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On The Tendency Of The Pagan Morality And Polytheism To Corrupt Young Minds.
ON THE TENDENCY OF THE PAGAN MORALITY AND POLYTHEISM TO CORRUPT YOUNG MINDS .
IT hath been objected , that boys are too much confined to the Classics while at school , to the exclusion of more important matters . They may receive , it is apprehended , so deep a tincture from the Pagan morality and polytheism , as to vitiate the little religion they have casually imbibed . To the former they must perpetually attend , while the latter is top generally neglected . There is something solid in'this objection : since not a regular
grammar-school exists in the kingdom , where Christianity divides with Paganism the attention of puerile minds . Six days in the week are devoted to the Classics—perhaps the seventh , to the Sacred Volume . This is the most favourable statement of the case ; since , from many schools , the Bible and all religious books are utterly excluded ; unless , indeed , the Greek Testament and the Septuagint are received ,
with a view to the language . But I think every master inexcusable , however circumstanced , who does not allot his seventh day to , the religious instruction of his boys . The Sunday evening , at least , should be devoted to sacred studies . It seems , however , that boys are rather trained up to be Heathens than Christians . In answer to this , we are told , by the advocates for the present mode of education , that boys , at first , do not think at all ; and that , as soon as they begin-to think , they perceive the absurdity of those mythological inventions , which only amuse their fancies . But , granting
that they do not think at all , or turn to any purpose what they are taught , the seeds of fiction and of falsehood are gradually and imperceptibtysown in their minds : and these , though long dormant , orspringing-up delightful to the eye , are too often the principles of impurity . The fact is , that boys often reflect , while their understandings open , on the novelties they meet with in books , as well as in the world : yet they do not instantldetect the error or absurdity of false
y reasonings or foolish fables . They begin to read Ovid ' s Metamorphoses when veiy young , contract a familiar acquaintance with his stories , and are easily prepossessed in favour of , his divinities . They are rather charmed , as their taste improves , and their' passions and appetites gain strength , with the pleasing fiction , with the libidinous talethan shocked at the indecency of the poetor the gross i
, , gnorance of the idolater . Delusions , exerting so early an influence , may grow too powerful to be dispelled by the force of truth , when late applied . The schoolboy may contract so strong an esteem for the Pagan virtues and the Pagan religion , that , abandoned to his own reflexions , he may even regard Christianity as riidmean-spiritedand weak ! Possessing a
g , , mind thus impregnated with error , he cannot but admire the heroes and the gods who have so often soothed his senses , and flattered his young , glowing , imagination . The man of taste , on a retrospect of his puerile years , may recognize many an enthusiastic moment , when
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Tendency Of The Pagan Morality And Polytheism To Corrupt Young Minds.
ON THE TENDENCY OF THE PAGAN MORALITY AND POLYTHEISM TO CORRUPT YOUNG MINDS .
IT hath been objected , that boys are too much confined to the Classics while at school , to the exclusion of more important matters . They may receive , it is apprehended , so deep a tincture from the Pagan morality and polytheism , as to vitiate the little religion they have casually imbibed . To the former they must perpetually attend , while the latter is top generally neglected . There is something solid in'this objection : since not a regular
grammar-school exists in the kingdom , where Christianity divides with Paganism the attention of puerile minds . Six days in the week are devoted to the Classics—perhaps the seventh , to the Sacred Volume . This is the most favourable statement of the case ; since , from many schools , the Bible and all religious books are utterly excluded ; unless , indeed , the Greek Testament and the Septuagint are received ,
with a view to the language . But I think every master inexcusable , however circumstanced , who does not allot his seventh day to , the religious instruction of his boys . The Sunday evening , at least , should be devoted to sacred studies . It seems , however , that boys are rather trained up to be Heathens than Christians . In answer to this , we are told , by the advocates for the present mode of education , that boys , at first , do not think at all ; and that , as soon as they begin-to think , they perceive the absurdity of those mythological inventions , which only amuse their fancies . But , granting
that they do not think at all , or turn to any purpose what they are taught , the seeds of fiction and of falsehood are gradually and imperceptibtysown in their minds : and these , though long dormant , orspringing-up delightful to the eye , are too often the principles of impurity . The fact is , that boys often reflect , while their understandings open , on the novelties they meet with in books , as well as in the world : yet they do not instantldetect the error or absurdity of false
y reasonings or foolish fables . They begin to read Ovid ' s Metamorphoses when veiy young , contract a familiar acquaintance with his stories , and are easily prepossessed in favour of , his divinities . They are rather charmed , as their taste improves , and their' passions and appetites gain strength , with the pleasing fiction , with the libidinous talethan shocked at the indecency of the poetor the gross i
, , gnorance of the idolater . Delusions , exerting so early an influence , may grow too powerful to be dispelled by the force of truth , when late applied . The schoolboy may contract so strong an esteem for the Pagan virtues and the Pagan religion , that , abandoned to his own reflexions , he may even regard Christianity as riidmean-spiritedand weak ! Possessing a
g , , mind thus impregnated with error , he cannot but admire the heroes and the gods who have so often soothed his senses , and flattered his young , glowing , imagination . The man of taste , on a retrospect of his puerile years , may recognize many an enthusiastic moment , when