that a just and comprehensive knowledge of religion fhould ever be communicated in the fame loofe and incoherent manner. Befides, it is now too much the fashion to neglect public worship, and any scheme of business or pleasure is thought to be a fufficient excufe for a perfon's abfenting himself from it, even on the Lord's day; fo that this only means of inftruction, infufficient as it is for the purpose, is becoming every day more uncertain; and it may be expected that lefs advantage will be made of it continually.

On these accounts, religious knowledge will never be communicated with certainty and good effect, from the pulpit only. Thofe of the congregation who think themselves already fufficiently knowing, will be difgufted with the repetition of elementary principles; to those who are extremely ignorant, it is not poffible, in a formal difcourfe, to speak plainly and familiarly enough; and those whose minds are not fufficiently enlightened, and especially those whofe prejudices are of long ftanding, will be apt to take offence at the discovery of truths which it will be impoffible for them to comprehend or receive.

There can be no hope, therefore, of doing any thing to good purpose, in this way, unless the minifter can have an opportunity of difcourfing to the young perfons by themselves. He may then con.

verse with them familiarly on the fundamental principles of natural and revealed religion; he may fay the fame things over and over again, and change his form of expreffion, in order to make himself perfectly understood; he may also illuftrate what he advances by familiar instances, and examples, and fet every thing of importance in a great variety of lights. Moreover, if they will fubmit to it (which it will be greatly to their advantage to do) he may examine them on the fubjects on which he has difcourfed, fo as to fatisfy himself whether they have perfectly understood him, whether they retain in memory the facts and reafonings which he has advanced, and be fufficiently grounded in one thing before he proceeds to another. This method will alfo give him an opportunity of removing any difficulties, or answering any objections which may have occurred to them, or which may have been thrown in their way by other perfons. In fhort, I would advise a minifter to form the young men of his congregation from the age of eighteen or twenty to about thirty into an academical clafs, and take the very fame methods to teach them the elements of religion, that he would do to teach them the rudiments of any branch of natural knowledge.

To make this bufinefs the easier to the tutor, and the more advantageous to his pupils, it will be rather adviseable, that he give his lectures from a fhort

a fhort text or fyftem, written, or rather printed, that they may have an opportunity of perufing it, and of studying it when they are by themselves, and thereby the better prepare themfelves for examination.

I do not give this advice at random, or from theory only; for I have carried the fcheme which I am now recommending into execution; and I can affure my friends in the miniftry that, as far as my own experience is a guide, they may promife themselves much pleasure, and their pupils much advantage from the exercise.

If it can be made agreeable to the people, I would also advife, that the minifter deliver the heads of his fystem in a set of regular difcourfes to the congregation at large, once in four or five years, that those persons whom it may not be adviseable to admit to his familiar lectures, may have an opportunity of hearing fome useful topics difcuffed at leaft in a concise manner, which they might, otherwife, have never heard of at all. But if the congregation should not be fufficiently uniform in their fentiments, it will hardly be prudent, for reasons, fufficiently hinted above, to adopt this measure. It will alfo depend upon particular circumftances, whether the young women should be admitted to the familiar lectures along with the young men, or

not.

That

That my readers may perfectly understand my fcheme, and derive what advantage they please from it, I now publish the principal heads of my own lectures, in these Inftitutes of natural and revealed religion. Minifters whofe fentiments are pretty nearly my own may, perhaps, fave themfelves trouble by making ufe of them, departing from my particular fentiments or method, whenever they think proper. The whole work is divided into three parts, the firft comprizing the principles of natural religion; the fecond the evidences of revelation; and the third the doctrines of revelation. I have alfo nearly completed another work, which may also be of use in the inftruction of young perfons. It will be intitled, An Hiftorical Account of the corruptions of christianity. This will contain the reafons for our proteftant faith, and also thofe of our diffent from the established church of England, with which every diffenter ought to be made thoroughly acquainted.

Befides this principal clafs, I would advise a minifter, who is defirous to communicate religious knowledge with effect, and who would adapt his inftructions to the different ages of his hearers, to form two other classes, one confifting of children under fourteen years of age. To these he fhould teach a short catechifm, containing the first elements of religious knowledge, delivered in the plainest and moft familar language poffible; and when it is

made

made ufe of, a variety of other questions should be asked, calculated to bring the subject to the level of their capacities. A catechifm of this kind I published fome years ago; and I am fatisfied, from my own experience, that a child, even of four or five years of age, may be made to understand the most important truths of chriftianity, and that it is of great confequence that the minds of children be impreffed with this kind of knowledge as early as poffible. No perfon who has actually made a trial of this method of inftructing children, and who can do it with any degree of judgment, will fay that it is a painful tafk to children. On the contrary, I have generally found them to be pleased, and in many cafes exceedingly delighted with it.

In the other junior class I would teach the knowledge of the fcriptures only. This appears to me to be a fubject fo diftinct, copious, and important, that a feperate clafs fhould be appropriated to it; and I think that the best manner in which this great end can be gained, is to have a set of questions only, printed, with references to those places in the bible, which must be read, in order to find the proper answers. Such a fcripture catechifm as this I have also published. This clafs may properly confift of young perfons of both fexes, between the ages of fourteen and eighteen, fo as to be an intermediate clafs, between the two others. It may be advifable, however, and may even be VOL. I. b neceffary