OURS of the 4th inftant I reYceiv'd; and tho' I am confcious I

So do not deferve those advantageous things which your civility fays of me in it, yet give me leave to affure you, that the offers of my fervice to you, which you are pleas'd to take notice of, is that part which I fhall not fail to make good on all occafions.

You ask me, What is the shortest and fureft way, for a young Gentleman, to attain a true Knowledge of the Chriftian Religion, in the full and just extent of it? for fo I understand your Question : if I

have mistaken it, you muft fet me right. And to this I have a fhort and plain Anfwer: Let him ftudy the Holy Scripture, efpecially the New Teftament. Therein are contain'd the words of eternal Life. It has God, for its Author; Salvation, for its end; and Truth, without any mixture of Error, for its matter. So that, it is a wonder to me, how any one profeffing Christianity, that would seriously fet himfelf to know his Religion, fhould be in doubt where to imploy his fearch, and lay out his pains for his information; when he knows a Book, where it is all contain'd, pure and entire; and whither, at last, every one must have recourse, to verify that of it, which he finds any where elfe.

Your other Queftion, which I think I may call two or three, will require a larger Anfwer.

As to Morality, which, I take it, is the first in thofe things you enquire af ter; that is beft to be found in the Book that I have already commended to you. But because you may perhaps think, that the better to observe those Rules,

Rules, a little warning, may not be inconvenient, and fome Method of ranging them be useful for the memory; I recommend

to you the Whole methodical System larger view of the

Duty of Man, as a

and if you defire a Parts of Morality, I know not where you will find them fo well and diftinctly explain'd, and fo ftrongly inforc'd, as in the practical Divines of the Church of England. The Sermons of Dr. BARROW, Archbishop TILLOT SON, and Dr. WHICHCOT, are masterpieces in this kind; not to name abun dance of others, who excel on that fubject. If you have a mind to fee how far human Reason advanc'd in the discovery of Morality, you will have a good specimen of it in TULLY'S Offices: unless you have a mind to look farther back into the fource, from whence he drew his Rules; and then you must confult ARISTOTLE, and the other Greek Philofophers.

Tho' Prudence be reckon'd among the cardinal Virtues, yet I do not remember any profefs'd Treatife of Morality, where it is treated in its full extent, and with that

that accuracy that it ought. For which poffibly this may be a reason, that every imprudent Action does not make a man culpable in foro Confcientia. The bufinefs of Morality, I look upon to be the avoiding of Crimes; of Prudence, Inconveniencies, the foundation whereof lies in knowing Men and Manners. History teaches this beft, next to Experience; which is the only effectual way to get a knowledge of the World. As to the Rules of Prudence, in the Conduct of common Life, tho' there be feveral that have imploy'd their pens therein; yet those Writers have their eyes fo fix'd on Convenience, that they fometimes lofe the fight of Virtue; and do not take care to keep themselves always clear from the borders of Dishonesty, while they are tracing out what they take to be, fometimes, the fecureft way to fuccefs: most of those that I have seen on this fubject, having as it feem'd to me, fomething of this defect, So that I know none that I can confident, ly recommend to your young Gentleman, but the Son of SYRAC

To

To compleat a Man in the practice of human Offices, (for to that tend your enquiries), there is one thing more requir'd; which, tho' it be ordinarily confider'd, as diftinct from both Virtue and Prudence, yet I think it so near ally'd to them, that he will scarce keep himself from flips in both, who is without it. That, which I mean, is Good-breeding. The fchool for a young Gentleman to learn it in, is, the Conversation of those who are well-bred.

As to the laft part of your enquiry, which is after Books that will give an infight into the Conftitution of the Govern ment, and real Intereft of his Country: to proceed orderly in this, I think the foundation fhould be laid, in inquiring into the Ground and Nature of Civil Society; and how it is form'd into different models of Government; and what are the feveral Species of it. ARISTOTLE is allow'd a mafter in this féience, and few enter upon the confideration of Government, without reading his Politicks. Hereunto fhould be added, true notions of Laws in general; and Property, the fubject matter about which Laws are made,

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