The Fable of the Bees; Or, Private Vices, Public BenefitsMandeville, Bernard
Philosophy
The Fable of the Bees; Or, Private Vices, Public Benefits
Mandeville, Bernard
Charity-schools -- Early works to 1800; Ethics -- Early works to 1800; Virtue -- Early works to 1800
The only thing of weight, then, that can be said in their behalf is,
that so many thousand children are educated by them in the Christian
faith, and the principles of the church of England. To demonstrate that
this is not a sufficient plea for them, I must desire the reader,
as I hate repetitions, to look back on what I have said before,
to which I shall add, that whatever is necessary to salvation, and
requisite for poor labouring people to know concerning religion,
that children learn at school, may fully as well either by preaching
or catechizing be taught at church, from which, or some other place of
worship, I would not have the meanest of a parish that is able to walk
to it be absent on Sundays. It is the Sabbath, the most useful day in
seven, that is set apart for divine service and religious exercise,
as well as resting from bodily labour; and it is a duty incumbent on
all magistrates, to take particular care of that day. The poor more
especially and their children, should be made to go to church on it,
both in the fore and afternoon, because they have no time on any
other. By precept and example they ought to be encouraged and used
to it from their very infancy; the wilful neglect of it ought to be
counted scandalous, and if downright compulsion to what I urge might
seem too harsh, and perhaps impracticable, all diversions at least
ought strictly to be prohibited, and the poor hindered from every
amusement abroad that might allure or draw them from it.
Where this care is taken by the magistrates, as far as it lies in their
power, ministers of the gospel may instil into the smallest capacities,
more piety and devotion, and better principles of virtue and religion,
than charity schools ever did or ever will produce; and those who
complain, when they have such opportunities, that they cannot imbue
their parishioners with sufficient knowledge, of what they stand in
need of as Christians, without the assistance of reading and writing,
are either very lazy or very ignorant and undeserving themselves.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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