20 AN ESSAY ON CHARITY- SCHOOLS. I would persuade myself, that the masters and mistresses of these schools among us, teach the children of the poor which are under their care, to know what their station of life is, how mean their circumstances are, how necessary it is for them to be diligent, laborious, humble and faithful, honest and submissive, what duties they owe to the rest of mankind, and particularly to their superiors, whensoever they shall be placed in families. I am sure this ought to be a part of their instruction, and their teachers should have this charge given them, that the children should be educated in such a manner, as to know and remem- ber, that they are bred up by charity, and to learn and practise humility upon all occasions*. 4. If there should happen once nowand then such an in- stance, if a child should grow vain and haughty under the ad- vantages of the instruction which he receives from the bounty of others, if a servant thus educated, should now and thenbe found unwilling to perform the duties of his place, this is to be reckoned an abuse of knowledge, and not a necessary effect of it. We are not to charge any useful constitution among mankind, with those unhappy consequences which are merely the effects of that constitution abused. There is nothing so well contrived, nor so happily managed in the affairs of men, but may be perverted to vile and unhappy purposes. Surelyno man would judge that the sun in the heavens should be blotted out, because it be- stows day-light on the practice of a thousand iniquities. The admirable art of couching a cataract and giving sight to the blind, should not be forbidden, because a man who had en- joyed this benefit, used his eyes to commit theft, or murder, or to write treason or blasphemy. To give knowledge to those who are born in ignorance, is but like couching a cataract, it is letting in the light to a blind soul : Cursed are they that so horribly ahuse this light : But they are not blessed that would withhold it from all, for fear lest some should abuse it. The inconveniences of having none of the children of the poor taught to read, would be vastly greater, and bring far heavier * On this occasion I cannot but transcribe a passage of the reverend Mr. Chandler in his late sermon on this subject, viz. " Undoubtedly pride and sloth ought never to be encouraged in any, especially not in the children of the poor; Who ar to maintain themselves, and become useful to thepublic by a modest, diligeis and industrious behaviour. And in order to prevent the effects complain-' ed of .Cis highly necessary, that besides their being taught the common princi- ples of religion in the catechism, they should have some particular instructions proper to their condition, continually inculcated into their minds ; - and-be taught such little portions of holy scripture as recommend labour and industry, fidelity andhonesty, modesty and humility, gratitude and submission and the like vir- tues -upon which their future usefulness more especially depends. I know not whether there be any body of such instructions drawn up for the use of the charityschoois. If not I am persuaded it is a defect that ought tobe supplted.r5 This I have taken notice of in the preface,. and have bad, some assistance given nie, that such a book will be published.
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