LETTER VII.

Thofe profeffed Chriftians are inexcufable, who flight public worship and the inftitutions of religion. The great importance of a careful education of children, and the bad effects of neglecting it. The example of a perfonage of high character and diftinction recommended.

SIR,

Now fend you fome few additions to the fecond volume of the View of the Deiftical Writers.

In p. 661. 1. 12. notice is taken of fome perfons who profefs to believe the Gospel, and yet live in an habitual neglect of its public worfhip, and facred inftitutions. After inftitutions put a full ftop, and add as follows without breaking the line. But that fuch a neglect is becoming general among us, beyond the example of former times, cannot escape the notice of the most fuperficial observer. There fcarce ever was an inftitution more wifely and beneficially calculated for preferving and promoting the interefts of religion and virtue in the world, than that of fetting apart one day in a week from worldly bufineffes and cares, for the folemnities of public worship, and for inAtructing

Y 4

LETTER
VII.

LETTER Atructing the Chriftian people in the knowlege
VII. of religion, and exhorting them to the practice

of it; and yet, many there are that would take
it ill not to be accounted Chriftians, who seem
to affect an open neglect, or even contempt of
it. But it is not easy to conceive, what rea-
fonable excufe or pretence can be alleged for
fuch a conduct. Will they, in good carneft,
aver, that they look upon it to be a reflection
upon their fenfe, or unworthy of their quality,
to pay their public homage to their Maker and
Redeemer? And to make open profeffions of
their regard to that religion, which yet they
would be thought to believe? Or, have they
fuch an averfion to the exercises of religion,
that the spending an hour or two in folemn acts
of adoration, in prayer and thanksgiving, and
in receiving inftructions and admonitions from
his holy word, is a wearinefs which they cannot
bear? But what is this, but to avow the great
degeneracy of their own minds, and their want
of a proper temper and difpofition for the
nobleft exercises, which beft deferve the atten-
tion of reasonable beings? Or, do they pretend
a high regard to moral virtue, as an excufe for
neglecting pofitive inftitutions But will any
man, of the leaft reflection, who knoweth the
true ftate of things among us, take
upon him
to declare, that the growing neglect of the or
dinances of religion hath contributed to the
promoting the practice of virtue? Or, that mens
morals are generally mended, fince they be

came

t

VII.

came more indifferent to thofe facred folemni- LETTER ties? Nothing is more evident to any one, who impartially confiders the nature of thofe divine inftitutions and ordinances, which are appointed in the Gofpel, than that a due obfervance of them according to their original inftitution, befides its being a public avowal of our religious homage, and of our faith in God, and in our Lord Jefus Chrift, hath a manifeft tendency to promote our moral improvement, and to exercife and strengthen those good affections and difpofitions which naturally lead to a holy and vir tuous practice.

And as there are too many profeffed Chriftians, who openly neglect the inflitutions of religion, there are others who feem to flatter themselves that a mere outward attendance on divine ordinances, and the keeping up a form of religion, will be alone fufficient, though they at the fame time indulge themfelves in a practice contrary to the rules of virtue and morality. But all expedients for reconciling the practice of vice, of diffoluteness, or difhonefty, with the faith and hope of the Gofpel, are vifibly abfurd and vain. The most inconfiftent of all characters is a wicked and vicious Christian.

In

P. 668. I. 13. from the bottom, after impure add as follows, without breaking the line: The general neglect of the education of children, and of family order and religion, is one of the most unhappy fymptoms of the great degeneracy of the prefent age, and which gives

LETTER US melancholy profpects of the fucceeding one. VII. For what can be expected from those who are

bred up under parents, that take no care to inftil worthy principles into their minds, and in families where they fee no figns of religion, or the fear of God? Unnatural parents! who seem to make the real welfare and happiness of their children the leaft of their concern; or, if they take fome care to adorn their bodies, and form their outward behaviour, neglect the culture of their better parts, their minds, or at least take no care to train them up to a juft fenfe of religion and morals, or to a taste for what is truly laudable and excellent! Unhappy children! in whom, for want of proper carly inftruction and discipline, irregular paffions and appetites, and evil habits are daily gathering ftrength, till at length they are turned out, unfurnished with good principles, or worthy fentiments of things, into a world full of temptations and fnares. Is it to be wondered at, if fuch perfons become an easy prey to wicked and impious feducers, and are foon drawn into prophaneness and infidelity, into diffolutenefs and debauchery, which, where. it prevails, tends to corrupt or to extinguifh true probity and public fpirit, and every noble and generous affection and fentiment? And in that cafe, the higher their condition is, and the greater their affluence of fortune, the more pernicious is the contagion of their example; and those who otherwise might have been the orna

ment

ment and fupport, become the difgrace and peft LETTER of the community.

On the contrary, how agreeable is it to behold well-regulated families, children bred up in the fear of God, their minds early principled with juft notions of things, and good affections, and worthy habits, carefully cherished and improved! Those of the one fex, formed under the influence of religion to a just and delicate fenfe of purity and virtue, and to that modefty and gentleness of manners and behaviour, which hath been always efteemed one of their loveliest ornaments: Those of the other, trained up by a proper inftitution and difcipline to a rational piety, and the government of their appetites and paffions, and to a juft and manly fenfe of what is truly honourable, virtuous, and praiseworthy. And here again the fame great exam ple prefenteth itself of a molt eminent PERSONAGE of the higheft DIGNITY, who amidst all the pomps and fplendors of a court, hath esteemt ed it one of her moft pleafing employments, to infpect the education of her illuftrious offspring, and to this hath applied her princely carcs, and perfonal attendance. And furely it must be the carneft wifh of every good mind, that she may have the fincere and noble fatisfaction of feeing them grow up under her tender and watchful eye, in every virtue and excellence, which may render them public ornaments and bleflings, and diffufe a beneficial and extenfive influence, of great ufe in the prefent age, and the effects

I

of

VII.