FOR THE

ADVANCEMENT OF RELIGION

AND THE

REFORMATION OF MANNERS.

BY A PERSON OF QUALITY.

Written in the Year 1709.

To the Countess of BERKLEY *.

MADAM,

MY

Y intention in prefixing your ladyfhip's name, is not, after the common form, to defire your protection of the following papers; which I take to be a very unreasonable requeft; fince by being infcribed to your ladyship, though without your knowledge, and from a concealed hand, you cannot recommend them without fufpicion of partiality. My real defign is, I confefs, the very fame I have often detefted in most dedications; that of publishing your praises to the world; not upon the fubject of your noble birth, for I know others as noble; or of the greatnefs of your fortune,

This excellent lady, was and fer to Edward earl of Elizabeth, the daughter of Pap- Gairborough.

tift Noel, viscount Campden,

for I know others far greater; or of that beautiful race (the images of their parents) which calls you mother; for even this may perhaps have been equalled in fome other age or country. Befides, none of these advantages do derive any accomplishments to the owners, but ferve at beft only to adorn what they really poffefs. What I intend, is your piety, truth, good fenfe, and good nature, affability, and charity; wherein I wish your ladyfhip had many equals, or any fuperiors; and I wish I could fay, I knew them too, for then your ladyship might have had a chance to escape this addrefs. In the mean time, I think it highly nece Tary, for the interest of virtue and religion, that the whole kingdom should be informed in fome parts of your character: for inftance, that the easiest and politeft conversation, joined with the trueft piety, may be obferved in your ladyship, in as great perfection as they were ever seen apart in any other perfons. That by your prudence and management under feveral difadvantages, you have preferved the luftre of that moft noble family, into which you are grafted, and which the unmeafurable profufion of anceflors for many generations had too much eclipfed. Then, how happily you perform every office of life, to which providence hath called you: in the education of thofe two incomparable daughters, whofe conduct is fo univerfally admired; in every duty of a prudent, complying, affectionate wife; in that care which defcends to the meanest of your domefticks; and lastly, in that endless bounty to the poor, and difcretion where to diAtribute it. I infift on my opinion, that it is of importance for the publick to know this and a great deal more of your ladyfhip; yet whoever goes about to inform them, fhall, inftead of finding credit, perhaps be cen

fured

fured for a flatterer. To avoid fo ufual a reproach, I declare this to be no dedication, but merely an introduction to a propofal for the advancement of religion and morals, by tracing, however imperfectly, fome few lineaments in the character of a lady, who hath spent all her life in the practice and promotion of both.

MONG all the fchemes offered to the publick

A them 1

in this projecting age, I have obferved, with some displeasure, that there have never been, any for the improvement of religion and morals: which, befides the piety of the defign from the confequence of fuch a reformation in a future life, would be the best natural means for advancing the publick felicity of the ftate, as well as the present happiness of every individual. For, as much as faith and morality are declined among us, I am altogether confident, they might in a fhort time, and with no very great trouble, be raised to as high a perfection as numbers are capable of receiving. Indeed, the method is so easy and obvious, and some prefent opportunities fo good, that in order to have this project reduced to practice, there feems to want nothing more than to put thofe in mind, who by their honour, duty, and intereft, are chiefly concerned.

But because it is idle to propofe remedies, before we are affured of the difeafe, or to be in fear till we are convinced of the danger; I fhall firft fhew in general, that the nation is extremely corrupted in religion and morals; and then I will offer a short scheme for the reformation of both.

As to the firft, I know it is reckoned but a form of speech, when divines complain of the wickedness of the

age: however, I believe upon a fair comparison with other times and countries, it would be found an undoubted truth.

For first, to deliver nothing but plain matter of fact without exaggeration or fatire, I fuppofe it will be granted, that hardly one in an hundred among our people of quality or gentry appears to act by any principle of religion; that great numbers of them do entirely discard it, and are ready to own their disbelief of all revelation in ordinary difcourfe. Nor is the cafe much better among the vulgar, especially in great towns, where the profaneness and ignorance of handicraftsmen, small traders, fervants, and the like, are to a degree very hard to be imagined greater. Then, it is obferved abroad, that no race of mortals hath fo little sense of religion as the English foldiers; to confirm which, I have been often told by great officers of the army, that in the whole compafs of their acquaintance they could not recollect three of their profeffion, who seemed to regard or believe one fyllable of the gofpel: and the fame at least may be affirmed of the fleet. The confequences of all which upon the actions of men are equally manifest. They never go about, as in former times, to hide or palliate their vices, but expofe them freely to view, like any other common occurrences of life, without the leaft reproach from the world or themfelves. For inftance, any man will tell you he intends to be drunk this evening, or was fo last night, with as little ceremony or fcruple, as he would tell you the time of the day. He will let you know he is going to a wench, or that he has got a clap, with as much indifferency, as he would a piece of publick news. He will fwear, curse, or blafpheme, without the leaft paffion or provocation. And though

though all regard for reputation is not quite laid afide in the other fex, it is however at fo low an ebb, that very few among them seem to think virtue and conduct of any neceffity for preserving it. If this be not fo, how comes it to pass, that women of tainted reputations find the fame countenance and reception in publick places with those of the niceft virtue, who pay and receive vifits from them without any manner of scruple; which proceeding, as it is not very old among us, fo I take it to be of the most pernicious confequence: it looks like a fort of compounding between virtue and vice, as if a woman were allowed to be vicious, provided she be not a profligate; as if there were a certain point, where, gallantry ends, and infamy begins; or that an hundred criminal amours were not as pardonable as half a fcore.

Befides thofe corruptions already mentioned, it would be endless to enumerate such as arife from the excess of play or gaming: the cheats, the quarrels, the oaths, and blafphemies, among the men; among the women, the neglect of houfhold affairs, the unlimited freedoms, the undecent paffion, and lastly, the known inlet to all lewdness, when after an ill run the perfon must answer the defects of the purse: the rule on fuch occafions holding true in play, as it does in law; quod non habet in crumena, luat in corpore.

But all these are trifles in comparison, if we step into other scenes, and confider the fraud and cozenage of trading men and shop-keepers; that infatiable gulph of injuftice and oppreffion, the law; the open traffick for all civil and military employments (I wish it refted there +)

+ Perhaps the author intended to intimate that it extended to ecclcfiaftical,