Occasional Thoughts in Reference to a Vertuous or Cristian life | Page 4

me now two things, wherein the
Documents ordinarily given to such young Ladies, as are intended to
have the best care taken of their Instruction, are, I think, very defective;
and the fitter to be redress'd, as being of peculiar ill consequence in a
Sceptical, loose and unthinking Age; wherein Wit is apt to pass upon
many for Reason.
The first of these is, That those Notions, or Ideas of Vertue, and
consequent Rules of Action, which are usually given to such young
Persons, do rarely carry along with them an entire conviction of their
Truth and Reasonableness: Whence if these Instructions at any time
happen strongly to cross the Inclinations of those to whom they are
given, it will appear rational to question their Solidity: And when

Principles that thwart People's passions or interests, come once to be
doubted of by them, it is great odds, that they will sooner be slighted,
than better examin'd.
Now, this want of apparent Truth and Reasonableness, is not only
where the Notions and Precepts giv'n, are in themselves such as either
in Whole, or in Part, are not True or Rational; but also (oftentimes)
where they are altogether conformable to right Reason: In which cases,
the want of apparent Reasonableness, proceeds from a defect of such
Antecedent Knowledge in those who are design'd to be instructed, as is
necessary to the seeing their Reasonableness of the Instructions giv'n
them; that is to say, To their discerning the conformity with, or evident
deduction of such Instructions from some Truths which are
unquestion'd by them: the which should be the Principles of True
Religion, so clearly made out to them, as to be by them acknowledg'd
for Verities. Religion being (as I shall take it at present for granted) the
only sufficient ground or solid support of Vertue; For the belief of a
Superior, Omnipotent Being, inspecting our Actions, and who will
Reward or Punish us accordingly, is in all Men's Apprehensions the
strangest, and in truth the only stable and irresistible Argument for
submitting our Desires to a constant Regulation, wherein it is that
Vertue does consist.
How far Natural Religion alone is sufficient for this, is very fit to be
consider'd: But I conclude that among us, there are few who pretend to
recommend Vertue, but who do so either with no respect at all to
Religion, and upon Principles purely Humane, or else with reference to
the Christian Religion. The first of these, it is already said, will be
ineffectual; and it is no less certain that the Christian Religion cannot
be a solid Foundation for Vertue, where Vertue being inculcated upon
the Declarations of the Gospel, those who are thus instructed, are not
convinc'd of the Authority and Evidence of that Revelation; which but
too commonly is the Case: Instructors, instead of Teaching this
necessary previous Knowledge of Religion, generally, supposing it to
be already in them whom they instruct, who in reality neither have it, or
have ever been so before-hand Taught, as to make it a reasonable
Presumption that they should have it. Whence all the Endeavours of
making them Vertuous in consequence of their Christianity, are but
attempting to raise a real Superstructure upon an only imaginary

Foundation; for Truths receiv'd upon any other Ground than their own
Evidence, tho' they may, perhaps, find entertainment, yet will never
gain to themselves a sure hold upon the Mind; and so soon as they
become troublesome, are in great danger of being question'd; whereby
whatever is Built upon them, must be likewise liable to be suspected
for fallacious: And however empty Declamations do often-times make
livelier impressions upon Young People than substantial Reasoning, yet
these impressions are, for the most part, easily effac'd; and especially
are so out of their Minds who naturally are the capablest of right
Reason; as among other instances appears in this, that prophane Wits
do often even railly Women of the Best Parts (Religiously Bred as they
call it) out of their Duty: These not seeing (as they should have been
early Taught to do) that what they have learn'd to be their Duty is not
grounded upon the uncertain and variable Opinion of Men, but the
unchangeable nature of things; and has an indissolvable Connection
with their Happiness or Misery.
Now those who have the Direction of Young Ladies in their Youth, so
soon as past Child-hood, whether they be the Parents, Governesses, or
others, do not, most commonly, neglect the Teaching them That which
is the Ground and Support of all the Good Precepts they give them;
because that Principles of Religion are by them believed to be
unnecessary; or are not in their Thoughts; but because they presume, as
has been said, that those now under their Care are already sufficiently
instructed herein;