ficulties, without expecting to meet with any that is quite free from them; and a good man will be drawn by a strong propenfity to embrace that fyftem, the contemplation and influence of which will tend to make him, and his brethren of mankind, moft virtuous and happy. This important circumftance will always operate as an evidence for the truth of natural and revealed religion, on minds which are not perverted by fophiftry, or vice. In the latter part of these Inftitutes, which relates to the duty and final expectations of mankind, it will be seen that I have made great ufe of Dr. Hartley obfervations on man. To this writer I think myself happy in having any fair opportunity of making my acknowledgements; and I shall think that a very valuable end will be gained, if, by this or any other means, a greater degree of attention could be drawn upon that most excellent performance, so as to make it more generally read, and ftudied, by thofe who are qualified to do it. I do not know any thing that is better adapted to make an impreffion upon truly philofophical minds than the sketch that he has given of the evidences of christianity, in his fecond volume; and for this reason I should be exceedingly glad to see that part of his work published separately. AN ESSAY ON THE BEST METHOD OF COMMUNICAT. ING RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE TO THE MEMBERS OF CHRISTIAN SOCIETIES. TH HE fuperficial knowledge, or rather the extreme ignorance of the generality of youth in the present age, with refpect to religion, is the fubject of great and just complaint; and for want of being well established in the principles of rational religion, many of them are daily falling a prey to enthufiafm on one hand, and infidelity on the other. In this life we must not expect any good without fome attendant evil. The circumftance of which we now complain has been, in part, the natural effect of the moderation of the prefent times, in which no perfon is even queftioned about his religion. For, as the fubject is never canvaffed, nor fo much as ftarted in polite company, no perfon thinks it worth his while to prepare himself for making any reply; and, confequently, the youth of this age never profeffedly ftudy the fubject, or ever give more than an occafional and cursory attention to it. Another Another fource of this complaint is, the little care that is now taken by parents in the religious inftruction of their children. They condemn the feverity with which they recollect that they themfelves were treated; and, not confidering the advantage which they derive from it, exclaim against fuch exceffive rigour and aufterity, and throw off not only the tutor, but almoft the mafter too, with refpect to their children; not recollecting that, after this, there is little left of the parent that is truly valuable. To this conduct they are, no doubt, at the fame time, fecretly influenced by a regard to their own eafe; for upon the present fashionable plan, a perfon gives himself very little trouble indeed about forming the minds of his offspring; and, fome may think, that they have fufficiently done their duty in this refpect, when they have provided them with mafters to fuperintend their education in general. Many perfons will not readily adopt my fentitiments relating to this fubject. For my own part, however, I have not the leaft doubt, but that, though the maxims of our forefathers may have been too ftrict, we of the prefent age are already far gone in another extreme, oppofite to theirs and much more dangerous. Their method, by reftraining the inclinations of youth, might (though perhaps, upon the whole, it might not) diminish the happiness of that early period of life; and, in fome fome inftances, I doubt not, the exceffive restraints they were under might ferve to inflame their paffions, and prepare them for the more unbounded and criminal indulgence of them, when they became their own masters; but, in general, habits of fo briety and moderation were, by this means, effectually formed, and a difpofition to licentioufnefs entirely precluded. On the contrary, our greater indulgence to youth gives them more liberty, but, perhaps, not more real enjoyment even of early life; but, whatever good effect this conduct may have upon fome ingenuous tempers, I am fatisfied that, in general, it is fatal to virtue and happinefs through life. Our youth having had little or no reftraint put upon their inclinations, and religious principles not having been fufficiently inculcated, they give the reins to pleafure, at that critical time of life, in which the paffions are peculiarly ftrong, and reason weak; and the authority of a parent not interpofing, where it is most wanted, a difpofition to licentiousness is completely formed, and fuch bad habits are contracted, as too often end in profligacy and ruin. At best, their minds not having been seasoned with the principles of religion, they become mere men of the world, without vice, perhaps, but also without virtue. Alfo, in confequence of the fame fuperficial edu cation, to say the least of it, our youth having never thought |