and of blafphemy," with noble and
pious magnamity you ftand forward, a
guardian of our domeftic peace, a de-
fender of our free and happy conftitu-
tion, an advocate, of our pure and
undefiled religion." Whilft, through
the medium of other publications, the
fpurious philanthropy of revolutionitis
and infidels fpirits up the people to
what is fallely denominated free en-
quiry, deludes them with Utopian
dreams of perfect equality, and under
the hateful names of prejudice and bi-
'gotry, decries the worthip of our
Saviour and our God; in your pages
an illuftrious phalanx, real friends of
humanity, at once vindicate the caufe
of rational liberty, and detect the fo-
phiftry of licentious innovation; che-
rifh the holy fyftem of Chriftianity,
that venerable tree*, under whofe
fhadow the inhabitants of the earth are
provided with a fecure abode, and at
the fame time lop off the unfound
doctrines, the unfruitful and pernicious
branches engrafted by Enthusiasm and
Superftition.

This general acknowledgement of your merits is a tribute which I gladly pay to truth: a regard for truth, how ever, compels me to obferve, that you fometimes admit frivolities unworthy of the character which your publication has fo long maintained, and fometimes diffeminate opinions, in my apprehenfion, not thoroughly confilient with the dictates either of humanity or of found policy. Of thefe blemishes the former may, perhaps, be well accounted for by the neceflity of providing mental food for various taftes; the latter, I am not willing to attribute either to want of feeling or to want of judgment; and, perhaps, when it is confidered that your columns are ever open to proper and temperate difcuflion, the admiflion of opinions quefiionable in their practical tendency fhould not be condemned. From the infertion of error truth may be eftablished. Mathematicians not unfrequently affume, as the bafis of their demonftration, the falfe pofition which it is their object to overthrow.

Difmiffing the confideration of those frivolities, which, if they promote no good end, have at least the negative recommendation of being harmlets, I proceed to the fubject of erroneous opinions, and fhall, for the prefent, confine myfelf to one, maintained (pp.

Mark iv. 30-32.

491, 896, by your correfpondent A
Southern Faunift. In controverting
the arguments of this gentleman, I am
far fromí intending him the flighteft
difrefpect: I am willing to fuppofe
him anxious for the happiness and
well-being of the English peafantry;
and I truft he will attribute this
letter to my anxiety for the well-
fare not merely of my native Ireland,
but of the whole United kingdom;
may I not add, for the interefts of hu-
manity and religion?

The Southern Faunift oppofes a diffufion of the firft rudiments of education amongit our poorer brethren. As far as I can collect from his two letters, the following are his principal grounds of argument: 1. Young fcholars eagerly learn the obfcene fongs hawked by ballad-fingers. 3. When more advanced in life, they become fubfcribers to circulating libraries; whence they procure moral and political poifon. 3. Writing mifapplied to the purpofes of improper correspondences and forgery. 4. Literary attainments, even in the loweft degree, occafion pride, idleness, difcontent, and a contempt for agricultural and menial purfuits. 5. Comparative induftry and happiness of the poor when uneducated. 6. The mifchiefs occafioned by the diffemination of Thomas Paine's work. (Which of them?)

To thefe arguments I would offer this general reply; that they are founded on the abufes which grow out of a defective knowledge. If ill effects have been perceived to flow from inftructing the poorer claffes, they muft have flowed from inftraction of an improper kind; from unqualified, immoral, irreligious teachers; from a want of catechetical inftruction in the truths and duties of the Chriftian

religion; from a neglect of fuperintendance in the clergy and refident gentry, from the general ufe of books immoral in their tendency, calculated to inflame the paffions, to infpire a love of wild and lawless adventure, and to inculcate principles fubverfive of virtue and religion. Need I remind your correfpondent, that to argue from abufes is to argue illogically and unfairly; that by this mode of reafoning Christianity might be cried down for the perfecutions of bigotry, and the ufe of fire exploded, because it has fometimes occafioned conflagration? I will grant, that from erroneous, irre

ligious

igious education, enormous evils do
proceed; the removal of thofe evils is
a confummation devoutly to be withed
for, But how is it to be effected? I
am firmly perfuaded not by an at-
tempt to perpetuate ignorance. A-
mongft the very lowelt of the people a
with for inftruction undoubtedly pre-
vails. Those of them who have not
themselves received any education are
anxious to bettow it on their children;
their anxiety they will gratify, and
wherever good fchools are not provided
for them, they will avail themfelves of
bad ones, which are every where ob-
vious and obtrufive. An enlightened
policy, then, fhould difpofe the friends
of order and religion to meet the evil
at its fource; to found good fchool-
houfes, and encourage reputable teach-
ers, whether they be laity or clergy; to
vifit the feminaries of humble educa-
tion; to take immoral and indecent
books from the hands of children, and
in their room to fubftitute the New
Teftament, or the admirable tracts of
Mrs. Hannah More, which unite
amufement with religion, and give the
mind an early bias in favour of that
piety whose ways are ways of plea-
fantnefs, and all whofe paths are
peace," and, above all, the children
fhould be diligently and affectionately
inftructed in the leading principles of
our holy religion; not taught them by
rote, but judicioully enabled to com-
prehend and to feel them.

Such are the weapons which I would oppofe to the " increafing idlenefs and immorality of the poor;" fuch the antidotes with which I would expel the widely-circulated poifon of vicious, disaffected, irreligious principles.

In addition to this general reply, I would offer a few hints and obfervations, referring to each head of the Faunift's argument. 1. Much may be, much has been, effected by making it the intereft of hawkers and balladmongers to difpofe of tracts, not only entertaining, but eminently ufeful. The unparalleled fale of Hannah More's publications, in this very mode, fully juttifies this opinion. Any objection, arifing from want of a fufficient variety of tracts, may be obviated by an affertion eafy of proof, that there are numbers in England able and willing to compofe fimilar works. 2. Perhaps the eltablishment of a licence for circulating libraries, and a con

1

troul over them placed in the hands of the magiftracy and clergy, might be attended with effects extenfively beneficial. 3. The mifapplication of fkill in writing, I confider fufficiently obviated by an early intitution in the principles of piety. 4. I would cite the example of Scotland, where a fingular attention is paid to the education of the poor, and where indufiry, good order,' and religious principle, eminently prevail; where, after a day of fevere labour, the Bible is introduced at night, the relaxation and the comfort of each happy family. 5. In order to derive any fupport from this argument, the advocates of mental darkness muft prove, that at prefent the leaft informed are the moft induftrious, and the moft contented. So far as my experience has extended, the reverte has been, generally fpeaking, the cafe. Ireland, I am grieved to fay, is the moft ignorant part of the British empire. Surely the Southern Faunit will not affert that the is the mofi induf trious; and late unhappy events have proved, that fle is not the most contented. But of Ireland, there is a part where education has been diffafed with tolerable liberality: I mean the North. There flourishes our ftaple manufactory, in which we are able to outfel the reft of Europe; and there, I fpeak from experience, exifts a degree of happinets, civilization, and good order, unknown in Leinster, Munfter, or Connaught. 6. On the mifchiefs refult ing from the diffemination of Thomas Paine's work, I would fpeak a little more at large. As it is not fpecifted whether "The Rights of Man" or

The Age of Reafon" be alluded to, I fhall take them both into account; or, to give the objection the greatest poflible force, I fhall thus generalize the objector's words; "if reading had not been rendered fo general by Sunday fchools, the baleful influence of democratical and deiftical works could not have been fo extenfive." This pofition I deny. Those who cannot read can hear; can hear, without fufficient knowledge to detect falfehood, or dif entangle mifreprefentation. It is an acknowledged fact, that in most parts of Europe the enemies of God and man employed active and artful enemies, who worked in difguife, and fpread their doctrines in darkness and fecrefy. Thofe enemies would rather have to deal with the ignorant than

with the enlightened. In a country generally uneducated they could easily procure as an affifiant in each village fome petty demagogue, whofe profligacy, avarice, and pride, would fit him for a minifter of treafon and infidelity. The illiterate mob would look up with wonder and implicit belief to the man who could read, and through this polluted channel would derive all their information and principles. In fuch circumftances what could be done to undeceive the people? Would you publish the truth, in this way inculcating loyalty and religion? It could not teach them, for they could not read. Every avenue to their hearts and underftandings would be clofed; the noxious few would retain their fight, and lead the blind multitude into thorny paths and frightful pitfalls. No; the true policy is, to let the people fee the light, the pure light of the Gofpel. Educate them pioufly, and let them read the Bible.

On the most favourable calculation, the Scriptures are not heard in a country church during above fifty-two hours in the year, nor commented on by the clergyman during half that time. And will any one fay, that about three days Scriptural inftruction is fufficient to guide a weak, frail, and ignorant being, during three hundred and fixty five? "But I do not think," fays your correfpondent, "that the dictations of holy writ make fo much impreffion on ordinary beings, or can be fo well understood by them when perufed by themfelves, as when promulgated by a clergyman in a church; and I am of opinion, that familiarity finks the confequence of the Bible as well as of every thing elfe, befides the danger that there is of many paffages in it being vilely or ridiculously misconstrued, efpecially by youth." Language fuch as this, I cannot read without indignation. From fact and experience I could amply expofe its fallacy: but I rather reply to it in the unanswerable words of Scripture, dictated by the fpirit of God himself. "Thou shalt teach them to thy children; and fhalt talk of them, when thou fitteft in thine houfe, and when thou walkeft by the way, and when thou lieft down, and when thou rifeft up." Deut. vi. 7. "This book of the law fhall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayeft obferve to do according to

all that is written therein." Joh. i. 8.
His delight is in the law of the
Lord; and in his law doth he meditate
day and night.” Pf. i. 2. "Where-
with fhall a young man cleanfe his
way? By taking heed thereto accord-
ing to thy word."
"Search the Scrip-
tures." John v. 39. "From a child
thou hast known the holy Scriptures,
which are able to make thee wife unto
Salvation." 2 Tim. iii. 15. These last
were the words of Saint Paul to Timo-
thy, "his own fon in the Faith." Did
this holy man's early acquaintance and
familiarity with the Bible fink its con-
fequence in his eftimation? Or did
not every fubfequent perufal more
firmly convince him, that " All Scrip-
ture is given by inspiration of God, and
is profitable, for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for infìruction in rightouf-
nefs; THAT THE MAN OF GOD MAY

BE PERFECT, THOROUGHLY FUR-
NISHED UNTO ALL GOOD WORKS!"

1

It is the decided belief of my underftanding, the inmoft feeling of my heart, that to the poor man, early, humbly, and rightly educated, the Bible will afford continual delight and confolation: " When he goeth it fhall lead him, when he fleepeth it shall keep him, when he awaketh it shall talk with him" thus acting as his guide, his guard, and pleafant companion. In the hours of labour, a recollection of its fublime and affecting paffages will cherish and invigorate him amidit the toils of honeft induftry; in his moments of leifure, he will repair to it as a friend and inftructor; and when compofing himself to reft, he will exclaim from its comfortable page, "I will both lay me down in peace and fleep, for thou, LORD, only, makest me dwell in fafety!"

The Faunift, fpeaking of the happy days of ignorance, fays (p. 491)," the evil propenfities of nature were kept under by continued employment, and the awe they flood in of their fuperiors. This is the way of life that should be encouraged among the poor, and the only one that could make them comfortalle." This "way of life" the Ifraclites experienced in the land of Egypt. "The Egyptians made the children of Ifrael to ferve with rigour; and they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of fervice in the field: all their fervice wherewith they made them ferve was with rigour."