For as the only end of the physician, is to restore nature to its own state; so the only end of education is, to restore our rational nature to its proper state. And as physic may justly be called the art of restoring health, so education should be considered in no other light, than as the art of recovering man to the use of reason and religion.
The youths that attended upon Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato, and Epictetus, were thus educated. And since christianity hath, as it were, new created the moral and religious world, and set every thing that is reasonable, wise, holy, and desirable, in its true point of light; one may reasonably expect, that the education of youth should be as much bettered by christianity, as the faith and doctrines of religion are amended by it.
But since our modern education is not of this kind, a deficiency in such an essential point, may be justly assigned as one great reason why many men find it so exceedingly difficult to devote themselves wholly unto God.
CHAPTER VI.
Shewing how the method of educating daughters, makes it difficult for them to enter into the spirit of christianity; how miserably they are injured and abused by such an education; and the spirit of a better education represented in the character of Eusebia.
THAT turn of mind which is taught and encouraged in the education of daughters, makes it exceeding difficult for them to enter into such a sense and practice of true devotion, as the spirit of christianity requires.
For if it were a virtue in a woman, to be proud and vain in herself, and fond of the world; we could hardly use better means to raise these passions, than those that are now used in their education.
Matilda is a fine woman, of good breeding, great sense, and has a great deal of regard for religion: she has three daughters, educated by herself; she will trust them to no one else, nor at any school, for fear they should learn any thing ill. She stays with the dancing-master all the time he is with them, because she will hear every thing that is said to them. She has heard them read the scriptures so often, that they can repeat great part of them without book; and there is scarce a good book of devotion, but you may find it in their closets.
Her daughters see her great zeal for religion, but then they see an equal earnestness for all sorts of finery. They are afraid to meet her, if they have missed the church; but then they are more afraid to see her, if they are not laced as strait as they can possibly be.