only remedy: All thy children shall be taught of God, and great shall be the peace of thy children *. If then the belief of Christianity be thus necessary, instruction in it ought to be early. The absolute ignorance in which we are born, and the propensity we manifest immediately, to receive impressions from what we see and hear, are an evident proof of our Maker's design, that we should be formed by education into what we are to be. And had this never been neglected, error and wickedness had never prevailed. Now indeed, since they have, instruction will in most places, more or less, lead children into what is wrong. But still it is the surest method we can take, to preserve them from it. Were their friends to teach them nothing, would their own passions, and the companions they would choose, be better tutors? Their reason indeed possibly might: and very possibly might not. At least it would come too late, and be minded too little, to be trusted alone. Where young persons are taught from the first ever so well, and governed ever so prudently, it doth not always succeed. But such care must afford vastly greater hope, than if they are left to themselves without any, till bad notions and customs have taken root, till their appetites have grown vehement, and their tempers stubborn; till they laugh at advice, and disdain authority. If then we would prevent all the misery such wretches may suffer, all the mischief they may do, all the burthens they may bring on society; if we would make them useful to the world, and happy in themselves; the plain rule is, Train them up when children in the way they should go; and probably when they are old, they will not depart from it +. But by whom shall this be done, in the case of the + Prov. xxii. 6. * Isa. liv. 13. poor? Unquestionably it is the duty of their parents. But many of them are orphans. Many have parents, who teach, or allow them to be taught, all manner of evil: and most of them have such as want leisure, or capacity, or diligence, to teach them the good, which they ought; and at the same time are unable or unwilling to pay others for teaching them. Great numbers of them indeed are removed early into families of better rank. But how very little prospect there is in general, that more care will be taken of them there, than their nearest relations took at home, I need not say. Will then the public instruction of the church suffice? But, alas! what multitudes of them are there, that seldom or never go thither? The laws that require it, are not executed: their parents have not used them to it: their masters are indifferent about it, or perhaps make it difficult to them: and what wonder, if in these circumstances the poor creatures neglect it? Besides, there is some degree of previous knowledge requisite to their attending public worship to good effect. And the minister, were they always duly sent to him, cannot alone ground them sufficiently in the first elements of that knowledge; nor in larger parishes make any considerable advance towards it. What further provision might be made in this important affair, either by enacting new laws, or enforcing the old ones, is not a point to be considered here: but only, what can be attempted by private zeal and prudence; the laws and the execution of them continuing such as they are, and probably will be. Now as to persons in higher circumstances: they must and will be left to themselves, to educate their youth just as they please; and they, and we, must take the consequences. But the poor are many of them desirous to have theirs educated rightly. And most of them may be induced to it by those additional encouragements, of clothing and fitting them for business, which are singly very excellent charities, and, joined with religious instruction, make a very complete one. Surely there can be no doubt then, whether a method so beneficial every way, to the children, the parents, the public, should be joyfully embraced. The wisest and best of ancient legislators, and philosophers, have all prescribed a strict education of youth, as the foundation of every thing good. Both the Jewish and Christian institutions absolutely enjoin it. In Protestant countries abroad, teachers are universally provided for the children of the poor: who are in most places bound by law to become their scholars*. Our governors at home both in Church and State, with the whole body ofserious persons of all denominations, have shewn their approbation of this design. The only person, who hath attempted publicly to prove it hurtful, hath attempted, in the same book, to prove vice a public benefit †. I know but one author more of the least note, who hath declared against these schools: and he fairly acknowledges, that," under a proper regulation, something like them may be commendable ‡," though he was led, by unhappy prejudices and false reports, to inveigh with great bitterness against the conduct of them. II. Let us therefore inquire, in the second place, what are the true methods to prevent this good work from being evil spoken of. See the Dean of Peterborough's sermon at the meeting of these children, 1740, p. 23. + Fable of the Bees. Cato's Letters, No. 133. Now these in general must be, giving no occasion for just objections; and, returning sufficient answers to unjust ones. Undoubtedly the former is the main thing. For wrong conduct neither can nor ought to be defended; and right conduct will in a great measure defend itself: yet not so entirely, but that a seasonable vindication may be necessary for the best cause. I shall therefore endeavour to set forth jointly, what ought to be done; and, where any accusation worth notice hath been brought, what is done, so far as I have been able to learn, in the choice, the management, and the disposal of these children. 1. The liberty of choosing fit objects for this charity is a great advantage, which hospitals for foundlings have not; and should be used with great uprightness and discretion. If we admit those, whose parents or other near friends are able and likely to give them a proper education; we divert the bounty, which we undertake to direct, from such as need it: and there is but too much ground to apprehend, that some who have no need may request our assistance. If we send in children to be maintained at a common charge, whom we should else have brought up at our own: this is burthening the school to ease ourselves; and possibly, receiving more from it, than we contribute to it. And if we allow the recommendations of powerful friends, or the entreaties of dependants, to engage us in undue preferences: it is purchasing favour from the one, or the false reputation of good-nature from the other, at the expence of our character as faithful stewards. The next consideration, after the necessities of the children, should be their fitness: both of mind, to take in the instruction, which they are to have; and of body, to go through the business, for which they are designed; otherwise the pains and money, spent upon them, may be quite thrown away. Where these things are equal, or nearly so; the offspring of industrious and good persons, ordinarily speaking, should be sure of admission before others: both as the prospect of success with them is much fairer, and as their parents may justly expect the comfort of having this distinction shewn them by the professed patrons of religion and virtue; which will also partake of the encouragement and countenance that they receive. Yet if the fund, intrusted with us, can be extended further, to the families of negligent, or even grossly wicked creatures: as they certanly want instruction more, so we ought not to despair of their improving by it. If they can be kept, for any considerable time, separate from their wretched friends; though the cost will be greater, yet the advantage is so visible, both in speculation and in fact, that very much good might be expected from this method, were it more practised. But even if they cannot be separated, yet what they learn at school will be some antidote against what they see at home: besides that bad parents will often assist the endeavours, that are used to keep their children from becoming like them; and now and then have been shamed and reformed by them, instead of corrupting them. This kind provision may indeed make some parents only the more idle and extravagant and so may that of parochial relief, or of hospitals for the sick. But for the most part, they who are thus worthless, would be equally so, if all these benefactions were abolished. The same sort of persons neglected their children, before charity-schools * Particularly in the girls' school, belonging to the parish of St. James, Westminster. |
