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Upon the whole, if it fhall be thought for the benefit of church and ftate, that Christianity be abolished; I conceive, however, it may be more convenient to defer the execution to a time of peace; and not venture, in this conjuncture, to difoblige our allies; who, as it falls out, are all Chriftians; and many of them, by the prejudices of their education, fo bigotted, as to place a fort of pride in the appellation. If, upon being rejected by them, we are to truft, to an alliance with the Turk, we fhall find ourselves much deceived; for, as he is too remote, and generally engaged in war with the Perfian Emperor, fo his people would be more fcandalized at our infidelity, than our Christian neighbours. For, the Turks are not only ftrict obfervers of religious worship, but, what is worfe, believe a God; which is more than is required of us, even while we preserve the name of Chriftians.

To conclude: Whatever fome may think of the great advantages to trade by this favourite fcheme, I do very much apprehend, that, in fix months time after the act is paffed for the extirpation of the gofpel, the Bank and Eaft-India ftock may fall, at leaft, one per cent. And fince that is fifty times more than ever the wisdom of our age thought fit to venture for the prefervation of Chriftianity, there is no reason we fhould be at fo great a lofs, merely for the fake of deftroying it.

A PROJECT

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A PROJECT for the ADVANCEMENT of RELIGION, and the REFORMATION Of MANNERS*.

By a PERSON of QUALITY.

Written in the year 1709.

To the Countefs of BERKELEY.

MADAM,

My

Y intention, in prefixing your Ladyship's name, is not, after the common form, to defire your protection of the following papers;

which

* The author appears in earnest throughout this whole treatife; and the dedication, or introduction, is in a strain of serious panegyric, which the Lady, to whom it is addreffed, undoubtedly deferved. But, as the pamphlet is of the fatirical kind, I am apt to imagine, that the Dean put a violence upon himself, in chufing to appear candidly ferious, rather than to fmile, under his usual mask of gravity. Methinks, upon these occasions, I perceive him writing in fhackles. Orrery.

In the Project, &c. Dr. Swift appears in the character of a great infpired prophet. He crieth aloud, he fpareth not, he lifteth up his voice like a trumpet, Ifa. lviii. 1. He rebuketh all ranks of men, for their depravities and corruptions, their profaneness, their blafphemy and irreligion. His difcourfe he addreffeth unto his fovereign, and, beyond all contradiction, proveth it to be an important duty incumbent on all princes, to encourage and to enforce morals and religion, by exerting their utmost authority. He then applieth himself to the legislature, conjuring them to forward fo noble a design, and to provide remedies against that torrent of iniquity, which, if not vigorously opposed, would certainly increase, and never ftop in its career, until it fubverted the conftitution. And, finally, he declares, in the prophetic style and fpirit, that a reformation of manners, and turning unto God, are the best natural, as well as religious means, to bring the war to an happy conclufion. Swift.

This excellent Lady, was Elizabeth, the daughter of Baptift Noel, Viscount Campden, and fifter to Edward Earl of Gainsborough. Hawkef.

which I take to be a very unreasonable request; fince, by being inscribed to your Ladyship, though without your knowledge, and from a concealed hand, you cannot recommend them without fome fufpicion of partiality. My real defign is, I confefs, the very fame I have often detested 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, 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 òther 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 Ladyfhip might have had a chance to escape this addrefs. In the mean time, I think it highly neceffary, for the intereft of virtue and religion, that the whole kingdom fhould be informed in fome parts of your character: for inftance, That the eafieft and politeft conversation, joined with the trueft piety, may be obferved in your Ladyfhip, in as great perfection as they were ever feen apart in any other perfon: That, by your prudence and management, under feveral difadvantages, you

have preferved the luftre of that most noble family into which you are graffed, and which the unmeasurable profufion of ancestors, 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 those two incomparable daughters, whofe conduct is fo univerfally admired; in every duty of a prudent, complying, affectionate wife; in that care which descends to the meaneft of your domeftics; and, laftly, in that endless bounty to the poor, and difcretion where to diftribute it. I infist on my opinion, that it is of importance for the public, 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 cenfured for a flatterer. To avoid fo usual 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.

AMONG all the schemes offered to the public

in this projecting age, I have obferved, with fome displeasure, that there have never been any for the improvement of religion and morals: which, befides the piety of the design, from the confequence of fuch a reformation in a future life, would be the best natural means for advan

cing the public 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 fome 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 shall first fhew, in general, that the nation is extremely corrupted in religion and morals; and then I will offer a fhort 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, firft, 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 difcard it, and are ready to own their difbelief of all revelation, in ordinary difcourfe. Nor is the cafe much better

among

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