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The Vandals in Africa foon became effeminate and lewd, which brought upon themselves fpeedy ruin. The Goths fet up a powerful kingdom in Spain and part of France, and by the fobriety of their manners, it flourished near four hundred years, but its end was not unlike the reft. Two corrupt princes, Vuitza and Roderic, by their diffolute example debauched the people, infomuch that men ran an hazard to be virtuous this made their deftruction easy to those whom God fent against them; which were the Moors, occafioned by the last of these kings difhonouring Count Juliano's daughter. In the time of his calamity, in vain did he expect the aid of those that had been the flatterers and the companions of his vices: his fecurity (the effect of his luxury) was his ruin. For whilft he thought he had nobody to fubdue but his own people, by abufing them he cut off his own arms, and made himself an eafy prey to his real enemies: and fo he perished with his pofterity, that had been the cause of the mischief which befel that great kingdom. However, fo it came to pafs, that the remainder of the Goths, mixing with the ancient Spaniards (to that day distinct) recovered the liberty and reputation of the kingdom by an entire reformation of manners, and a virtue in conversation as admirable, as the vices by which their fathers had fallen were abominable. But the present impoverished state of Spain can tell us, they have not continued that virtuous conduct of their ancestors; the increase of their vices having decayed their strength, and leffened their people and their com

merce.

But why should we overlook our own country? that whether we consider the invasion of the Romans, Saxons, or Normans, it is certain the neglect of virtue and good difcipline, and the prefent inhabitants giving themselves up to ease and pleasure, was the caufe (if Gildas the Briton, and Andrew Horn may be credited) of their overthrow: for as the first bitterly inveighed against the loofenefs of the Britons, threatning them with all thofe miferies that afterwards fol

lowed;

lowed; fo the laft tells us, that the Britons having forgotten God, and being overwhelmed with luxury and vice, it pleafed God to give the land to a poor 'people of the northern parts of Germany, called Saxons, that were of plain and honeft manners.' God is unchangeable in the course of his providence, as to these things: the like caufes produce the like effects, as every tree doth naturally produce its own fruits. It is true, God is not careless of the world; 'He feeds the young ravens, clothes the lillies, takes care of fparrows, and of us, fo as not an hair of our heads falls to the ground without his providence ;' but if men despise his law, hate to be reformed, spend their time and eftate in luxury, and perfift to work wickedness, he will visit them in his wrath, and confume them in his fore difpleasure. To conclude, wars, bloodshed, fires, plunders, waftings, ravishments, flavery, and the like, are the miferies that follow immoralities, the common mischiefs of irreligion, the neglect of good difcipline and government.

Nothing weakens kingdoms like vice; it does not only displease heaven, but disable them. All we have faid, proves it: but above all, the iniquity and voluptuoufness of the Jews, God's chofen, who from being the most prudent, pious and victorious people, made themselves a prey to all their neighbours. Their vice had prepared them to be the conqueft of the first pretender; and thus from freemen they became flaves. Is God afleep, or does he change? Shall not the fame fins have the like punishment? At least, fhall they not be punished? Can we believe there is a God, and not believe that he is the rewarder, as of the deeds of private men, fo of the works of government? Ought we to think him careful of the leffer, and careless of the greater? This were to fuppofe he minded fparrows more than men, and that he took more notice of private perfons than of states. But let not our fuperiors deceive themselves, neither put the evil day afar off; they are greatly accountable to God for these kingdoms. If every poor foul must account for the employment VOL. IV. D

of

of the small talent he has received from God, can we think that those high stewards of God, the great governors of the world, that fo often account with all others, muft never come to a reckoning themselves? Yes, there is a final feffions, a general aflize, and a great term once for all, where he will judge among the judges, who is righteous in all his ways. There private men will anfwer only for themselves, but rulers for the people, as well as for themselves. The difparity that is here, will not be observed there; and the greatness of fuch perfons as fhall be then found tardy, will be fo far from extenuating their guilt, that it will fling weight in the fcale against them. Therefore give me leave, I do befeech you, to be earnest in my humble address to you: why fhould ye not, when none are fo much concerned in the good intention of it? Thus much for the first reason of my fupplication.

SECT. IX.

Of the fecond motive to this addrefs.

Mr

I

Y fecond reafon urging me to this humble and earnest addrefs, is the benefit of pofterity. would think that there are few people fo vicious, as to care to fee their children fo; and yet to me it feems a plain cafe, that as we leave the government, they will find it: if fome effectual course be not taken, what with neglect, and what with example, impiety, and the miseries that follow it, will be entailed upon our children. Certainly, it were better the world ended with us, than that we fhould tranfmit our vices, or fow those evil feeds in our day, that will ripen to their ruin, and fill our country with miseries after we are gone; thereby expofing it to the curfe of God, and violence of our neighbours. But it is an infelicity we ought to bewail, that men are apt to prefer the base pleasures of their prefent extravagancies, to all endeavours after a future benefit; which, befides

the

the guilt they draw upon themselves, our poor pofterity must be greatly injured thereby, who will find thofe debts and incumbrances harder to pay, than all. the reft we can leave them under. Upon this occafion I fhall take the freedom to fay fomething of Educa

'tion.'

The truth is, we are fo much out of order in the education of our youth, that I wish I could fay that we had only the fin of neglect to answer for. I fear, the care has been rather to educate them in a way of fuch vanity, as ends in great inconveniencies here, and muft needs find "vexation of fpirit" hereafter. Our universities have made more loose, than learned; and what extravagancy is begun there, is ufually perfected abroad, or at our inns of court at home; that now and then afford us a few able lawyers; but the generality are like the man of old, who returned home "Seven "times worse than he went out." The genius of this nation is not inferior to any in the world; it is induftrious, it is wife, it is honeft, it is valiant, yet soft and merciful. And, without partiality, we have men that have excelled in every worthy qualification. But, I must needs fay, it has been more owing to the goodnefs of God, in the difpofition of our natures, than the prudence and care of those who have had the charge of their education. It was the faying of a wife man, "Train up a child in the way he fhould go; and "when he is old, he will not depart from it." This is proved to us every day; but it is in the wrong way, in the way of idlenefs, wantonnefs, and impurity of manners. It is worth while, and high time, to make the experiment the other way; to try what the fuppreffion of vice, and the encouragement of virtue, will do in this our fuperiors muft begin, and give their example, as well as fhew their power. There is fcarcely any one thing, that fo much needs the wisdom of the nation in the contrivance of a new law,

" Prov. xxi. i. 6.

as the Education of our youth,' whether we confider the piety or prudence of our manners, the good life, or juft policy of the government. There is fuch an example of what industry may do, in the practice of the Jefuits, that I hope the prefent conjuncture will make the propofal of the thing more welcome to you.

That the intereft of the Jefuits is the greatest in the Roman church and empire," is fo far from being doubted, that all Proteftants wish it were; it is our trouble, rather than our fcruple: it may be, fome other orders are of the fame mind, being much eclipfed fince the rife of this great intereft. They firft appeared about the time of the reformation, and applied themselves, with all conceivable industry, to fecure the tottering papacy against the progrefs of it. In this attempt they ventured fo much farther than any of their predeceffors in the church, that they have been esteemed, of merit, the great minifters and governors of the chair for fome of the laft ages. Indeed, they have almost engroffed the whole power of church and state to themselves in feveral principalities and kingdoms. To them all other orders feem but fmall retailers their great politicians, their philofophers, orators, hiftorians, and mathematicians, are generally found among this fociety; fo that we fcarce fee any thing of note come out from men of that religion, which is not fubfcribed E. S. J. The fame and apprehenfion of their extraordinary learning, and the arts they have to recommend it, have made their order the choice of most princes and men of quality of that religion for the education of their children; in whom they have carefully inftilled, with their inftructions and principles, that peculiar refpect to their own fociety, which hath greatly ferved to the advancement of it, when they have grown to age and power.

But that which above all other ftratagems hath prevailed to extend their dominion in the Roman church,

Note, The Jefuits intereft is the greateft in the Roman Church.

has

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