ment do its worst, and touch, or meddle with them, if it durst. So hard has the Experience of the world found it, for the Pardon of a Guilt (too big for the common measures of Pardon) to produce any thing better than the same practices, which had been pardoned before.

But fince nothing can happen without some cause or other, I have been farther considering with myself what the Cause of this terrible Evil, which still looks so grim upon the Government, should be. And to me it seems to be this. That as the forementioned Rebellion and Civil War brought upon the Nation a general dissolution of Order, and a Corruption and Debauchment of mens manners, so, the greatest part of the Nation by much now alive, has been born, or at least bred since that Fatal Rebellion. For surely those who are now about, or under Fifty years of age, make a much greater number in the Kingdom, than those who are above it; especially fo much above it, as to have passed their Youth before the Time of the Late Confusions; which have fince so perfectly changed and new model'd, or rather extinguished the Morality, nay, the very Natural Temper of the English Nation.

For this is certain, that Wife and Thinking Men observe with forrow, that the Change is so very great and bad, that there is no Re

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lation in Society or common Life but has fuffered, and been the worse for it. For look into Families, and you will find Parents complaining, that their Children pay them not that Duty and Reverence, which they have heard and read, that Children used to shew their Parents heretofore. Masters also complain, that Servants are neither so obedient, nor so trusty as in former times. And lastly, for the Conjugal Relation (a thing of the greatest and most direct influence upon the Weal or Wo of Societies, of any other thing in the world besides) it is but too frequent a complaint, that neither are Men so good Husbands, nor Women fo good Wives, as they were, before that Accursed Rebellion had made that fatal leading breach in the Conjugal Tye between the Best of Kings, and the Happiest of People. But now, how comes all this to pafs? Why, from the exorbitant Licence of mens Education. They were bred in lawless, ungoverned Times, and Conventicle Fanatick Academies, in defiance of the Universities, and when all things were turned topsy-turvy, and the Bonds of Government quite loofed, or broken asunder. So that as foon as they were able to observe any thing, the first thing which they actually did observe, were Inferiors trampling upon their Superiors; Servants called by Vote of Parliament out of their Master's service to fight against their Prince, and so to complete one Rebellion with another; and Women running in whole shoals to Conventicles, to feek Chrift (forsooth) but to find some body else. By which Liberties having once leap'd over the severity and strictnessof former Customs, they found it an easy matter with Debauched Morals, and Defloured Consciences, to launch out into much greater. So that no wonder now, if in an age of a more grown and improved Debauchery, you see Men spending their whole time in Taverns, and their Lives in Duels; inflaming themselves with Wine, till they come to pay the reckoning with their Blood. And Women spending both Time and Fortune, and perhaps their Honour too, at Balls, Plays and Treats. The reason of all which is, that they are not now Bred as they were heretofore: For that which was formerly their Diversion only, is now their chief, if not Sole Business; and in cafe you would fee or speak with them, you must not look for them at their own Houfes, but at the Playhouse, if you would find them at home. They have quite cashier'd the Commandment, which enjoins them fix days Doing what they have to do, and substituted to themselves a new and very different one in the room of it; according to which they are for fix days to go to Plays, and to make Vifits, setting apart a seventh, to go to Church Church to fee and to be seen. A blessed improvement doubtless, and such as the Fops our Ancestors (as some use to call them) were never acquainted with. And thus I have in fome measure shown you the True Grievance, which this poor and distracted Kingdom groans under. A Grievance, (without the help of a Vote) properly so called. A Grievance springing from a boundless, immenfe, and abfurd Liberty. For though the zealous Outcry and Republican Cant still used to join those two Tinkling Words Liberty and Property together, (in a very different sense from what belong'd to them) to make a Rattle for the people; yet I am fure the Intolerable Excess of Liberty has been the chief thing, which has so much contributed to the curtailing their Properties; The True, if not Only cause, which of late years has made such numbers fo Troublesome to the Government, as they have been.

Well, but if it be our Unhappiness, that the mischief is become almost General, let us at least prevent the next degree of it, and keep it from being Perpetual. And this is not to be done but by a remedy, which shall reach as far and deep, as the Distemper: For that began early, and therefore the Cure must do so too, even from the Childhood of the Patient, and the Infancy of the Disease. There must be one Instauratio stauratio Magna of the methods and principles of Education, and the Youth of the Nation (as it were) new cast into another, and a better Mold.

And for this, we have the counsel and conduct of the wisest of men, Solomon himself; who knew no other course to ensure a growing flourishing practice of vertue, in a man's mature, or declining age, but by planting it in his youth; as he that would have his grounds covered and loaded with fruit in Autumn, must manure and dress them in the Spring. Train up a Child (fays he) in the Way that he should go: The Way, non quâ itur, fed quâ eundum est. Man is of an active Nature, and must have a Way to walk in, as neceffarily as a Place to breathe in. And several Ways will be fure to offer themselves to his choice; and he will be as fure to choose one of them. His great concern is, that it be a safe one: Since as the variety of them makes the choice difficult, so the illness of fome of them must make it dangerous. For (as the same Solomon tells us) there is a Way which Seems right in a man's own eyes, when yet the tendency of it is fatal. An easy, pleafant, and a broad Way, a Way always throng'd with passengers, but fuch, that a man is never the safer for travelling in company. But this is not the way here chalk'd out to us. But rather a rugged, strait, and narrow Way;

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