heir uncharitable
Zeal for their Opinions, by them call'd Orthodoxy: And such, no less
effectually, teach the separating of Religion from Vertue, than those
whom they, perhaps, greatly condemn for making this distinction in
Terms; tho' it is true, that That sort of Men who do use this
distinction in their Discourses, do seldom fail of practising
accordingly: None having usually a more fiery Zeal than such People
have for their Orthodox, or, what is call'd by them, sound Doctrine;
and the only difference is, that these Men are herein more consistent
with themselves than the former, since their Words and their Actions
correspond.

Nor less consentaneous to their Opinions are they, in not taking much
Pains to inculcate into their Children (as they not often do) the
Principles and early Habits of Vertue: For if Vertue, or Morality is
so far from being any way that which shall intitle Men to Salvation,
that it is not so much as a means, or good predisposition to what
shall do so, (God oftentimes to shew his Free Grace preferring the
greatest Persons to the most Moral Reasons) which is what these
Peoples Teachers frequently tell them; as there appears indeed but
little Reason why they should be vertuous, so there cannot be any more
why they should indeavour to make others so. Those of these Sentiments
are yet generally (tho' not methinks alike conformable to their
Doctrines) very Solicitous for what they call _Religious Education_.
But how little this will supply the defect of early Principles, and
Habits of Vertue, will be visible when we reflect upon what that,
which they esteem to be Religious Education does consist in; for
commonly it is only in Teaching Children some Form of sound Words as
they conceive them to be; in the greatest part, unintelligible to
their Learners, or uninstructive of their Ignorance; and in
accustoming them to hear many Sermons; which do as little inform them;
and wherein Morality is too often represented as, no ways, available
to Salvation: and, what is still worse, even (sometimes) as that which
shall rank Men among the hateful to, and accursed of God.

The reading of the Bible is, I presume (at the least) as much
practic'd by those as by the generality of any other Perswasion; but
they study no more than others do to understand it; and (on the
contrary) are rather with greater tenaciousness so possess'd by the
Sentiments and Opinions of their Teachers, as to be almost uncapable
of consulting