第11章 Religion

Besides his particular calling for the support of his life,everyone has a concern in a future life which he is bound to look after.This engages his thoughts in religion;and here it mightily lies upon him to understand and reason right.Men therefore cannot be excused from understanding the words and framing the general notions relating to religion right.

The one day of seven,besides other days of rest,allows in the Christian world time enough for this (had they no other idle hours)if they would but make use of these vacancies from their daily labour and apply themselves to an improvement of knowledge with as much diligence as they often do to a great many other things that are useless,and had but those that would enter them according to their several capacities in a right way to this knowledge.The original make of their minds is like that of other men,and they would be found not to want understanding fit to receive the knowledge of religion,if they were a little encouraged and helped in it as they should be.For there are instances of very mean people who have raised their minds to a great sense and understanding of religion.And though these have not been so frequent as could be wished,yet they are enough to clear that condition of life from a necessity of gross ignorance and to show that more might be brought to be rational creatures and Christians (for they can hardly be thought really to be so who,wearing the name,know not so much as the very principles of that religion)if due care were taken of them.For,if I mistake not,the peasantry lately in France (a rank of people under a much heavier pressure of want and poverty than the day-laborers in England)of the reformed religion understood it much better and could say more for it than those of a higher condition among us.

But if it shall be concluded that the meaner sort of people must give themselves up to a brutish stupidity in the things of their nearest concernment,which I see no reason for,this excuses not those of a freer fortune and education,if they neglect their understandings and take no care to employ them as they ought and set them right in the knowledge of those things for which principally they were given them.At least those whose plentiful fortunes allow them the opportunities and helps of improvements are not so few but that it might be hoped great advancements might be made in knowledge of all kinds,especially in that of the greatest concern and largest views,if men would make a right use of their faculties and study their own understandings.