fter for
ever happy or miserable, accordingly as they live in this World,
prevail with the Ladies of our Days, who call themselves Christians,
to employ some of their Time and Pains upon their own Off-spring? The
care of which (as has been said) should begin with the first Years of
Childrens Lives, in curbing at the earliest appearance thereof, every
their least evil inclination; and accustoming them to an absolute,
constant, and universal Submission and Obedience to the Will of those
who have the disposal of them: Since they will hardly ever after
(especially in a great Fortune) be govern'd by their own Reason, who
are not made supple to that of others, before they are able to judge
of fit and unfit, by any other measure than as it is the Will, or not,
of such whom they believe to have a just Power over them. As they do
become capable of examining and determining their Actions by Reason,
they should be taught never to do any thing of consequence heedlesly;
and to look upon the Dictates of their Reason as so inviolable a Rule
of their Determinations, that no Passion or Appetite must ever make
them swerve therefrom. But instead of following this Method, it is
commonly thought too soon to correct Children for any thing, 'till the
Season is past for this sort of Discipline; which, if it come too
late, is commonly so far from producing the good it was design'd for,
that losing the benefit of Correction (which, if duly apply'd, is of
infinite use) it turns to a Provocation; and renders stiff and
incorrigible a Temper it was meant to supple. Nor is it seldom that
through this wrong tim'd Discipline, together with that remisness and
inequality wherewith Childrens Inclinations are over-rul'd, their
Parents Government over them seems to them not a Natural, and just
right establish'd for their benefit, but a Tyrannick and Arbritary
Power, which accordingly they without Remorse disobey, whenever they
believe that they can do so with Impunity: And what is still worse,
their evil Dispositions, for the most part, are not only not timely
enough restrain'd, but Children are actually taught to indulge to
their naturally irregular Inclinations, by those Vicious or wretchedly
ignorant People, who are plac'd about them; and who almost
universally instil down-right Vice into them, even before they can
well speak; as Revenge, Covetousness, Pride and Envy: Whilst the silly
Creatures who do them so unspeakable Mischiefs are scarce capable of
b