4 TREFACE. age and capacity, solicitous for the welfare end improvement of their scholars, and faithful to the trust which you repose in them. Let them notbe persons of a hasty spirit, nor of an angry and rash temper: There have been some masters, I will notsay in your schools, so brutal and uncompassionate, that because the children arepoor, they are used with excess of rigourand severity. in thetreatment of them : Nor should the teachers be so familiar and easy, as to let their scholars trifle with them, or neglect their duty, orbe guilty of criminal practices withoutdue reproof orcorrection. They should notbe per- sons of sloth or indolence, that have no concern whether the children im- prove or no, so they do but receive their salary. Nor should they be persons that are guilty o£ any degrees of intemperance, or violence, nor ill language, nor unbecoming speech or carriage, but such as may give an example of piety and virtue, charity and goodness, at the same time as they teach the rules ofit. As I wouldpresume that no persons of anyof theseculpable characters, are entrusted with the education of children among you, on I am persuaded I need give no caution against the admission of persons into this trust, who are disaffected to the presentgovernment : For the very name and profession of a protestant dissenter, is utterly inconsistent with all the principles of those who have their eye to apopish pretender. - These things are not only to be consideredat first, whenyou admit masters or mistresses into your schools, but you mustcarefully enquirewhether they continue this prudent and pious behaviour, and act agreeably to their station and business, and are conforma- bleto your appointmentand direction. Remember that if teachers and go.. vernors behave ill, there is huge injury done to children thereby. It is a waste of their timeof life which is proper for learning, it is a deceiving of their parents, and a great disappointment to them, it is a cheat upon yourselves, and a loss both of your money and your care. IV. Be not contented merely to have them read the bible, and be taught the catechism at proper seasons, but let the truths and duties of it be explained to them in afamiliar and easy way, by taking the answers to pieces, and in- structing the children till they understand the sense of them. It would also be a very useful thing for the children to have a particular collection ofscrip- tures which might impress upon their tender minds, not only the duties of piety towards God, but also the duties of sobriety and temperance, of justice and truth, of humility and submission to superiors, of diligence and industry in their business, of kindness and love to all men, and especially to persons ofpiety and virtue, whatsoever sects or parties of christians they belong to. I am informed such a manual is partly composed, and will be published in a little time. They should be put in mind frequently, ofthe excellency of the christian religion in distinction from that ofTurks and Jews, and heathens: and ofthe excellency of the protestantreligion, in opposition to the papists, with all their idolatry and superstition, their cruel andwicked principles, their mischievous and bloody practices. They should be informed also, on every occasion, of the great and invaluable privileges of being born in Great-Britain, and t,f living under so excellent 'a government as ours is, wherein there is liberty of conscience to serve Godaccording to our own understandings, and wherein people are not punished and persecuted merely for their principles of religion. And on this account they should be taught tohonour our most excellent King George, our most gracious Queen Caroline, and all the royal family, and be
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