Custom and Education; confider the Nature and Condition of Men, and it is impoffible there ever fhould be.

Children have Eyes and Ears; what they fee, they naturally imitate; what they hear, influences their tender Minds. And where Parents neglect the Care of their Children, they are left to Chance, and pick up Notions and Opinions from others; perhaps from the Footman, who oftentimes is conftant Companion to the Heir of the Family. So that where Parents omit to inftruct their Children, it is not leaving them to their own Freedom of Judgment, but it is leaving them to receive Impreffions from far worfe Hands.

But as this Objection, if there be any Weight in it, directly impeaches the natural Means ordained by Providence for preserving true Religion, and the Means enjoined as well under the Chriftian, as the Jewish Difpenfation, for perpetuating the great Truths of Revelation, it may be proper, perhaps, to take this Matter a little higher, and confider how it ftands on the Principles of Reason and human Nature.

:: Did Men come into this World perfect, and equally perfect, having their Minds

ftored

stored with all neceffary Ideas, and able to make a proper Ufe of all the Faculties of the Understanding, there might be some Reason, perhaps, in saying, "Leave themselves to judge for themselves.” But as the Cafe is otherwise, and we bring little more into the World with us, than an animal Life, and arrive by flow Degrees to the Use of Reason and the Knowledge of Things about us, it is the Direction of Nature, in Consequence of this Course of Nature, that Parents should teach their Children, as they grow capable of learning, the Things that are necessary to their well-being.

The great Force of Cuftom and Education, whether rightly applied, or otherwise, could not be long unobserved in the World: as soon as it was obferved, it became a strong Call upon the natural Affections of Parents, to guard the tender Minds of their Children against wrong Impreffions, and to prevent the Growth of evil Habits in them. Without the Exercife of this Care in fome Degree, Authority cannot be maintained on the Part of Parents, nor Duty required on the Part of Children. If Parents have nothing to teach, what have Children to obey? What then must become of the natural

Duties arifing from this Relation, when no thing will remain, unless perhaps fome Degree of Fondness, fuch as brute Creatures have by Instinct of Nature.

That this natural Force of Cuftom and Education was intended by Providence to act in Conjunction with Reason, for the Support of Virtue and Religion, there can be no Doubt; and whoever confiders what God has done, by natural or fupernatural Means, for the Sake of Religion, will fee abundant Evidence for this Truth.

But, when the Ways of Men grew corrupt, when Cuftom and Education were gone over to the Side of Vice and Superftition, and Reafon and Religion were left alone to ftruggle for themselves; it is hardly to be imagined how universally the Corrup→ tion spread, and how strong Poffeffion was given to Idolatry and Superftition throughout the World. It may be hard to fay, what induced Men at firft to confecrate Birds and Beafts, Stocks and Stones, and to fall down and worship them. But when once thofe Follies were introduced, Custom and Education fpread them far and wide; and they took fuch deep Root, that human Reafon could not fhake them, but was con

tent for Ages together to wear the Chains of blind Superftition. Cuftom and Education cannot be fhut out of the Cafe; and · Influence they must and will have; and if they are not fecured on the Side of Reason, and taken in as Affiftants to it, they will foon grow to be Tyrants over Reason; and Men will think and act as if they had none.

We read in ancient Story of a People, who used, when their Parents and Relations were grown old and infirm, to kill them and feast on them. The Custom appeared, as well it might, barbarous and inhuman in the Eyes of all civilized Nations: but those People being asked in their Turn, what they thought of those, who fuffered their aged Parents to linger and die of themfelves, and then burnt or buried their dead Bodies, they expreffed the greatest Abhorrence for fuch Impiety. Had the Egyptians, or any other People, been examined in like Manner, upon any or all their Superftitions, their Sentiments in Favour of their national Customs would have been found as ftrong, and as hard to be rectified.

So general and fo ftrong is the Force of Custom and Education, that the Influence may be faid to be natural to the Mind of

Man;

Man; and if the Influence is natural, it was, doubtlefs, defigned by the Author of Nature to be fubfervient to good Purposes. That he intended it for this Ufe, is manifeft alfo from his making this Use of it, and from his interpofing to correct the Abuses to which this natural Influence was but too liable through the Paffions and Corruptions of Men.

Confider, from the Beginning of Things what Provifion was made for propagating Religion in the World. Adam was created in the State of Manhood; and as he came a Man, and not a Child, out of the Hands of his Creator, he brought into the World with him all Knowledge neceffary to a Man; of which the Knowledge of God and true Religion was the moft neceffary Part. Of him then fufficient Care was taken.

But all after him came Infants into the World, void of Knowledge, capable of coming at it but by flow Degrees, and liable to many Errors in the only Thing they had to depend on, the Ufe of their Reason. What Care now was taken to direct them right in this momentous Affair of Religion? Was it not plainly this, that they were put into the Hands of an Inftructor,

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