish'd Church do\ngenerally dislike a distinction often made by some others of a _Moral_\nand a _Religious_ Man; Nor, usually, are our Divines wanting to\nrepresent from the Pulpit the necessity there is of a good Life to\nrender Men acceptable to God. But many who condemn such a Doctrine as\nseparates Religion from Morality, do yet in their practices make the\nlike distinction, which may well be presum'd to have been one great\ncause of their having preach'd up Vertue so ineffectually as they have\ndone. That which People _say_ having ordinarily less influence upon\nothers, than what they see them _Do_. And in regard of our earliest\nApprehensions concerning Vertue and Religion, it is certain that these\nare form'd in Children much more from what they observe in the\nConversations or Actions of such Persons as they esteem, than by set\nDiscourses that they now and then hear from the Pulpit; which they can\nneither understand nor attend to early enough to receive from those\nPrinciples that shall influence them. But so soon (at the least) as\nthey are capable of minding and understanding Sermons, they (where the\nthing is remarkable by others) do also take notice of it, if he who\nfrequently recommends a good Life to them, does not in his own\nConversation, and in the respect he expresses for Vertue in the\nPersons of others, shew that he indeed prefers it answerably to the\nPraises he gives it. And if such a Preacher, as this, shall openly\nlive in the practice of any known Immorality; or not doing so himself\nshall yet manifestly prefer in his esteem those who do so, is it not\nnatural, for them who look upon this Man as a guide to Heaven, to\nconclude from hence, that in reference to the obtaining of Eternal\nHappiness, Vertue is not the thing, the most essentially requisite;\nand much less certainly will they think it to be so with respect to\nthis present World, if they find their pious Instructor not only to\nchoose the Society of Persons Profligate and Debauch'd for his Friends\nand Companions; but also (on all occasions) to labour the promotion of\nthe like Men to Employments of the highest Truth, in preference of\nothers of acknowledg'd Integrity and Sobriety of Life: The avow'd\nReason whereof being only that the first of these are by the Doctor\nheld the more Orthodox in Religion; is it not unavoidable, even to a\nChild, to conclude, that Vertue is not the best recommendation in his\nOpinion, whatever he sometimes seems to assert, when he is shewing his\nRhetorick in the Pulpit. And since he is an Authoriz'd Teacher of\nReligion, will not (so far as his example influences) Vertue and\nReligion be probably consider'd as distinct things, the latter of\nwhich, as it always has had, always will have the preference.\n\nThe same Consequence with this must needs, in like manner, follow,\nwhere Parents (whose Practices have usually the greatest Authority\nwith their Children) do in this manner express their uncharitable\nZeal for their Opinions, by them call'd Orthodoxy: And such, no less\neffectually, teach the separating of Religion from Vertue, than those\nwhom they, perhaps, greatly condemn for making this distinction in\nTerms; tho' it is true, that That sort of Men who do use this\ndistinction in their Discourses, do seldom fail of practising\naccordingly: None having usually a more fiery Zeal than such People\nhave for their Orthodox, or, what is call'd by them, sound Doctrine;\nand the only difference is, that these Men are herein more consistent\nwith themselves than the former, since their Words and their Actions\ncorrespond.\n\nNor less consentaneous to their Opinions are they, in not taking much\nPains to inculcate into their Children (as they not often do) the\nPrinciples and early Habits of Vertue: For if Vertue, or Morality is\nso far from being any way that which shall intitle Men to Salvation,\nthat it is not so much as a means, or good predisposition to what\nshall do so, (God oftentimes to shew his Free Grace preferring the\ngreatest Persons to the most Moral Reasons) which is what these\nPeoples Teachers frequently tell them; as there appears indeed but\nlittle Reason why they should be vertuous, so there cannot be any more\nwhy they should indeavour to make others so. Those of these Sentiments\nare yet generally (tho' not methinks alike conformable to their\nDoctrines) very Solicitous for what they call _Religious Education_.\nBut how little this will supply the defect of early Principles, and\nHabits of Vertue, will be visible when we reflect upon what that,\nwhich they esteem to be Religious Education does consist in; for\ncommonly it is only in Teaching Children some Form of sound Words as\nthey conceive them to be; in the greatest part, unintelligible to\ntheir Learners, or uninstructive of their Ignorance; and in\naccustoming them to hear many Sermons; which do as little inform them;\nand wherein Morality is too often represented as, no ways, available\nto Salvation: and, what is still worse, even (sometimes) as that which\nshall rank Men among the hateful to, and accursed of God.\n\nThe reading of the Bible is, I presume (at the least) as much\npractic'd by those as by the generality of any other Perswasion; but\nthey study no more than others do to understand it; and (on the\ncontrary) are rather with greater tenaciousness so possess'd by the\nSentiments and Opinions of their Teachers, as to be almost uncapable\nof consulting the word of God without prejudice; or observing any\nthing therein that is contrary to the Doctrines of their Sect: that\n_Analogy of Faith_ by which they are sure the Scriptures ought always\nto be interpreted; the obscurest parts whereof their Teachers insist\nthe most upon; whence the Ignorantest Persons of these as well as the\nmore knowing, are usually far less conversant in the plain Doctrines\nof Jesus Christ, than in St. _Pauls_ difficult Epistles; which, as\nheretofore, _many who are unlearn'd wrest to their own Destruction_,\ntho' their needs, I think, no skill but that of Attention to what the\nApostle is speaking of, to see that he teaches none of those Doctrines\nwhich many are taught to believe he delivers to the prejudice of\nMorality, or good Works; but quite the contrary.\n\nNow what help can such Instruction as this give to the subduing the\ncorrupt Affections, and the bridling betimes the inordinate Desires\nand Appetites of Humane Nature, whereby Men are inabled to live like\nrational Creatures, and to acquit themselves well in all the Relations\nthey shall be hereafter plac'd in, in the World? When it does not so\nmuch as perswade them, or even allow them to think that these are the\nthings by which they shall be judg'd at the Last Day; but substitutes\nin the place hereof groundless Conceits, and a presumptious, Faith,\nwhich so far teaches them to neglect Obedience as that if they pursu'd\nthe just consequence of their own Doctrine (a thing few People do)\nthey would have no Morality at all: And how rarely soever these\nconsequences are follow'd so far as they would lead Men, yet that they\nare too much so, is visible in that little concern which such People\ntake (as has been now observ'd) in training up their Children betimes\nin the knowledge and practice of Vertue; so necessary to the making\nthem hereafter Vertuous, that rarely are any found eminently to be so,\nwhere this means has been neglected; even many who are always very\nsincere in the Profession of Religion, having (thro' the want of this\nearly care taken of them) their Passions never subjected to their\nReason; which renders them all their Lives long uneasie to themselves,\nand others: Whereby also the very profession of Religion is\ndishonour'd, and evil spoken of.\n\nIn the Church of _England_, (whatever her Articles may be thought to\nteach) there are not many now who hold these Opinions; and such as do\nnot so, rightly looking upon Vertue as the great perfection of Humane\nNature, and the End which Christianity is intended to promote, do\naccordingly (if they are serious in their Religion) instruct their\nChildren much better than those abovementioned are wont to do theirs;\nat least, they design it: For it is true that the performance does\noften fall short; because (as has been said) their Actions correspond\nnot with their Instructions; and also from hence That Zeal for\nMorality makes some, in recommending thereof, too forgetful of that\nDoctrine of Faith, without which, as works avail not, so also the\ngreatest encouragement to, and inforcement of Morality, is lost. And\nwhen any who are profess'd Teachers of the Christian Religion do this,\nsuch Men do frequently confirm in their wrong Apprehensions concerning\nit, those whom they would convince of mistaking the design of the\nGospel; since _Faith_ is so evidently therein the Doctrine of\nSalvation, that They who never preach it, are not altogether without\nReason suspected either of not understanding Consequences, or else of\nnot being in earnest Christians, but conceal'd Deists, and Betrayers\nof the Christian Religion. Altho' the Truth herein for the most part\nis, that one Error unhappily produces another, and the partial regard\nof some to the Doctrine of Faith (which yet they misrepresent) as if\nthe whole business of our Salvation consisted in That, has been an\noccasion to other Men of as partially espousing the Doctrine of Good\nWorks; whilst in their heat against what is contrary to Truth in\nrespect thereof, they establish not sufficiently that Justifying Faith\nof the Gospel, by which alone Men shall obtain Eternal Life, and not\nby their Works: the best Men's Obedience having (as has been already\nobserv'd) imperfection in it; from whence all are necessarily\ncondemn'd by the Rigour of the Law, and must accordingly be found\nGuilty, by him, _Who is of Purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity_; had\nnot God, in Mercy to Mankind, been pleas'd to establish _a New\nCovenant of Grace_ in compliance with the Terms whereof, _viz._ Faith\nin his Son, they may obtain Eternal Life. A Doctrine (as has been\nseen) the most highly conducing that is possible to the making Men\nlabour after the perfectest Obedience. The Exalters of _Faith_\ntherefore in opposition to _Good Works_ do not more undermine\n_Morality,_ than the Advancers of the Doctrine of _Good Works_ to the\nExclusion of _Free Grace,_ do undermine Reveal'd, and in consequence\nthereof, Natural Religion also. The which two sort of Men divide, if\none may so say, a good Christian betwixt them; the latter whereof take\nthe Soul and Spirit of Christianity, but cannot be acquitted of\nneglecting what is not less essential in the Doctrine of our\nSalvation; and that not only because what God has joyn'd Man cannot\ndisjoyn; but also because it is an Eternal Verity, that such Creatures\nas we are, cannot consistently with the Attributes of God, any other\nway than that of Justification by Faith, be intitled to Eternal Life.\nFor the Dispensation of the Gospel is not a meerly Arbitrary thing;\nbut is the result of Infinite Wisdom, and Goodness, for the Salvation\nof Men. And if the Beauty and Harmony of its Divine Contrivance is not\nto all Men evident, it is because they search not for the Christian\nReligion purely, as it is deliver'd in the Scriptures, but take it up\ntogether with the mixtures of Humane inventions, and conceits; wherein\nAdditions and Substractions have been made to the Truth of God, at\nMens Pleasure: Whose several Systems and Notions, whilst every one yet\nindeavours to support by Scripture Authority, many become thereby\ndiscourag'd from the study of those Holy Oracles, as being perswaded\nfrom hence that the Bible is (at best) a Book too difficult to be\nunderstood by them; if not truly, a Rhapsodie of contradictions, that\nmay be brought alike to assert any thing that shall come into Men's\nFancies to prove from thence.\n\nWhat then should those who would cure, or prevent all Mistakes\nprejudicial to the right understanding the Christian Religion so\ncarefully do, as to perswade and ingage People diligently and with\nunprejudic'd Minds to study the Scriptures; and not (as is usual) to\nembrace Opinions concerning Religion first, and then consult the\nScriptures only to fortifie from thence their preconceiv'd Sentiments?\nfor doing thus they do in effect, but rely blindly upon the Teachings\nof Men, and such Men too (as God knows have themselves for the most\npart) as blindly follow'd others; whilst here and there some few (as\nhaving more refin'd Wits, and disdaining such Shackles as the\ngenerality like to wear, yet not loving the Truth in the Simplicity\nthereof) have sought to improve and adorn it by their Philosophical\nConceits, and Notions; a Thing no less dangerous than the Former. For\nto such as are better pleas'd with curious Speculations, than plain\nand obvious Verities, it is very apt to happen that a Favourite\nHypothesis, or Opinion, shall run quite away with their Reason and\nJudgment: which when it does, the Scriptures are sure to be\ninterpreted with conformity to that as if it were an Eternal, and\nUnquestionable Principle of Truth. And thus too often is it seen that\nthe Sacred Doctrines of Divine Revelation are submitted to be try'd by\nPhilosophical Fancies, as a Criterion of their Truth; which is truly a\nmore direct disservice to Christianity than the above-mentioned\nimplicite Faith, since this evidently exposes even the Divine\nAuthority of the Christian Religion to be question'd. For when any,\nespecially if such whose profession it is to be Teachers of this\nReligion, shall either argue against the plain Sense of what is\ndeliver'd in the Scriptures, meerly because it is not reconcileable to\ntheir preconceiv'd Sentiments: or to those of their Admir'd Masters of\nReason; or else shall insist upon some of their own or these Mens\nTheorems as necessary to be believ'd in confirmation of any thing\ntaught by our Saviour, or his Apostles; what can the Natural effect of\nthis be, but to make such as have not the leisure, or inclination to\nexamine the Truth of this Revelation, Sceptical in regard thereof; by\nperswading them that those themselves who are rational Men amongst the\nvery Teachers of the Christian Religion, are not very clearly and\nfully convinc'd of its Divine Authority; since if they were, they\nwould certainly submit their Opinions to be try'd by the Scriptures,\nand not warp the Scriptures to a compliance with their Opinions; or\nthink the Doctrines contain'd in them needed any other confirmation to\nsupport them. And wherefore must it be thought that such Men, as\nthese, are not convinc'd of the divine Revelation of the Christian\nReligion, but from hence, that they (who will be presum'd to have\nexamin'd this matter the best of any Men) do find indeed some flaw or\njust cause of doubt in the evidence thereof? From whence it is that\nthey prefer their Natural Reason as a surer Teacher than that\nRevelation; however on some occasions they speak highly of it. And as\nMen of this Philosophical Genius have usually more Vertue than those\nwho hoodwink'd follow their Leaders; or than such who look upon\nVertue as no part of Religion; there will, on this account, as also\nfor the Reputation of their uncommon Science, be probably a\ndistinguishing esteem had of such: Whence the apparent want of\ndeference in these Men to the Scriptures (liable to be look'd upon as\nsome degree of Scepticism) is of dangerous Example; which is obviously\nmanifest in that direct tendency this has to satisfie those in their\ninfidelity, who cannot, or will not, find leisure to examine for\nthemselves the Truths of Religion. But there is also a farther ill\ninfluence which apparent want of deference to Scripture Authority in\nthose who pretend to believe (and, much more, to teach the Gospel)\nhas: And that is to the countenanceing too much that Multitude who\npreferring the Christian Religion, do in their Practical that which\nthese Men do in their Speculative Opinions, _viz._ make the dictates\nof the Gospel their Rule so far only, as they are vouch'd for and\nAuthoriz'd by their Reason, infected, as it is, by Custom, Passion, or\nWorldly Interest; which is done by very many who would be offended to\nhave their belief of the Scriptures Question'd. But however they\nprofess to own them, none who act thus can be rationally thought to be\nsincerely perswaded of their divine Authority, altho' it is possible\nthat many such Men may have no intire disbelief thereof neither; it\nbeing barely not assenting, which is the Natural Effect of Ignorance\nin those who have good Sense enough to see that it is irrational, to\nbe confidently assur'd of what they have not sufficient Reason to be\nso assur'd of.\n\nNow this want of a firm assent to the Divine Authority of the\nScriptures in such as yet profess to own them for the word of God, is\nunquestionably evident when such Men acquiesce not in the Precepts of\nthe Gospel, as the Rule of their Actions, any farther than they find\nthose Precepts to be Authoriz'd by the Testimony of their Reason: Of\nwhich manner of acting many very common examples may be easily\nbrought.\n\nIt is true that how much soever a Man is perswaded of the Authority of\nany Rule, a strong Passion, or Apparent Interest may yet seduce him\nfrom the Obedience due to its prescriptions; but such a Transgression\nbeing accompanied with Regret, or followed with Repentance, the Rule\nis still as much acknowledg'd as if it were obey'd; and none, on the\nscore of a contrary practice, are chargeable with a disbelief thereof,\nbut such who do, on a deliberate Choice and without Remorse,\ntransgress against it; which many professing to be Christians not\nonly themselves do, but even teach their Children the like: in which\nlatter case it cannot be suppos'd that they are misled by the strength\nof any prevailing Passion.\n\nThat we should forgive our Enemies and be patient under injuries (for\ninstance) are, as plainly as words can make them so, commanded in the\nScriptures; yet how many are there professing to believe that the\nScriptures are the Word of God, who, as if no such Commands as these\nwere deliver'd by Christ, or his Disciples, do both Practice and\nTeach, the not putting up Affronts unreveng'd; and this only because\nthe Fashion of the Country has establish'd it, that a Gentleman cannot\ndo so with _Honour_? A Term which herein signifies nothing, but\nagreeably to certain measures of acting that Men have Arbitrarily made\nfor themselves, and which are not founded upon any Principle of right\nReason; however to be obey'd, it seems, by a Gentleman preferably to\nthe Commands of Christ. If there are Cases wherein from want of a due\nprovision in Governments against some sort of Injuries it may be\nthought that Men are excusable in asserting their own Cause, yet thus\nmuch is at the least certain, That this Precept of Forgiveness could\nnot be transgress'd against, as it very frequently is, by Men\nprofessing to believe the Authority of the Scriptures, if such were\nindeed fully perswaded that it was a divine Command which prohibited\nthe avenging of our selves.\n\nBut others there are (contrary to these Men) who would find it\naltogether condemnable for a Man to hazard his own, and anothers Life\nin a Duel, or Rencounter (tho' caus'd by the Transport of ever so just\na provocation) who would see no Evil in his mispending of his Time,\nconsuming Day after Day, and Year after Year, uselesly to himself, or\nothers, in a course of continual Idleness and Sauntring; as if he was\nmade only to Eat and to Drink, or to gratifie his Senses. And how few\nParents are there of Quality, even among such as are esteem'd the most\nvertuous, who do not permit their Daughters to pass the best part of\ntheir Youth in that Ridiculous Circle of Diversions, which is pretty\ngenerally thought the proper business of Young Ladies; and which so\ningrosses them that they can find no spare Hours, wherein to make any\nsuch improvements of their understanding, as the leisure which they\nhave for it exacts from them as rational Creatures; or as is requisite\nor useful to the discharging well their present, or future Duties?\n\nSome formal Devotions are (perhaps) necessary to some of These, to\npreserve them even in their own good esteem; and they that can\nregularly find half an Hour, or an Hour in a Day to employ in private\nupon this, and in reading some pious Book, together with, it may be, a\ncertain Number of Chapters in the Bible, need nothing more to make\nthem be cry'd up for great examples to the Age they live in; as if all\nthis while there were no Precepts for these People in the Gospel,\nconcerning the improvement of their Time, and Talents, as things\nwhereof they must one Day be accountable. For others it may be they\ncannot but see that there are such Commands; but the Sacred Law of\nFashion has made endless Idle Visits, and less Innocent\nEntertainments, the indispensibly constant Employment of those of\ntheir Condition: and when they are grown Old in the perpetually\nrepeated round of such Impertinence and Folly, they have but labour'd\nmuch in their Calling.\n\nAnother Instance how little many, who profess to believe the\nScriptures, do apparently look upon them as the Rule of their Actions,\nwe have in regard of the Precept _not to Covet_; which is as much\nforbidden by the Law of God as _not to Steal_, or Cozen a Man of what\nis his property: And yet the same Parents who have bred their Children\nin such a Sense of the Enormity of these last Vices, as that they\noftentimes seem to them like things that they are Naturally uncapable\nof, are so far from teaching them to restrain their Exorbitant\nDesires, that very oft they themselves with care inspire these into\nthem: Whence it is sufficiently clear that the difference made between\nStealing and Cheating, or Coveting (alike forbidden by the Law of God)\nis from hence, That Ambition is thought a Passion becoming some Ranks\nof Men, but Cheating or Stealing not Vices proper for a Gentleman. A\ndistinction that must needs refer to some other Rule than that of the\nGospel; which therefore is not That which, as a Divine Law, does\nprescribe to such Men the Measures of their Actions.\n\nTo bring but one instance more of the Commands of Christ being\ncomply'd with but so far only, as they do comply with some other Rule\nprefer'd thereto by such as yet pretend to be Christians; _Chastity_\n(for example) is, according to the Gospel, a Duty to both Sexes, yet a\nTransgression herein, even with the aggravation of wronging another\nMan, and possibly a whole Family thereby, is ordinarily talk'd as\nlightly of, as if it was but a Peccadillo in a Young Man, altho' a far\nless Criminal Offence against this Duty in a Maid shall in the\nOpinion of the same Persons brand her with perpetual Infamy: The\nnearest Relations oftentimes are hardly brought to look upon her after\nsuch a dishonour done by her to their Family; whilst the Fault of her\nmore guilty Brother finds but a very moderate reproof from them; and\nin a little while, it may be, becomes the Subject of their Mirth and\nRaillery. And why still is this wrong plac'd distinction made, but\nbecause there are measures of living establish'd by Men themselves\naccording to a conformity, or disconformity with which, and not with\nthe Precepts of Jesus Christ, their Actions are measur'd, & judg'd of?\nA thing which would be unaccountable if Men were indeed heartily\nperswaded of the Divine Revelation of our Saviours Doctrine; and did\nnot profess to believe this but because it is the Fashion of their\nCountry so to do; and that their Parents have done so before them;\nor, at most, that possibly they may have receiv'd from their Education\nsome impressions which will not permit them to reject the Christian\nReligion, any more than firmly induce their Assent to the Truth of it.\n\nThat Men who have any Vertue, or Sobriety, and who are not intirely\ndestitute of good Sense, can suffer in themselves such an uncertainty\nabout what is of so great moment to them as the Truths of the\nChristian Religion, is indeed strange; but as the slightest Arguments\nagainst any Truth have some weight to those who know not the Evidence\nof that Truth, so also such as have never been accustom'd, whilst\nYoung, to exercise themselves in any Rational Inquiry, do usually in a\nmore advanc'd Age look upon the easiest Labour of this kind as\npainful: And thence (for the most part) do either lazily think it\nbest to acquiesce, as well as they can, in such Mens Sentiments as\nthey have imagin'd the best to understand this matter; or else are\nreadily inclin'd from the disagreement, and contrariety of Peoples\nthoughts about it, to take a Resolution of not troubling themselves at\nall concerning it; as being a thing wherein there is no certainty to\nbe found, and probably therefore but little Truth: An Opinion which\nthe too commonly avow'd Scepticism of the Age helps much to confirm\nunthinking People in; and that the more, because to doubt of what the\nmost believe (tho' few have any other Reason for so doubting but that\nothers do not doubt) has very much prevail'd in our Days to intitle\nMen to the Reputation of more than ordinary Wit and Sagacity. But the\nScepticism among us has truly been so far from being the effect of\nuncommon Light, and Knowledge; as that it has been, and is much owing\nto the preceding fashionableness of a very general Ignorance, both in\nregard of Religion, and also of other useful Sciences; for Men's not\nknowing how profitably, and with pleasure to employ their Time, is\napparently one great cause of their Debauchery; and so long as the\nConsciousness and Shame of not acting like rational Creatures is not\nextinguished in them, the uneasiness of that remorse puts them\nNaturally upon seeking out Principles to justifie their Conduct upon;\nfew Men being able to indure the constant Reproaches of their own\nReason: Whence if they do not conform their Actions to the dictates of\nthat, they will Naturally indeavour to warp their Reason to a\ncompliance with their practices: A reconcilement one way, or other,\nbetween these, being necessary to the making Men, that are not very\nprofligate indeed, in good conceit, or even at Peace with themselves.\n\nBy that want of Knowledge which I have ventur'd to say is fashionable,\nI understand not only ignorance among Men, who have leisure for it, of\nArts and Sciences in general; but also, and especially the want of\nsuch particular Knowledge as is requisite to every one for the well\ndischarging either their Common or peculiar Business and Duty; wherein\nReligion is necessarily included, as being the Duty of all Persons to\nunderstand, of whatever Sex, Condition, or Calling they are of. Now to\naffirm that the greater part of People are ignorant concerning that\nwhich is not only their Duty to know, but which also many are so\nsensible they ought to know, as that they pretend to understand it\nenough to be either zealous about, or else to contemn it; and to\nassert likewise that they want the knowledge of what is peculiarly\nbelonging to them, in their particular Station, to understand; are\nsuch Charges as ought not to be alledg'd, if they are not so evidently\ntrue, as that we cannot open our Eyes without seeing them to be so.\n\nIn respect of Religion, it is, I think, universally allow'd to be true\nof the common People of all sorts (tho' surely not without Matter of\nReproach to some, or other, whose Care their better Instruction ought\nto be) that they are very ignorant. But we will consider here only\nsuch superior Ranks of Persons, in reference to whom what has already\nbeen said, has been spoken: And to begin with the Female Sex, who\ncertainly ought to be Christians; how many of these, comparatively,\nmay it be presum'd that there are, from the meanest Gentlewoman to the\ngreatest Ladies, that can give any such account of the Christian\nReligion, as would inform an inquisitive Stranger what it consisted\nin; and what are the grounds of believing it? Such Women as understand\nsomething of the distinguishing Opinions of that Denomination they\nhave been bred up in, are commonly thought highly intelligent in\nReligion; but I think there are but very few, even of this little\nnumber, who could well inform a rational Heathen concerning\nChristianity itself: Which is an Ignorance inexcusable in them, tho',\nperhaps, it is very often the effect only of the want of other useful\nKnowledge, for the not having whereof, Women are much more to be\npitty'd than blam'd.\n\nThe improvements of Reason, however requisite to Ladies for their\nAccomplishment, as rational Creatures; and however needful to them for\nthe well Educating of their Children, and to their being useful in\ntheir Families, yet are rarely any recommendation of them to Men; who\nfoolishly thinking, that Money will answer to all things, do, for the\nmost part, regard nothing else in the Woman they would Marry: And not\noften finding what they do not look for, it would be no wonder if\ntheir Off-spring should inherit no more Sense than themselves. But be\nNature ever so kind to them in this respect, yet through want of\ncultivating the Tallents she bestows upon those of the Female Sex, her\nBounty is usually lost upon them; and Girls, betwixt silly Fathers and\nignorant Mothers, are generally so brought up, that traditionary\nOpinions are to them, all their lives long, instead of Reason. They\nare, perhaps, sometimes told in regard of what Religion exacts, That\nthey must _Believe_ and _Do_ such and such things, because the Word\nof God requires it; but they are not put upon searching the Scriptures\nfor themselves, to see whether, or no, these things are so; and they\nso little know why they should look upon the Scriptures to be the Word\nof God, that but too often they are easily perswaded out of the\nReverence due to them as being so: And (if they happen to meet with\nsuch bad examples) are not seldom brought from thence, even to scoff\nat the Documents of their Education; and, in consequence thereof, to\nhave no Religion at all. Whilst others (naturally more dispos'd to be\nReligious) are either (as divers in the Apostles Days were) _carry'd\naway with every wind of Doctrine, ever learning and never coming to\nthe knowledge of the Truth_; Weak, Superstitious, Useless Creatures;\nor else, if more tenacious in their Natures, blindly and conceitedly\nweded to the Principles and Opinions of their Spiritual Guides; who\nhaving the direction of their Consciences, rarely fail to have that\nalso of their Affairs and Fortunes. A Wife of which sort proves, very\noften, no small unhappiness to the Family where she comes; for this\nkind of ignorant Persons are, of all others, the most Arrogant; and\nwhen they are once intitl'd to Saintship for their blind Zeal, as\nnothing is more troublesome than they in finding fault with, and\ncensuring every one that differs from them, so to their Admirers (who\nlead them as they please) they think they can never pay enough for\nthat Incence which is offer'd them: The dearest Interests of Humane\nLife being, oftentimes, thus sacrific'd to a vain Image of Piety;\n_whilst makers of long Prayers_ have _devour'd Widows Houses_.\n\nBut what is here said implying that Ladies should so well understand\ntheir Religion, as to be able to answer both to such who oppose, and\nto such who misrepresent it; this may seem, perhaps, to require that\nthey should have the Science of Doctors, and be well skill'd in\nTheological Disputes and Controversies; than the Study of which I\nsuppose there could scarce be found for them a more useless\nEmployment. But whether such Patrons of Ignorance as know nothing\nthemselves which they ought to know, will call it Learning, or not, to\nunderstand the Christian Religion, and the grounds of receiving it; it\nis evident that they who think so much knowledge, as that, to be\nneedless for a Woman, must either not be perswaded of the Truth of\nChristianity; or else must believe that Women are not concern'd to be\nChristians. For if Christianity be a Religion from God, and Women\nhave Souls to be sav'd as well as Men; to know what this Religion\nconsists in, and to understand the grounds on which it is to be\nreceiv'd, can be no more than necessary Knowledge to a Woman, as well\nas to a Man: Which necessary Knowledge is sufficient to inable any one\nso far to answer to the Opposers or Corrupters of Christianity, as to\nsecure them from the danger of being impos'd upon by such Mens\nArgumentations; which is all that I have thought requisite for a Lady;\nand not that she should be prepar'd to challenge every Adversary to\nTruth.\n\nNow that thus much knowledge requires neither Learned Education, or\ngreat Study, to the attaining of it, appears in that the first\nChristians were mean and illiterate People; to which part of Mankind\nthe Gospel may rather be thought to have had a more especial regard\nthan that they are any way excluded from the Benefits thereof by\nincapacity in them to receive it. In the Apostles Days _there were not\nmany Wise who were call'd_, and he tells us that _after that the World\nby Wisdom knew not God: it pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching\nto save them that believe_, and tho' _to the perfect_ the same Apostle\nsays, he did _Preach Wisdom_, yet it was the simplicity and plainness\nof the Christian Religion that made it _to the Jews a stumbling block,\nand to the Greeks foolishness_. From whence, we see that all Theorems\ntoo abstruse for Vulgar Apprehensions, which Christianity is believ'd\nto Teach, however Divine Truths, are yet no part of the Doctrine of\nSalvation. There is not therefore this pretence to impose upon any one\nthe belief of any thing which they do not find to be reveal'd in\nScripture; the doing of which, has not only caus'd deplorable\ndissentions among Christians, but also been an occasion to multitudes\nof well meaning People of having so confus'd and unsatisfactory\nconceptions and apprehensions concerning the Christian Religion as\ntho' perhaps not absolutely, or immediately prejudicial to their\nSalvation, yet are so to their seeing clearly that Christianity is a\nrational Religion; without which few will be very secure from the\ninfection of Scepticism, or Infidelity, where those are become\nfashionable, and prevailing. A danger to which many Women are no less\nexpos'd than Men, and oftentimes, more so. Whence it is but needful\nthat they should so well understand their Religion as to be Christians\nupon the Convictions of their Reason; which is indeed no more than one\nwould think it became every Christian, as a rational Creature, to be;\nwere this not requisite in regard of Scepticism, and Infidelity, as\nto some it is not; there being, no doubt, many a Country Gentlewoman\nwho has never in her Life heard Question'd, or once imagined that any\none in their Wits could Question the Articles of her Faith; which yet\nshe her self knows not why she believes.\n\nFrom the too Notorious Truth of what has been said in reference to the\nlittle that Women know concerning Religion, it must be granted that\nthe generality of them are shamefully Ignorant herein. As for other\nScience, it is believ'd so improper for, and is indeed so little\nallow'd them, that it is not to be expected from them: but the cause\nof this is only the Ignorance of Men.\n\nThe Age, we live in, has been, not undeservedly, esteem'd a knowing\none: But to the Learned Clergy much has been owing for its having\nobtain'd that Character; and tho' some few Gentlemen have been the\ngreatest advancers of Learning amongst us; yet they are very rare who\napply themselves to any Science that is curious: And as for such\nknowledge as is no less than requisite for Men of Families, and\nEstates to have in regard of the proper business of their Station; it\nmay, I think, be said that never was this more neglected than at\npresent; since there is not a commoner complaint in every County than\nof the want of Gentlemen Qualified for the Service of their Country,\n_viz._ to be Executors of the Law, and Law Makers; both of which it\nbelonging to this Rank of English Men to be, some insight into the Law\nwhich they are to see Executed, and into that Constitution which they\nare to support, cannot but be necessary to their well dischargeing\nthese Trusts: Nor will this Knowledge be sufficiently Servicable to\nthe Ends herein propos'd, without some Acquaintance likewise with\nHistory, Politicks, and Morals. Every one of these then are parts of\nKnowledge which an English Gentleman cannot, without blame, be\nIgnorant of, as being essential to the duly Qualifying him for what is\nhis proper business.\n\nBut whether we farther look upon such Men as having Immortal Souls\nthat shall be for ever Happy or Miserable, as they comply with the\nTerms which their Maker has propos'd to them; or whether we regard\nthem as Protestants, whose Birthright it is not blindly to _Believe_,\nbut to Examine their Religion; Or consider them only as Men whose\nample Fortunes allow them leisure for so important a Study, they are\nwithout doubt oblig'd to understand the Religion they profess. Adding\nthis then to what it is above concluded a Gentleman ought to know,\nlet us examine how common such Knowledge only is amongst our\nGentlemen, as we see, without just matter of Reproach to them, they\ncannot want: No one, I think, will deny that so much knowledge as this\nis so little ordinary, as that those are apparently the far greater\nnumber who have never consider'd any part hereof as an Acquisition,\nwhich they ought to make; and that they are but a few comparatively,\nand pass among us for Men extraordinary, who have but a competent\nknowledge in any one of the above-mention'd things.\n\nWhat is by the Obligations of their Duty exacted from them in this\nregard, seems to be very little reflected on by them; and as for other\nConsiderations, which, as Gentlemen, might be thought to induce them,\ntheir Ancestors care has distinguish'd them from their Tenants, and\nother inferior Neighbours, by Titles and Riches; and that is all the\ndistinction which they desire to have; believing it, in respect of\nKnowledge, sufficient, if they did once understand a little Latin or\nLogick in the University; which whoso still retains, altho' he has\nmade no use thereof to the real improvement of his understanding, is\nyet thought very highly accomplish'd, and passes (in the Country) for\nLearned.\n\nAs to Religion, by the little which most Gentlemen understand of that,\nand by the no shame which they ordinarily enough have in avowing this\ntheir ignorance, one cannot but suppose that it is pretty commonly\nthought by them a matter, the understanding whereof does not concern\nthem: That the Publick has provided others to do this for them: And\nthat their part herein is but to maintain (so far as by their\nAuthority they can) what those Men assert.\n\nThus wretchedly destitute of all that Knowledge which they ought to\nhave, are (generally speaking) our English Gentlemen: And being so,\nwhat wonder can it be, if they like not that Women should have\nKnowledge; for this is a quality that will give some sort of\nsuperiority even to those who care not to have it? But such Men as\nthese would assuredly find their account much better therein, if\ntenderness of that Prerogative would teach them a more legitimate way\nof maintaining it, than such a one as is a very great impediment or\ndiscouragement, at the least, to others in the doing what God requires\nof them. For it is an undeniable Truth that a Lady who is able but to\ngive an account of her Faith, and to defend her Religion against the\nattaques of the Cavilling Wits of the Age; or the Abuses of the\nObtruders of vain Opinions: That is capable of instructing her\nChildren in the reasonableness of the Christian Religion; and of\nlaying in them the Foundations of a solid Vertue; that a Lady (I say)\nno more knowing than this does demand, can hardly escape being call'd\nLearned by the Men of our days; and in consequence thereof, becoming a\nSubject of Ridicule to one part of them, and of Aversion to the other;\nwith but a few exceptions of some vertuous and rational Persons. And\nis not the incuring of general dislike, one of the strongest\ndiscouragements that we can have to any thing?\n\nIf the assistance of Mothers be, as I have already affirm'd it is,\nnecessary to the right forming of the Minds, and regulating of the\nManners of their Children; I am not in the wrong in reckoning (as I\ndo) that this care is indispensibly a Mothers Duty. Now it cannot, I\nthink, be doubted, but that a Mothers Concurrence and Care is thus\nnecessary, if we consider that this is a work which can never be too\nsoon begun, it being rarely at all well performed, if not betimes\nundertaken; nothing being so effectual to the making Men vertuous, as\nto have good Habits and Principles of Vertue establish'd in them\nbefore the Mind is tainted with any thing opposite or prejudicial\nhereunto. Those therefore must needs much over-look the chief Business\nof Education, or have little consider'd the Constitution of Humane\nNature, that reckon for nothing the first eight or ten Years of a Boys\nLife; an Age wherein Fathers, who seldom are able to do it at any\ntime, can neither charge themselves with the care of their Children,\nnor be the watchful inspectors of those that they must be trusted to;\nwho usually and unavoidably by most Parents, are a sort of People far\nfitter to be Learners than Teachers of the Principles of Vertue and\nWisdom; the great Foundation of both which consists in being able to\ngovern our Passions, and subject our Appetites to the direction of our\nReason: A Lesson hardly ever well learnt, if it be not taught us from\nour very Cradles. To do which requires no less than a Parents Care and\nWatchfulness; and therefore ought undoubtedly to be the Mothers\nbusiness to look after, under whose Eye they are. An exemption from\nwhich, Quality (even of the highest degree) cannot give; since the\nRelation between the Mother and Child is equal amongst all Ranks of\nPeople. And it is a very preposterous Abuse of Quality to make it a\npretence for being unnatural. This is a Truth which perhaps would\ndisplease many Ladies were it told them, and therefore, probably, it\nis that they so seldom hear it: But none of them could be so much\noffended with any one for desiring hereby to restrain them from some\nof their expensive and ridiculous Diversions, by an employment so\nworthy of Rational Creatures, and so becoming of maternal tenderness,\nas it is just to be with them for neglecting their Children: A Fault\nthat women of Quality are every way too often guilty of, and are\nperhaps more without excuse for, than for any other that they are\nordinarily taxable with. For tho' it is to be fear'd that few Ladies\n(from the disadvantage of their own Education) are so well fitted as\nthey ought to be, to take the care of their Children, yet not to be\nwilling to do what they can herein, either as thinking this a matter\nof too much pains for them, or below their Condition, expresses so\nsenseless a Pride, and so much want of the affectionate and\ncompassionate Tenderness natural to that Sex and Relation, that one\nwould almost be tempted to question whether such Women were any more\ncapable of, than worthy to be the Mothers of Rational Creatures.\n\nBut natural Affection apart, it should be consider'd by these, that no\none is Born into the World to live idly; enjoying the Fruit and\nBenefit of other Peoples Labours, without contributing reciprocally\nsome way or other, to the good of the Community answerably to that\nStation wherein God (the common Father of all) has plac'd them; who\nhas evidently intended Humane kind for Society and mutual Communion,\nas Members of the same Body, useful every one each to other in their\nrespective places. Now in what can Women whose Condition puts them\nabove all the Necessities or Cares of a mean or scanty Fortune, at\nonce so honourably and so usefully, both to themselves and others, be\nemploy'd in as in looking after the Education and Instruction of their\nown Children? This seems indeed to be more particularly the Business\nand Duty of such than of any others: And if example be necessary to\nperswade them that they will not herein do any thing mis-becoming\ntheir Rank, the greatest Ladies amongst us may be assur'd that those\nof a Condition superior to theirs, have heretofore been so far from\nthinking it any abasement to them to charge themselves with the\ninstruction of their own Children, that (to their Immortal Honour)\nthey have made it part of their Business to assist to that of other\nPeoples also, who were likely one day to be of consequence to the\nCommon-wealth. And could the bare Love of their Country induce, among\nmany more, the great _Cornelia_, Mother of the _Gracchi_, and\n_Aurelia_ the Mother of _Julius Caesar_, to do this for the Sons of\nNoble-men of _Rome_ to whom they had no Relation but that of their\ncommon Country, and shall not the like consideration, or what is\ninfinitely beyond this, that of their Children being hereafter for\never happy or miserable, accordingly as they live in this World,\nprevail with the Ladies of our Days, who call themselves Christians,\nto employ some of their Time and Pains upon their own Off-spring? The\ncare of which (as has been said) should begin with the first Years of\nChildrens Lives, in curbing at the earliest appearance thereof, every\ntheir least evil inclination; and accustoming them to an absolute,\nconstant, and universal Submission and Obedience to the Will of those\nwho have the disposal of them: Since they will hardly ever after\n(especially in a great Fortune) be govern'd by their own Reason, who\nare not made supple to that of others, before they are able to judge\nof fit and unfit, by any other measure than as it is the Will, or not,\nof such whom they believe to have a just Power over them. As they do\nbecome capable of examining and determining their Actions by Reason,\nthey should be taught never to do any thing of consequence heedlesly;\nand to look upon the Dictates of their Reason as so inviolable a Rule\nof their Determinations, that no Passion or Appetite must ever make\nthem swerve therefrom. But instead of following this Method, it is\ncommonly thought too soon to correct Children for any thing, 'till the\nSeason is past for this sort of Discipline; which, if it come too\nlate, is commonly so far from producing the good it was design'd for,\nthat losing the benefit of Correction (which, if duly apply'd, is of\ninfinite use) it turns to a Provocation; and renders stiff and\nincorrigible a Temper it was meant to supple. Nor is it seldom that\nthrough this wrong tim'd Discipline, together with that remisness and\ninequality wherewith Childrens Inclinations are over-rul'd, their\nParents Government over them seems to them not a Natural, and just\nright establish'd for their benefit, but a Tyrannick and Arbritary\nPower, which accordingly they without Remorse disobey, whenever they\nbelieve that they can do so with Impunity: And what is still worse,\ntheir evil Dispositions, for the most part, are not only not timely\nenough restrain'd, but Children are actually taught to indulge to\ntheir naturally irregular Inclinations, by those Vicious or wretchedly\nignorant People, who are plac'd about them; and who almost\nuniversally instil down-right Vice into them, even before they can\nwell speak; as Revenge, Covetousness, Pride and Envy: Whilst the silly\nCreatures who do them so unspeakable Mischiefs are scarce capable of\nbeing made to understand the harm that they do; but think Parents\nill-natur'd, or that they have fancies fit only to be smil'd at, who\nwill deny their Child a thing for no other reason, it may be, but\nbecause he has desir'd it: And who before he is trusted to go alone\nwill check his Resentment, Impatience, Avarice, or Vanity, which they\nthink becomes him so prettily; neither will suffer him to be rewarded\nfor doing what they bid him to do.\n\nThis I am sure, that who so has try'd how very little Sense is to be\nmet with, or can be infus'd into Nurses, and Nurse-Maids; and with\nwhat difficulty even the best of them by those who make it their\nbusiness to watch over them, are restrain'd from what they are\nperswaded has no hurt in it, will soon be satisfy'd how little fit it\nis to trust Children any more than is necessary, in such Hands. And no\nwiser than such, if not much worse, are the greatest part of those who\nare usually their immediate Successors, _viz._ young Scholars and\nFrench Maids, erected into Tutors and Governesses, only for the sake\nof a little Latin and French.\n\nIn Mr. L---- s excellent _Treatise of Education_, he shews how early\nand how great a Watchfulness and Prudence are requisite to the forming\nthe Mind of a Child to Vertue; and whoso shall read what he has writ\non that Subject, will, it is very likely, think that few Mothers are\nqualify'd for such an undertaking as this: But that they are not so\nis the Fault which should be amended: In the mean time nevertheless,\ntheir presum'd willingness to be in the right, where the Happiness of\ntheir Children is concerned in it, must certainly inable them, if they\nwere but once convinc'd that this was their Duty, to perform it much\nbetter than such People will do, who have as little Skill and Ability\nfor it as themselves; and who besides, that they rarely desire to\nlearn any more than they have, are not induc'd by Affection to do for\nthose under their care all the Good that they can. Since then the\nAffairs either of Men's Callings, or of their private Estates, or the\nService of their Country (all which are indispensibly their Business)\nallows them not the leisure to look daily after the Education of their\nChildren; and that, otherwise, also they are naturally less capable\nthan Women of that Complaisance and Tenderness, which the right\nInstruction and Direction of that Age requires; and since Servants are\nso far from being fit to be rely'd upon in that great concern, that to\nwatch against the Impediments they actually bring thereto, is no small\npart of the care that a wise Parent has to take; I do presume that\n(ordinarily speaking) this so necessary a Work of forming betimes the\nMinds of Children so as to dispose them to be hereafter Wise and\nVertuous Men and Women, cannot be perform'd but by Mothers only. It\nbeing a thing practicable but by a very few to purchase the having\nalways Wise, Vertuous and well Bred People, to take the place of a\nParent in governing their Children; and together with them such\nServants and Teachers, as must peculiarly be employ'd about them; For\nthe World does not necessarily abound with such Persons as these, and\nin such circumstances as not to pretend to more profitable\nemployments than Men of one or two thousand Pounds a Year (and much\nless those great numbers who have smaller Estates) can often afford to\nmake the care of governing their Children from their Infancy to be.\nThe procuring of such a Person as this may (by accident) sometimes be\nin such a ones Power; but to propose the ingaging for reward whenever\nthere shall be need for them, vertuous, wife, and well-bred Men and\nWomen, to spend their time in taking care of the Education of young\nChildren, is what can be done but by a very few; since the doing this\nwould not be found an easy charge to the greater part of almost any\nrank amongst us; unless they would be content for the sake hereof to\nabridge themselves of some of their extravagant Expences; which are\nusually the last that Men will deny themselves.\n\nIt is indeed wonderful (if we consider Men as rational Creatures) to\nsee how much Mony they will often bestow, not upon their Vices only,\n(for this is not so unaccountable) but upon meerly fashionable\nVanities, which give them more Trouble than Pleasure in the enjoyment:\nYet at the same time be as sparing, as is possible, of cost upon a\nChild's Education; and it is certain, that for Rewards considerable\nenough to make it worth their while, those of a far different\nCharacter from such as for the most part undertake it, would be\ninduc'd to accept even the early charge of Childrens Instruction. But\nevery Gentleman of a good Family, or good Estate also, is not in\nCircumstances to propound such sufficient Rewards; and for what the\nmost can afford to give, very few capable of performing this matter\nwell, will trouble themselves about it; at least with such Pupils as\nmust be attended with Nurses or Maids. Wherefore no other remedy, I\nbelieve, can be found but in returning still to our Conclusion, That\nthis great concernment, on which no less than Peoples Temporal and\nEternal Happiness does mightily depend, ought to be the Care and\nBusiness of Mothers. Nor do Women seem less peculiarly adapted by\nNature hereunto, than it can be imagin'd they should be, if the Author\nof Nature (as no doubt he did) design'd this to be their Province in\nthat division of Cares of Humane Life, which ought to be made between\na Man and his Wife. For that softness, gentleness and tenderness,\nnatural to the Female Sex, renders them much more capable than Men are\nof such an insinuating Condescention to the Capacities of young\nChildren, as is necessary in the Instruction and Government of them,\ninsensibly to form their early Inclinations. And surely these\ndistinguishing Qualities of the Sex were not given barely to delight,\nwhen they may, so manifestly, be profitable also, if joyn'd with a\nwell informed Understanding: From whence, _viz._ from Womans being\nnaturally thus fitted to take this care of their little Ones, it\nfollows, that besides the injustice done to themselves thereby, it is\nneglecting the Direction of Nature for the well breeding up of\nChildren, when Ladies are render'd uncapable hereof, through the want\nof such due improvements of their Reason as are requisite hereunto.\n\nThat this has been no more reflected upon from a Principle of Pitty to\nthat tender Age of Children which so much requires help, seems very\nstrange: For what can move a juster Commiseration than to see such\npoor innocents, so far from having the Aid they stand in need of, that\neven those who the most wish to do them good, and who resent, with\nthe deepest Compassion, every little Malady which afflicts their\nBodies, do never attempt to rescue them from the greatest evils which\nattend them in this Life, but even themselves assist to plunge them\ntherein, by cherishing in them those Passions which will inevitably\nrender them miserable? A thing which can never be otherwise whilst\nWomen are bred up in no right Notions of Religion and Vertue; or to\nknow any use of Reason but in the service of their Passions and\nInclinations; or at best of their (comparatively trivial) Interests.\n\nTo assert upon this occasion, that Ladies would do well, if, before\nthey came to the care of Families, they did imploy some of their many\nidle Hours in gaming a little Knowledge in Languages, and the useful\nSciences, would be, I know, to contradict the Sense of most Men; but\nyet, I think, that such an Assertion admits of no other Confutation\nthan the usual one which opposite Opinions to theirs are wont to\nreceive from People who Reason not, but live by Fancy, and Custom;\n_viz._ being laugh'd at: For it cannot be deny'd that this Knowledge\nwould hereafter be more, or less, useful to Ladies, in inabling them\neither themselves to teach their Children, or better to over-see and\ndirect, those who do so: And tho' Learning is perhaps the least part\nin Education, it is not to be neglected; but even betimes taken some\ncare of, least a Habit of Idleness, or Inapplication of the Mind be\ngot, which once contracted, is very hardly cur'd.\n\nThis being so, and that the beginnings of all Science are difficult to\nChildren (who cannot like grown People fix their Attention) it is\njustly to befear'd that they should by the ill usage they receive from\nthe impatience and peevishness of such Teachers, as Servants, or Young\nTutors, take an Aversion to Learning (and we see in effect, that this\nvery frequently happens). For the Teaching of little Children so as\nnot to disgust them, does require much greater Patience and Address,\nthan common People are often capable of; or than most can imagine, who\nhave not had experience hereof. But should such Teachers as we have\nspoke of, have the necessary complaisance for those they Teach, there\nis then, on the other side, a yet greater danger to be apprehended\nfrom them, which is that their Pupils will become fond of them; the\nbad effect of which will be, That by an Affectation Natural in\nChildren of imitating those they Love, they will have their Manners\nand Dispositions Tinctur'd and Tainted by those of Persons so dear to\nthem.\n\nNow both the inconveniences here mention'd, might, at least in great\nmeasure, if not wholly, be Remedy'd, would Mothers but be at so much\nPains as to Teach their Children either altogether, or in good part\nthemselves, what it is fit for them to learn in the first Eight or Ten\nYears of their Lives. As to Read English perfectly; To understand\nordinary Latin; and Arithmetick; with some general knowledge of\nGeography, Chronology, and History. Most, or all of which things may\nat the above-said Age be understood by a Child of a very ordinary\ncapacity; and may be so taught Children as that they may learn them\nalmost insensibly in Play, if they have skilful Teachers: It seems to\nme therefore that Young Ladies cannot better employ so much of their\nTime as is requisite hereto, than in acquiring such Qualifications as\nthese, which may be of so great use to them hereafter; however, if any\nwho have not made this early Provision of such Science, are yet truly\ndesirous to do their Children all the good that is in their Power to\ndo them, they may, tho' not with the same Facility, yet be able to\ninstruct them alike, notwithstanding that disadvantage; and Mr. L----\non the Experience thereof, has asserted, That a Mother who understands\nnot Latin before hand, may yet teach it to her Child; which, if she\ncan, it is not to be doubted but that she may do the same of all the\nrest; for such a Superficial Knowledge as will serve to enter any one\nin every of the above-named Sciences, is much easier attain'd than the\nLatin Tongue; and if a Mother have ever so little more Capacity than\nher Child, she may easily keep before him, in teaching both him and\nher self together; whereby she will make herself the best Reparation\nthat she can for her past neglect, or that of her Parents herein: Who\nyet, perhaps, not from negligence may have declin'd giving her this\nadvantage. For Parents sometimes do purposely omit it from an\napprehension that should their Daughters be perceiv'd to understand\nany learned Language, or be conversant in Books, they might be in\ndanger of not finding Husbands; so few Men, as do, relishing these\naccomplishments in a Lady. Nor, probably, would even the example of a\nMother herself who was thus qualify'd, and likewise understood, as is\nafore-said, her Religion, be any great incouragement to her Daughters\nto imitate her example, but the contrary. For this Knowledge, one part\nwhereof is so strictly the Duty of a Christian, and the other so\ninconsiderable to those whose Time commonly lies upon their Hands,\nwould in itself, or in the consequences of it, expose a young Woman of\nQuality (especially if not thought unfit for the fashionable Commerce\nof the World) to be characteriz'd or censur'd, as would not be very\npleasing to her. For if it be consider'd, that she who did seriously\ndesire to make the best use of what she knew, would necessarily be\noblig'd (for the gaining of Time wherein she might do so) to order the\nCourse, and manner of her Life something differently from others of\nher Sex and Condition, it cannot be doubted but that a Conduct, which\ncarry'd with it so much Reproach to Woman's Idleness, and\ndisappointment to Men's Vanity, would quickly be judg'd fit to be\nridicul'd out of the World before others were infected by the example.\nSo that the best Fate which a Lady thus knowing, and singular, could\nexpect, would be that hardly escaping Calumny, she should be in Town\nthe Jest of the _Would-be-Witts_; tho wonder of Fools, and a Scarecrow\nto keep from her House many honest People who are to be pitty'd for\nhaving no more Wit than they have, because it is not their own Fault\nthat they have no more. But in the Country she would, probably, fare\nstill worse; for there her understanding of the Christian Religion\nwould go near to render her suspected of Heresy even by those who\nthought the best of her: Whilst her little Zeal for any Sect or Party\nwould make the Clergy of all sorts give her out for a _Socinian_ or a\n_Deist_: And should but a very little Philosophy be added to her other\nKnowledge, even for an Atheist. The Parson of the Parish, for fear of\nbeing ask'd hard Questions, would be shy of coming near her, were his\nReception ever so inviting; and this could not but carry some ill\nintimation with it to such as Reverenc'd the Doctor, and who, it is\nlikely, might be already satisfy'd from the Reports of Nurses, and\nMaids, that their Lady was indeed a Woman of very odd Whimsies. Her\nprudent Conduct and Management of her affairs would probably secure\nher from being thought out of her Wits by her near Neighbours; but the\nCountry Gentlemen that wish'd her well, could not yet chuse but be\nafraid for her, lest too much Learning might in Time make her Mad.\n\nThe saving of but one Soul from Destruction, is, it is true, a noble\nrecompense for ten Thousand such Censurers as these; but it is\nwondrous strange that only to be a Christian, with so much other\nKnowledge as a Child of Nine or Ten Years Old may, and ought to have,\nshould expose a Lady to so great Reproaches; And what a shame is this\nfor Men whose woful Ignorance is the alone Cause thereof? For it is\nmanifestly true that if the inimitable Author of _Les Caracteres, ou\nles Moeurs de ce Siecle_, had demanded in _England, who forbids\nKnowledge to Women_? It must have been answer'd him, the Ignorance of\nthe Men does so; and the same Answer I think he might have receiv'd in\nhis own Country.\n\n_Monsieur Bruyere_ says indeed, and likely it is, _That Men have made\nno Laws, or put out any Edicts whereby Women are prohibited to open\ntheir Eyes; to Read; to Remember what they Read, and to make use\nthereof in their Conversation, or in composing of Works_. But surely\nhe had little Reason to suppose, as he herein does, that Women could\nnot otherwise than _by Laws and Edicts_ be restrain'd from Learning.\nIt is sufficient for this that no body assists them in it; and that\nthey are made to see betimes that it would be disadvantageous to them\nto have it. For how few Men are there, that arrive to any Eminence\ntherein? tho' Learning is not only not prohibited to them _by Laws and\nEdicts;_ but that ordinarily much Care, and Pains, is taken to give it\nthem; and that great Profits, oftentimes, and, always, Honour attends\ntheir having it.\n\nThe Law of Fashion, establish'd by Repute and Disrepute, is to most\nPeople the powerfullest of all Laws, as Monsieur _Bruyere_ very well\nknew; whose too Satyrical Genius makes him assign as Causes of Womens\nnot having Knowledge, the universally necessary consequences of being\nbred in the want thereof. But what on different occasions he says of\nthe Sex, will either on the one part vindicate them, or else serve\nfor an Instance that this Ingenious Writers Reflections, however\nwitty, are not always instructive, or just Corrections. For either\nWomen have generally some other more powerful Principle of their\nActions than what terminates in rendering themselves pleasing to Men\n(as he insinuates they have not) or else they neglect the improvement\nof their Minds and Understandings, as not finding them of any use to\nthat purpose; whence it is not equal in him to charge it peculiarly\n(as he does) upon that Sex (if it be indeed so much chargeable on them\nas on Men) that they are diverted from Science by _une curiosit\u221a\u00a9 toute\ndifferente de celle qui contente l'Espirt: ou un tout autre gout que\nceluy d'exercer leur Memoire_.\n\nYet since I think it is but Natural, and alike so in both Sexes, to\ndesire to please the other, I may, I suppose, without any Injurious\nReflexion upon Ladies, presume, that if Men did usually find Women the\nmore amiable for being knowing, they would much more commonly, than\nnow they are, be so.\n\nBut the Knowledge hitherto spoken of has a nobler Aim than the\npleasing of Men, and begs only Toleration from them; in granting\nwhereof they would at least equally consult their own advantage: as\nthey could not but find, did They not by a common Folly, incident to\nHumane Nature, hope that contradictions should subsist together in\ntheir Favour; from whence only it is that very many who would not that\nWomen should have Knowledge, do yet complain of, and very impatiently\nbear the Natural, and unavoidable consequences of their Ignorance.\n\nBut what sure Remedy can be found for Effects whose Cause remains? and\non what ground can it be expected that Ignorance and uninstructed\nPersons should have the Venues which proceed from a rightly inform'd\nUnderstanding, and well cultivated Mind? or not be liable to those\nVices which their Natures incline them to? And how should it otherwise\nbe than that they, who have never consider'd the Nature and\nConstitution of Things, or weigh'd the Authority of the Divine Law,\nand what it exacts of them, should be perswaded that nothing can be so\ntruly profitable to them as the Indulgence of their present Passions,\nand Appetites? Which whoso places their Happiness in the satisfaction\nof, cannot fail of being themselves miserable, or of making those so\nwho are concern'd in them.\n\nHumane Nature is not capable of durable satisfaction when the Passions\nand Appetites are not under the direction of right Reason: And whilst\nwe eagerly pursue what disappoints our expectation, or cloys with the\nEnjoyment, as all irregular pleasures, however Natural, do; and whilst\nwe daily create to our selves desires still more vain, as thinking\nthereby to be supply'd with new Delights, we shall ever (instead of\nfinding true Contentment) be subjected to uneasiness, disgust and\nvexation: The unhappy state more, or less, of all who want that\nKnowledge which is requisite to direct their Actions suitably to the\nEnds which as rational Creatures they ought to propose: and as can\ninable them profitably to employ their Time.\n\nBut since Examples do the best perswade, let us see, with respect to\nWomen, in the most considerable Instances, what plainly are the\nNatural consequences of that Ignorance which they usually are bred in;\nand which Men think so advantageous to themselves. We will suppose\nthen a Lady bred, as the generality of Men think she should be, in a\nblind belief concerning Religion; and taught that it is even\nridiculous for a Lady to trouble her Head about this matter; since it\nis so far from being a Science fit for her, that it indeed properly\nbelongs only to Gown-Men: and that a Woman very well Merits to be\nlaugh'd at who will act the Doctor: Her Duty in the case being plain\nand easie; as requiring only of her to believe and practice what she\nis taught at Church, or in such Books of Piety as shall be recommended\nto her by her Parents, or some Spiritual Director.\n\nThis is generally, I think, the Sense of Men concerning the Knowledge\nwhich Ladies ought to have of Religion: And thus much, I doubt not may\nsuffice for their Salvation. But the saving of their Souls (tho' it\nwere herein as sure as it is possible) is not, I suppose, all that\nMen are Solicitous for in regard of their Wives; their own Honour in\nthat of those so near to them, does I think, much more frequently and\nsensibly employ their Care: And that, too often, appears to be but\nvery weakly secur'd by such an implicit Faith as this. For these\nBelievers (especially if they are thought to have any Wit, as well as\nBeauty) will hardly escape meeting some time or other, with those who\nwill ask them _why they Believe_; and if they find then that they have\nno more Reason for going to Church than they should have had to go to\nMass, or even to the Synagogue, had they been bred amongst Papists or\nJews, they must needs, at the same time, doubt whether, or no, the\nFaith they have been brought up in, is any righter than either of\nthese; from whence they will, (by easy steps) be induc'd to question\nthe Truth of all Religion, when they shall be told by those who have\ninsinuated themselves into their Esteem and good Graces, that indeed\nAll Religions are, alike, the Inventions and Artifices of cunning Men\nto govern the World by; unworthy of imposing upon such as have their\ngood Sense: That Fools only, and Ignorants are kept in Awe, and\nrestrain'd by their Precepts; which, if they observe it, they shall\never find, are the lest obey'd by those who pretend the most to\nobtrude them upon others.\n\nThat this is Language which Women often hear is certain: And such a\none as knows no reason for what she has been taught to believe, but\nhas been reprov'd, perhaps, for demanding one, can very hardly avoid\nbeing perswaded that there is much appearance of Truth in this; whence\nshe will soon come to conclude, that she has hitherto been in the\nwrong, if upon any scruple of Religion, she has not gratify'd her\nInclination, in whatever she imagines might tend to make her Life more\npleasing to her. And should a young Lady, thus dispos'd, find a Lover\nwhom she thinks has a just value for all her good Qualities, which at\nbest, perhaps, procure her but the cold Civility of her Husband, it is\nodds that she may be in danger of giving him cause to wish she had\nbeen better instructed, than may possibly suffice for her Salvation:\nWhich, whatever happens, none can pronounce, may not be secur'd from\nthe allowances due to so great Ignorance, or at least by any timely\nRepentance: Whilst Honour, if not intirely Ship-wrack'd, it is scarce\nreasonable to hope, should suffer no Diminution on such an occasion;\nthe which, that Women the most vertuously dispos'd, may never be\nwithin distance of, will, in an Age like this, be best provided for\nby their being betimes instructed in the true Reasons and Measures of\ntheir Duty; since those, who are so, are not only better able to\ndefend their Vertue, but have also the seldomest occasion for such a\ndefence. Men, how ill soever inclin'd, being aw'd by, and made asham'd\nto attaque with so pittiful Arguments, as Vice admits of, such as they\nsee are rationally Vertuous; whilst easy ignorance is look'd upon as a\nPrey expos'd to every bold Invader: And whatever Garb of Gravity or\nModesty it is cloath'd withal, invites such very often, even where the\nCharms of the Person would not otherwise attract them.\n\nBut as such Men who think that the understanding of Religion is a\nthing needless to Women, do commonly much more believe all other\nrational Knowledge to be so; let us see how reasonably these same Men\nwho willingly allow not to Ladies any employment of their Thoughts\nworthy of them as rational Creatures, do yet complain, that either\nPlay is their daily and expensive pastime; or that they love not to be\nat home taking care of their Children, as did heretofore Ladies who\nwere honour'd for their Vertue; but that an eternal round of idle\nVisits, the Park, Court, Play-houses and Musick Meetings, with all the\ncostly Preparations to being seen in publick, do constantly take up\ntheir Time and their Thoughts. For how heavy an Accusation soever\nthis, in itself, is, may it not justly be demanded of such Men as we\nhave spoken of, what good they imagine Mothers who understand nothing\nthat is fit for their Children to know, should procure to them by\nbeing much in their Company: And next, whether they indeed think it\nequitable to desire to confine Ladies to spend the best part of their\nLives in the Society and company of little Children; when to play with\nthem as a more entertaining sort of Monkeys or Parroquets, is all the\npleasing Conversation that they are capable of having with them? For\nno other Delight can ignorant Women take in the Company of young\nChildren; and if to desire this, is not equitable or just, must it not\nbe concluded, that the greatest part of those, who make the\nabove-mention'd Complaints, do really mean nothing else thereby, but,\nby a colourable and handsome pretence, to oblige their Wives, either\nto be less expensive, or to avoid, it may be, the occasions of gaining\nAdmirers which may make them uneasy? Neither can such, possibly, be\npresum'd upon any Principle of Vertue, to disapprove those ways of\nanothers spending their Time, or Mony, which themselves will either\nupon no consideration forbear; or else do so only, from a preference\nof things as little, or yet less reasonable; as Drinking, Gaming, or\nLew'd Company. Such Persons of both Sexes as These, are indeed but fit\nScourges to chastise each others Folly; and they do so sufficiently,\nwhilst either restraint on the one side begets unconquerable hatred\nand aversion; or else an equal indulgence puts all their Affairs into\nan intire confusion and disorder: Whence Want, mutual ill Will,\nDisobedience of Children, their Extravagance, and all the ill effects\nof neglected Government, and bad Example follow; till they make such a\nFamily a very Purgatory to every one who lives in it. And as the\nOriginal cause of all these mischiefs is Peoples not living like\nrational Creatures, but giving themselves up to the blind Conduct of\ntheir Desires and Appetites; so all who in any measure do thus, will\naccordingly, more or less, create vexation to each other, because it\nis impossible that they should ever be at ease, or contented in their\nown Minds.\n\nThere being then so very few reasonable People in the World, as are,\nthat is to say, such who indeavour to live conformably to the Dictates\nof Reason, submitting their Passions and Appetites to the Government\nand Direction of that Faculty which God has given them to that end;\nwhat wonder can it be that so few are happy in a Marry'd Estate? And\nhow little cause is there to charge their Infelicity, as often is\ndone, upon this Condition, as if it were a necessary Consequence\nthereof?\n\nThe necessities of a Family very often, and the injustice of Parents\nsometimes, causes People to sacrifice their Inclinations, in this\nmatter, to interest; which must needs make this State uneasy in the\nbeginning to those who are otherways ever so much fitted to live well\nin such a Relation; yet scarce any vertuous and reasonable Man and\nWoman who are Husband and Wife, can know that it is both their Duty\nand Interest (as it is) reciprocally to make each other Happy without\neffectually doing so in a little time. But if no contrary Inclination\nobstruct this Felicity, a greater cannot certainly be propos'd, since\nFriendship has been allow'd by the wisest, most vertuous, and most\ngenerous Men of all Ages to be the solidest and sweetest pleasure in\nthis World: And where can Friendship have so much advantage to arrive\nto, and be maintain'd in its Perfection, as where two Persons have\ninseparably one and the same Interest; and see themselves united, as\nit were, in their common Off-spring? All People, it is certain, have\nnot a like fitness for, or relish of this pleasure of Friendship,\nwhich therefore, however preferable to others in the real advantages\nof it, cannot be equally valuable to all. But where there is mutually\nthat predominant Disposition to vertuous Love, which is the\nCharacteristick of the most excellent Minds, I think we cannot frame\nan Idea of so great Happiness to be found in any thing in this Life,\nas in a Marry'd State.\n\nIt seems therefore one of the worst Marks that can be of the Vice and\nFolly of any Age when Mariage is commonly contemn'd therein; since\nnothing can make it to be so but Mens Averseness to, or incapacity for\nthose things which most distinguish them from Brutes, Vertue and\nFriendship.\n\nBut it were well if Mariage was not become a State almost as much\nfear'd by the Wise, as despis'd by Fools. Custom and silly Opinion,\nwhose consequences yet are (for the most part) not imaginary, but real\nEvils, do usually make it by their best Friends thought adviseable for\nthose of the Female Sex once to Marry; altho' the Risque which they\ntherein run of being wretched, is yet much greater than that of Men;\nwho (not having the same inducements from the hazard of their\nReputation, or any uneasie dependance) are, from the examples of\nothers Misfortunes, often deter'd from seeking Felicity in a condition\nwherein they so rarely see, or hear of any who find it; it being too\ntrue that one can frequent but little Company, or know the Story of\nbut few Families, without hearing of the publick Divisions, and\nDiscords of Marry'd People, or learning their private Discontents from\ntheir being in that state. But since the cause of such unhappiness\nlies only in the corruption of Manners, were that redress'd, there\nwould need nothing more to bring _Mariage_ into credit.\n\nVice and Ignorance, thus, we see, are the great Sources of those\nMiseries which Men suffer in every state. These, oftentimes, mingle\nGall even in their sweetest Pleasures; and imbitter to them the\nwholesomest Delights. But what remedy hereto can be hop'd for, if\nrational Instruction and a well order'd Education of Youth, in respect\nof Vertue and Religion, can only (as has been said) rectify these\nEvils? For vicious and ignorant Parents are neither capable of this,\nor generally willing that their Children should be instructed or\ngovern'd any other ways, than as themselves have been before them.\n\nOne might hence therefore, it may be, reasonably believe, that God\nreserves to himself, by some extraordinary interposition of his\nprovidence, that Reformation which we are assur'd, will some time be\neffected. But yet if all Persons, eminent by their Quality, who merit\nnot to be rank'd among the Vicious and Ignorant, would give the\nExample, much would thereby be done towards the introducing of a\ngeneral amendment: Since these could make a greater care of Education\nin the above-mention'd Respects, become, in some degree, Fashionable:\nAnd even a reasonable thing will not want Followers, if it be once\nthought the Fashion. We have seen also that Mothers, in regard of\ntheir Childrens Instruction, ought to take upon themselves, as their\nproper Business, a very great part in that concernment; and one would\nthink that there were no inconsiderable number of Ladies amongst us,\nwho might, with hopes of success, be address'd to, that they would\nindeavour to acquit themselves herein of their Duty. I mean all such\nas are unhappily Marry'd; for what so good Reparation can they find\nfor the misfortune of having foolish and vicious Husbands, who neglect\nor treat them ill, as the having Children honour'd for their Vertue,\nand who shall honour and love them, not only as their Parents, but as\nthose to whom they owe much more than their Being?\n\nTo perswade such whose Heads are full of Pleasure, and whose Hours\npass gaily, to seek their satisfaction in things of which they have\nnever yet had any tast, could not reasonably be thought other than a\nvain Attempt: But they who are wretched, one would think, should be\neasily prevail'd with to hearken to any Proposition, which brings but\nthe least glimpse of Happiness to them; and were that tenderness of\ntheir Children, which ingages Mothers to do them all the good they\ncan, less natural than it is to Vertuous Women, one would imagine,\nthat when from these alone they must expect all their Felicity in\nthis Life, they should readily contribute what is in their Power to\nthe securing to themselves this only Blessing which they can propose;\nand which they cannot miss of, without the greatest increase\nimaginable to their present unhappiness: Childrens Ill-doing being an\nAffliction equal to the Joy of their doing well. Which must be an\nunspeakable one to such Parents as are conscious, that this is in\ngreat measure the Fruit and Effect of their right direction. Nor is\nthere any thing which a vertuous Man or Woman does not think they owe,\nor is too much for them to return to those to whom they believe\nthemselves indebted for their being such. How great a Felicity then\nmay a Mother, unhappy in the Relation of a Wife, (by procuring to\nherself such Friends as these) lay up for her declining Age, which\nmust otherwise be more miserable than her unfortunate Youth? And how\nmuch better would she employ her time in this care, than in the\nindulging to a weakness, very incident to tender Minds, which is to\nbemoan themselves, instead of casting about for Relief against their\nAfflictions, whereby they become but yet more soften'd to the\nImpressions of their Sorrow, and every day less able to support them?\n\nThey are usually (it is true) the most Vertuous Women who are the\naptest to bear with immoderate Grief, the ill Humour, or unkindness of\ntheir Husbands: But it is pitty that such, who (in an Age wherein the\ncontrary is too often practis'd) have more Vertue than to think of\nreturning the Injuries they receive, should want so much Wit as not to\nrepay unkindness, with a just contempt of it: But instead thereof,\nfoolishly sacrifice their Lives, or the Comforts of them (which is our\nAll in this World) to those who will not sacrifice the least\ninclination to their reasonable Satisfaction: And how much wiser and\nmore becoming Christians would it be for such Ladies to reflect less\nupon what others owe to them, and more upon what they owe to\nthemselves and their Children, than to abandon themselves, as too many\ndo, to a fruitless Grief; which serves for nothing else, but to render\nthem yet less agreeable to those whom they desire to please; and\nuseless in the World: Diseases, and, in time, constant ill Health\nbeing the almost never failing Effects of a lasting Discontent upon\nsuch feeble Constitutions. But I take leave to say, that the fault of\nthose who make others thus miserable, and the weakness of such who\nthus suffer their Minds to think under Adversity, are in a great\nmeasure both owing to one and the same Cause, viz. Ignorance of the\ntrue Rules and Measures of their Duty; whereby they would be taught\nto correct every excess; together with the want of such other\nKnowledge (suitable to the Capacity and Condition of the Person) as\nwould both usefully and agreably employ their Time: This Knowledge,\ntho' not perhaps of a Nature immediately conducing to form, or rectify\nthe Manners, yet doing so, in a great measure, by restraining or\npreventing the irregularities of them. For as ill natur'd and vicious\nMen, if they know but how pleasantly and profitably to employ those\ntedious hours which lye upon their Hands, would be generally less\nVicious, and less ill Humour'd than they are; so Women of the most\nsensible Dispositions would not give up themselves to sorrow that is\nalways hurtful, and sometimes dangerous both in their Honour and\nSalvation (excess of Tenderness, when abus'd, too often producing\nHatred, and that Revenge) if they were not only very little inform'd\nas to what God requires of them; but also very Ignorant in regard of\nany kind of Ingenious Knowledge, whereby they might delightfully\nemploy themselves, and divert those displeasing Thoughts which\n(otherwise) will incessantly Torment, and Prey upon their Minds. She\nwho has no Inclinations unbecoming a Vertuous Woman, who prefers her\nHusbands Affection to all things in the World; and who can no longer\nfind that pleasure in the ordinary Circle of Ladies Diversions, which\nperhaps, they gave her in her first Youth, is but very ill provided to\nbear Discontent where she proposes her greatest satisfaction, if she\nhas nothing within her self which can afford her pleasure,\nindependently upon others: Which is what none can lastingly have,\nwithout some improvement of their rational Faculties; since as\nChildhood, and Youth, wear off, the relish of those pleasures that\nare suited to them, do so too; on which account the most happy would\nnot ill consult their advantage, if by contracting betimes a Love of\nKnowledge (which is ever fruitful in delight to those who have once a\ntrue taste of it) they provide in their Youth such a Source of\nPleasure for their Old Age as Time will not dissipate, but improve; by\nrendring their Minds no less vigorous, and its Beauties yet more\nattracting, when the short Liv'd ones of their Faces are impair'd, and\ngone. Whilst those whose Youthful Time has been devoted to Vanities,\nor Trifles, Age does inevitably deliver over either to melancholy\nRepentance, or (at best) to the wearisome Languishings which attend a\nLife deprived of Desire and Enjoyment.\n\nNow in the pursuit of that Pleasure which the exercise and improvement\nof the understanding gives, I see no Reason why it should not be\nthought that all Science lyes as open to a Lady as to a Man: And that\nthere is none which she may not properly make her Study, according as\nshe shall find her self best fited to succeed therein; or as is most\nagreeable to her Inclination: provided ever, that all such Knowledge\nas relates to her Duty, or is, any way, peculiarly proper to her Sex,\nand Condition, be principally, and in the first place her Care: For it\nis indeed very preposterous for a Woman to employ her Time in\nenquiries, or speculations not necessary for her, to the neglect of\nthat for Ignorance whereof she will be guilty before God, or blameable\nin the Opinion of all Wise Men; And to do this, is plainly no less\nirrational and absurd, than for one destitute of necessary Cloathing,\nto lay out what should supply that want upon things meerly of\nOrnament. There is yet, methinks, no difference betwixt the Folly of\nsuch Learned Women, and that of Learned Men, who do the same thing,\nexcept that the one is the greater Rarity.\n\nBut it is not perhaps very seasonable to propose that Ladies should\nhave any greater Accomplishments or Improvements of their\nUnderstandings than the well discharging of their Duty requires, till\nit is thought fit for them to have that: The advantages of which to\nMen themselves, and the necessity thereof to a right Education of\ntheir Children of both Sexes are too evident, when reflected upon, not\nto obtain Encouragement of so much Knowledge in Women from all who are\nLovers of Vertue, were it not true that Conviction does not always\noperate. The Law of Fashion or Custom, is still to be obey'd, let\nReason contradict it ever so much: And those bold Adventurers are\nlook'd upon but as a sort of _Don Quixots_; whose Zeal for any\nReformation puts them upon Combating generally receiv'd Opinions, or\nPractices; even tho' the Honour of their Maker be concern'd therein:\nOr (what is nearer to most) their own Private and Temporal Interests.\nI am sure that a just consideration of both these furnishes every one\nwith very cogent inducements to make what opposition they can to\nImmorality, both by amending their own faults, and by indeavouring to\nprevail upon others to correct whatever has contributed to the making\nus a vicious People. For, not to say that it is a rational as well as\nPious Fear that God by some signal Judgment upon such as have abus'd\nmany Mercies, should make an example of them for the deterring of\nothers, it is more certain (tho' usually less reflected upon) that it\nis no way necessary to the punishment of any Wicked Ungrateful Nation,\nthat God should interpose, by some extraordinary act of his\nProvidence, to inflict upon them the due Reward of their\nDisobedience, and Ingratitude: Since so fitly are all things dispos'd\nin their Original Constitution, and the order of Nature to the\nAll-wise ends of their Maker, that (without his especial Interposition\nin the case) the establish'd course of things does bring to pass the\neffects that he sees fit in respect of the Moral, as well as of the\nNatural World; nor scarcely can any People from the avenging Hand of\nthe Almighty, in the most astonishing Judgments which can render them\nan eminent example of his Displeasure, receive any severer\nChastisement, than what they will find in the Natural result and\nconsequences of their Moral Corruption when grown to an Extremity.\n\nIt would be to enter into a large Field of Discourse to shew how\nexperience has always attested this. And we perceive, but too\nsensibly, that Vice proportionably to its measure, carries along with\nit, its own Punishment, to need that we should search for Foreign, or\nRemote examples in proof hereof.\n\nA general Contempt of Religion towards God: Want of Truth and Fidelity\namongst Men: Luxury and Intemperance, follow'd with the neglect of\nindustry, and application to useful Arts and Sciences, are necessarily\nattended with misery, and have been usually also, the Fore-runners of\napproaching Ruine to the best and most flourishing Governments which\nhave been in the World. And as in the same proportion that these\nthings do any where prevail, so must naturally the unhappiness of such\na People; it is evident, that for any Prophane, Debauch'd, or Vicious\nNation to expect a durable Prosperity, is no other than to hope that\nGod will in their Favour (who have justly incur'd his Indignation)\nwithhold the natural Effects of that Constitution and Order of things,\nwhich he has with infinite Wisdom Establish'd: A Conceit too\ncontradictious to Reason, as well as too Presumptuous for any one, I\nsuppose, to entertain.\n\nFINIS.","title":"Occasional Thoughts in Reference to a Vertuous or Christian life","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":34839}