Occasional Thoughts in Reference to a Vertuous or Cristian life | Page 5

And not only such Young Ladies as have newly put off their Bibs and Aprons, but even the greatest Number of their Parents, and Teachers themselves, would, yet less than They, be pleas'd if one should tell them that those who know so much as this, may nevertheless be very Ignorant concerning the Christian Religion; these Old People no more than the Young Ones, being able to give any farther Account thereof than they have thus been taught. It is yet true that many who have Learn'd, and who well remember long Catechisms, with all their pretended Proofs, are so far from having that Knowledge which Rational Creatures ought to have of a Religion they profess to Believe they can only be Sav'd by, as that they are not able to say, either what this Religion does Consist in, or why it is they Believe it; and are so little instructed by their Catechisms, as that, oftentimes, they understand not so much as the very Terms they have Learn'd in them: And more often find the Proportions therein contain'd, so short in the Information of their Ignorance; or so unintelligible, to their Apprehensions; or so plainly contradictory of the most obvious Dictates of common Sense; that Religion (for the which they never think of looking beyond these Systems) appears to them indeed a thing not Built upon, or defensible by Reason: In consequence of which Opinion, the weakest attaques made against it, must needs render such Persons (at the least) wavering in their Belief of it; Whence those Precepts of Vertue, which they have receiv'd as bottom'd thereon, are, in a Time wherein Scepticism and Vice, pass for Wit and Gallantry, necessarily brought under the suspicion of having no solid Foundation; and the recommenders thereof, either of Ignorance, or Artifice.
But the not making Young People understand their Religion, is a fault not peculiar in regard to the instruction of one Sex alone, any otherwise than as consider'd in its Consequences; whereby (ordinarily speaking) Women do the most inevitably suffer; as not having the like Advantage (at least early enough) of Correcting the Ignorance, or Errors of their Child-hood that Men have.
The other thing which I imagine faulty, does more peculiarly concern the Sex, but is yet chiefly practic'd in regard of Those of it who are of Quality, and that is, the insinuating into them such a Notion of Honour as if the praise of Men ought to be the Supreme Object of their Desires, and the great Motive with them to Vertue: A Term which when apply'd to Women, is rarely design'd, by some People, to signifie any thing but the single Vertue of Chastity; the having whereof does with no more Reason intitle a Lady to the being thought such as she should be in respect of Vertue, than a handsome Face, unaccompany'd by other Graces, can render her Person truly Amiable. Or rather, Chastity is so essential to, singly, so small a part of the Merit of a Beautiful Mind, that it is better compar'd to Health, or Youth, in the Body, which alone have small Attractions, but without which all other Beauties are of no Value.
To perswade Ladies then that what they cannot want without being contemptible, is the chief Merit they are capable of having, must naturally either give them such low thoughts of themselves as will hinder them from aspiring after any thing Excellent, or else make them believe that this mean Opinion of them is owing to the injustice of such Men in their regard as pretend to be their Masters. A belief too often endeavour'd to be improv'd in them by others.
But whether any Natural, or Design'd ill consequence follow from hence or no, this is certain, that a true Vertue is the best Security against all the Misfortunes that can be fear'd, and the surest Pledge of all the Comforts that can be hop'd for in a Wife, _viz._ such a Vertue whose Foundation is a desire above all things, of approving our selves to God; the most opposite Principle whereunto is the making the Esteem of Men the chief End, and Aim of our Actions; as it is propos'd to be of Their's who have the empty Idea of Glory set before them as the great Motive to, and high Reward of that particular Duty, which (as if it included all others) does ordinarily ingross the Name of Vertue, with regard to Women. A very wrong Motive this, to Those who aim at what is truely Honourable, and such as may (and often does) as well produce an ill, as a good effect.
But these wrong or partial Notions of Vertue, and Honour, are the Product only of such Men's Inventions as are unwilling to regulate their own Actions by the