A

PROJECT

FOR THE

Advancement of RELIGION,

AND THE

Reformation of MANNERS.

Written in the YEAR 1709.

To the Countess of BERKLEY.

MADAM,

MY

Y Intention in prefixing your Ladyfhip's Name, is not after the common Form, to defire your Protection of the following Papers, which I take to be a very unreasonable Request ; fince by being infcribed to your Ladyship, although without your Knowledge, and from a concealed Hand, you cannot recommend them without fome Sufpicion of Partiality. My real Defign is, I confefs, the very fame I have often detefted in moft Dedications; That of publishing your Praises to the World. Not upon the Subject of your noble Birth, for I know others as noble; or of the Greatnefs of your Fortune, for I know others far greater; or of that beautiful Race (the Images of their Parents) which calleth you Mo

ther:

ther: For even this may, perhaps, have been equal led in fome other Age, or Country. Befides, none of thefe Advantages do derive any Accomplishments to the Owners; but ferve at beft, only to adorn what they really poffefs. What I intend, is your Piety, Truth, good Senfe, and good Nature, Affability and Charity; wherein I wish your Ladyfhip had many Equals, or any Superiors; and I wish I could fay, I knew them too; for then your Ladyfhip might have had a Chance to efcape this Addrefs. In the mean time, I think it highly neceffary for the Intereft of Virtue and Religion, that the whole Kingdom fhould be informed in fome Parts of your Character: For Inftance: That, the cafieft and politeft Conversation, joined with the trueft Picty, may be observed in your Ladyfhip, in as great Perfection, as they were ever seen apart in any other Perions. That, by your Prudence and Management under feveral Difadvantages, you have preferved the Luftre of that most noble Family, into which you are grafted, and which the unmeasurable Profufion of Ancestors, for many Generations, had too much eclipfed. Then, how happily you perform every Office of Life, to which Providence hath called you: In the Education of thofe two incomparable Daughters, whofe Conduct is fo univerfally admired; in every Duty of a prudent, complying, affectionate Wife; in that Care which defcendeth to the meaneft of your Domesticks; and laftly, in that endless Bounty to the Poor, and Difcretion where to distribute it. I infift on my Opinion, that it is of Importance for the Publick to know this, and a great deal more of your Ladyfhip; yet whoever goeth about to inform them, fhall, inftead of finding Credit, perhaps be cenfured for a Flatterer. To avoid fo ufual a Reproach, I declare this to be no Dedication; but merely an Introduction to a Propofal for the Advancement of Religion and Morals; by tracing, however imperfectly, fome few Lineaments in the Character of a Lady, who hath spent all her Life in the Practice and Promotion of both.

AMONG

A

MONG all the Schemes offered to the Publick in this projecting Age, I have observed, with fome Displeasure, that there have never been any for the Improvement of Religion and Morals: Which, befides the Piety of the Defign from the Confequences of fuch a Reformation in a future Life, would be the beft natural Means for advancing the publick Felicity of the State, as well as the prefent Happiness of every Individual. For, as much as Faith and Morality are declined among us, I am altogether confident, they might, in a fhort time, and with no very great Trouble, be raised to as high a Perfection, as Numbers are capable of receiving. Indeed, the Method is fo eafy and obvious, and fome prefent Opportunities fo good; that, in order to have this Project reduced to Practice, there feemeth to want nothing more than to put those in mind, who, by their Honour, Duty, and Intereft, are chiefly concerned.

BUT, because it is idle to propofe Remedies before we are affured of the Disease, or to be in Fear, until we are convinced of the Danger; I shall first fhew in general, that the Nation is extremely corrupted in Religion and Morals; and then, I will offer a fhort Scheme for the Reformation of both.

As to the firft; I know it is reckoned but a Form of Speech, when Divines complain of the Wickednefs of the Age: However, I believe, upon a fair Comparison with the other Times and Countries, it would be found an undoubted Truth.

FOR, firft, to deliver nothing but plain Matter of Fact, without Exaggeration or Satyr, I fuppofe it will be granted, that hardly one in a hundred among our People of Quality, or Gentry, appeareth to act by any Principle of Religion. That great Numbers of them do entirely difcard it, and are ready to own their Difbelief of all Revelation in ordinary Difcourfe. Nor is the Cafe much better among the Vulgar, efpecially in great Towns, where the Profaneness and Ignorance of Handicraftsmen, fmall Traders, Servants, and the

like,

like, are to a Degree very hard to be imagined greater. Then, it is observed abroad, that no Race of Mortals hath fo little Senfe of Religion as the English Soldiers: To confirm which, I have been often told by great Officers in the Army, that in the whole Compafs of their Acquaintance, they could not recollect three of their Profeffion, who seemed to regard, or believe one Syllable of the Gofpel: And the fame, at leaft, may be affirmed of the Fleet. The Confequences of all which, upon the Actions of Men, are equal-ly manifeft. They never go about, as in former Times, to hide or palliate their Vices, but expose them freely to View, like any other common Occurrences of Life, without the leaft Reproach from the World, or themfelves. For Inftance, any Man will tell you, he in, tendeth to be drunk.this Evening, or was fo laft Night,. with as little Ceremony or Scruple, as he would tell you the Time of the Day. He will let you know he is going to a Wench, or that he hath got a Clap, with as much Indifferency as he would a Piece of publick News: He will fwear, curfe, or blafpheme, without the leaft Paffion or Provocation. And although all Regard for Reputation be not quite laid afide in the other Sex; it is, however, at fo low an Ebb, that very few among them, feem to think Virtue and Conduct of any Neceffity for preferving it. If this be not fo, how cometh it to pafs, that Women of tainted Reputations find the fame Countenance, and Reception in all publick Places, with thofe of the nicest Virtue, who pay and receive Vifits from them, without any Manner of Scruple? Which Proceeding, as it is not very old among us, fo I take it to be of most pernicious Confequence. It looketh like a Sort of compounding between Virtue and Vice; as if a Woman were allowed to be vicious, provided the be not profligate: As if there were a certain Point where Gallantry endeth, and Infamy beginneth; or that an hundred criminal Amours were not as pardonable as half a Score.

BESIDE