include under the head of natural religion, all that can be demonftrated, or proved to be true by natural reason, though it was never, in fact difcovered by it; and even though it be probable that mankind would never have known it without the affiftance of revelation. Thus the doctrine of a future ftate may be called a doctrine of natural religon, if when we have had the first knowledge of it from divine revelation, we can afterwards fhow that the expectation of it was probable from the light of nature, and that prefent appearances are, upon the whole, favourable to the fuppofition of it.'

In the effay, prefixed to the inftitutes, in which is confidered the best method of communicating religious knowledge to the members of chriftian focieties, our Author laments the fuperficial knowledge, or rather the extreme ignorance of the generality of youth, in the prefent age, with respect to religion, by which means they are daily falling a prey to enthusiasm or infidelity. He endeavours to inveftigate the fource of this evil, and rather here he advances certain pofitions which, perhaps, may ftartle and furprise fome of his Readers, but which are nevertheless worthy of very ferious attention. Partly, he fuppofes, (as no good can be expected in this life without its attendant ill) it may be a natural effect of the moderation of the prefent times, in which no perfon is even queftioned about his religion, the fubject is never canvaffed, nor fo much as ftarted in polite company.' Though we agree with Dr. Priestley in this remark, we must also obferve, that introducing fubjects of this kind in common converfation has frequently been feen to occafion fuch altercations as ufually tend rather to loofen the principles of piety, and to promote an indifference to religion, than to anfwer any practical and important purpofe. But, however this may be, we proceed with our Author.

Another fource of this complaint, fays he, is the little care now taken by parents in the religious inftruction of their chil dren. They condemn the feverity with which they themselves were treated, and not confidering the advantages which they derive from it, exclaim against fuch exceffive rigour and aufterity, and throw off not only the tutor, but almoft the mafter too with refpect to their children; not recollecting that after this, there is little left of the parent that is truly valuable. To this conduct they are, no doubt, at the fame time, fecretly influenced by a regard to their own eafe; for upon the present fashionable plan, a perfon gives himself very little trouble about forming the minds of his offspring; and fome may think that they have fufficiently done their duty in this refpect, when they have provided them with mafters, to fuperintend their education in general. For my own part, I have not the leaft doubt, but that,

though

though the maxims of our forefathers may have been too ftrict, we of the prefent age are already far gone in another extreme, oppofite to their's, and much more dangerous. Their method, by reftraining the inclinations of youth, might (though, perhaps, upon the whole, it might not) diminish the happiness of that early period of life; and in fome inftances, I doubt not, the exceffive reftraints they were under might ferve to inflame their paffions, and prepare them for the more unbounded and criminal indulgence of them, when they became their own mafters; but, in general, habits of fobriety and moderation were, by this means, effectually formed, and a difpofition to licentioufnefs entirely precluded. On the contrary our greater indulgence to youth gives them more liberty, but, perhaps, not more real enjoyment even of early life; but whatever good effect this conduct may have upon fome ingenuous tempers, I am fatisfied that, in general, it is fatal to virtue and happiness through life. Our youth having had little or no restraint put upon their inclinations, and religious principles not having been fufficiently inculcated, they give the reins to pleafure, at that critical time of life, in which the paffions are peculiarly ftrong, and reason weak; and the authority of a parent not interpofing, where it is most wanted, a difpofition to licentioufnefs is compleatly formed, and fuch bad habits are contracted, as too often end in utter profligacy and ruin. At beft, their minds not having been feafoned with the principles of religion, they become mere men of the world, without vice, perhaps, but alfo without virtue."

Farther upon this fubject the Doctor obferves, With the difufe of family prayer, the regular reading of the scriptures has alfo been laid afide, fo that in moft of our opulent families, the youth have hardly an opportunity of making themselves acquainted with the contents of those books which are the fource of all religious knowledge. When the bible, if there be one in the family, is wholly neglected by the parent, what inducement can the fon bave to look into it?-A falfe taste, and a pretended reverence for the fcriptures, adds this writer, has, likewife banished them from many of our schools; so that except their being read in detached and unconnected portions, in places of public worship, many perfons, it is to be feared, would live and die in the utter ignorance of the contents of their bibles.'

Dr. Priestley proceeds to mention the neglect of church difcipline, and the omission of catechifing, as a farther cause of the igrance of our youth; after which he obferves that the moit complete and effectual remedy for this evil must confift, in the revival of that difcipline, both in churches and private families, by which, fays he, we ourselves received that instruction, the advantages of which we are apt to overlook, 'till we fee the dreadful effects of the want of it in others. If the dissipline of

our

our forefathers, in either of these refpects, has been too fevere for the gentleness of modern manners, let that severity be relaxed, but let nothing that is really ufeful be laid afide.'

Here Doctor Priestley propofes a plan for the instruction of children and youth in the principles of religion, which, he fays, he can recominend from the trial he has himself made; and which appears to him to be very practicable by any perfon who is fufficiently qualified to difcharge any other part of the minifterial duty. Befide two junior claffes, the one confifting of children under fourteen years of age, and the other of young perfons between the ages of fourteen and eighteen or twenty, he advises that a minifter fhould form the young men of his congregation into an academical class, and take the very fame methods to teach them the elements of religion, that he would do to teach them the rudiments of any branch of natural knowledge.'

way

Dr. Prieffley appears here as an advocate for a courfe of fyftematical instruction. No branch of knowledge, fays he, religion not excepted, can be taught to advantage but in the of fyftem. Frightful as this word may found, it fignifies nothing but an orderly and regular fet of principles, beginning with the eafieft, and ending with the moft difficult, which in this manner are most easily demonftrated. No perfon would ever think of teaching law or medicine, or any other branch of science in the manner in which religion is now generally taught; and as no perfon ever acquired a competent knowledge of law, medicine, or any other science by hearing declamatory discourses upon the subject; fo neither can we reasonably expect that a juft and comprehensive knowledge of religion should ever be commu❤ nicated in the fame loose and incoherent manner.'

We thought it right to give this short account of Dr. Priestley's reflections and propofals upon this fubject, but for several other particulars we must refer the reader to the book itself. It should be obferved that his principal view in this publication, feems to be directed toward the Diffenters; though the members of the church of England may derive, we apprehend, fome useful hints from his remarks; and as they are a far more numerous body, and as there is without doubt a very great fhare of ignorance, and of fuperftition, prevailing among their feveral ranks, as well as among thofe of other perfuafions, it is greatly to be wifhed that fome farther wife and diligent endeavours were used to remove fo deplorable an evil.

The inftitutes of religion, part of which are here made public, are intended as a kind of text, or hints, for the inftructor to enlarge upon, in his addreffes to that part of his audience, which is called by Dr. Priestley, in the above-mentioned paffage, an academical clafs. How far the regular method which is here pointed out, or a thorough acquaintance with what is called naRav. May 1772. Dd

tural

tural religion before they proceed to revealed, is neceffary for perfons in general, every one muft judge for himself; as he muft lik: wife whether or not there is any danger, left these par-a ticular enquiries, especially among those who must have many other avocations in life, fhould lead to fcepticism, or negligence about religion; an effect, which, there is fome reafon to apprehend, this among other caufes, has contributed to produce in the prefent age. We do not here intend any impeachment of this performance, but juft to throw out an hint, which it is probable has already occurred to the Author.

Dr. Priestley's good fenfe and abilities, for treating these, or other fubjects, are well known to the world; yet it may, how ever, be expected, that we should add fome further fpecimen of his manner, from thefe inftitutes; we fhall therefore felect the following fhort paflage, beyond which our limits will not allow. us to proceed: it is taken from the fection which treats of selfintereft. The writer, having allowed, that a regard to our greateft happiness is one of the proper rules of our conduct, obferves that this is moft effectually gained, when it is not itfelf the immediate fcope of our actions; in fupport of which remark, he adds the following obfervations:

1. When we keep up a regard to ourselves in our conduct we can never exclude fuch a degree of anxiety, and jealousy of others, as will always make us in fome degree unhappy; and we find by experience, that no perfons have fo true and unallayed enjoyments, as thofe who lofe fight of themfelves, and of all regard to their happinefs, in higher and greater purfuits.

2. Though it be true, that, when our intereft is perfectly underflood, it will be beft promoted by thofe actions which are. dictated by a regard to the good of others, &c. it requires great comprehenfion of mind, even to fee this, and much more to act upon it; fo that if the bulk of mankind were taught to pursue their own proper happiness, as the ultimate end of life, they would be led to do many things injurious to others, not being able to fee how they could otherwife make the bett provifion for themfelves.

3. If we confult the unperverted dictates of our minds, we fhall feel that there is a kind of meanness in a man's acting from a view to his own intereft only; and if any person were known to have no higher motive for his conduct, though he should have fo much comprehenfion of mind, as that this principle thould. never mislead him, and every particular action which he was led to by it should be, in ittelf, always right, he would not be. allowed to have any moral worth, fo as to command our ejleem; and he would not at all engage our love. All we could say in his favour would be that he was a prudent man, not that he was virtuous. Nay we should not allow that any man's conduct was

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* even

even right, in the highest and most proper sense of the word, unless he was influenced by motives of a higher and purer nature, namely, a regard to the will of God, to the good of others, or to the dictates of conscience.

It seems to follow from thefe confiderations, that this principle, of a regard to our higheft intereft, holds a kind of middle rank between the vices and the virtues; and that its principal ufe is, to be a means of raifing us above all the lower and vicious pursuits, to those that are higher, and properly speaking praise worthy.'

In clofing our extracts from this work, we would just observe, that to enlighten the understandings of his hearers is certainly a material part of the bufinefs of a public inftructor, and that to imprint a few plain and practical truths in a perfuafive and affecting manner upon their hearts, is a yet more important defign. To make the bulk of mankind philofophers, is not a necessary thing, but to form them to be useful members of fociety, and promote their regard to and fitness for a better life, thefe are indeed great and momentous purposes; and to thefe, we are fully perfuaded Dr. Priestley, as well as his Reviewer, pays the most ferious regard.

We shall only add, that in his preface he informs us, that in the fecond and third parts of these institutes, he has made great ufe of Dr. Hartley's obfervations on man: he thinks himself very happy, he tells us, in having any fair opportunity of making his acknowledgements to this writer, and fhall confider it as gaining a very valuable end, if by this or any other means, a greater degree of attention could be drawn upon that most excellent performance, fo as to make it more generally read, and ftudied, by thofe who are qualified to do it.'

Hi.

ART. VI. Obfervations on the Caufes of the Diffoluteness which reigns among the lower Claffes of the People; the Propenfity of fome to Petty Larceny; and the Danger of Gaming, Concubinage, and an exceffive Fondness for Amusement in High Life, &c. In Three Letters to a Governor of Bridewell, &c. By Jonas Hanway, Efq; 4to. 2 s. Rivington. 1772.

THE

HE diffolutenefs of manners among the generality of our countrymen, and the growing neglect of every thing ferious, fober, or truly important to the welfare of the community and of individuals, must be obferved and lamented by reflecting minds; and affords but a melancholy profpect for future years, unless fome wife and effectual methods can be employed to check the increafing evil. Very eafy, indeed, it is for perfons to exclaim against the diffipation and corruption of the age, which are too apparent; but to discover, and properly to apply, manity a fuitable remedy, is a work that requires great wildom, hu

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