204 ON INSTRUCTION BY CATECnISMS. ness, as well as to provide for their bodies food and raiment Are parents bound to take care of the flesh that perishes, and yet left at a loose, and unconcerned to take any care of immortal spirits ? Must they be afraid to teach their children the best way they know to everlasting life, for fear lest they should believe and practise it before their reason is ripe enough to chuse a religion for themselves? Will they let them trifle away their childhood . and youthwithout the knowledge and love of God, for fear they should learn it too soon, or lest they should build their faith and practice too much upon the superior age, character and authority of their parents ? But let us enquire a little, What was this superior age and knowledge, this superior character and authority of parents de- signed for, if not fir the care, instruction, and government of their tender and ignorant offspring ? Andcan we imagine this paternal authority, instruction and government should reach to every other part of the child'sconduct, and exclude his religion ? Must dhe parent give him the best instructions he can in the affairs of this perishing life, and fefuse or neglect it in the things of everlastingmoment and divine importance ? Is it not infinitely better that children should know and serve God, because their parents teach them to do it, than that they should be utterly ig- norant of God, and live in a stupid neglect of him and his ser- vice ? Can a religious parent satisfy himself with this philosophi- cal pretence of not biassing the judgment of his children, and let them go on, and diebefore they arrive at manhood, in a state of shameful ignorance and rebellion against their Maker ? Are children entrusted to the affection and careof parents by the God of nature, for so deplorable an end as this ? And will the life and soul of the child never be required' at the parent's hand ? There may be many hours and seasons of life, when pa- rents may give notice to their children as they grow up to matu- rity, that religion ought to be a matter of their rational choice. Theymay be taught to examine the principles they received from their education, and to settle their faith and practice upon solid grounds : But in the mean time children ought to have some notices of the great God who made them instilled into their minds from their very infancy. They ought to be led into that religion in which their parents hope to.obtain acceptance with God, and happiness in the world to come. This is the universal voice of nature, and it reclaims aloud'against those humorous, slothful or cruel parents, who bring their children into a danger- ous world, and into a state of existence which has no end ; and yet take no care to inform then how to escape the dangers of this world; nor how to seek the happiness Of their endless existence. This is the solemn appointment of heaven by express revs-
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