4793: literary olla, No. x. 181 
and endearingly induced to draw consequences from ana- 
logy, favourable to the fear of God, and = admiration of 
his wisdom and goodnefs. 
A child knows that a house, a statue, a picture, or a 
piece of furniture, did not make itself: he knows it from 
observation ; and let us fhow him what we will, if he re- 
marks badbGiaicy and regularity i in it, he will not fail to 
afk who made that? ; 
This disposition is natural to all children, and this dis- 
position, judiciously cherified, and improved will natu- 
rally open their minds to as rational and extensive a know- 
ledge of God as it is pofsible for weak mortals to obtain. 
Not:.ithstanding the pride and nonsense of false phile- 
ssophy, and scholastic theology, I maintain that in this 
respect young people are more upon a par with their el- 
ders than we are willing to allow. 
It appears also to me, that the only way by which we 
can exclude that superstition or personification of unknown 
causes, to which mankind, from the powers of reflection 
co-operating with fear, are so subject, is by substituting 
the first principle of rational religion in its stead. 
If we say, that such a notion is too sublime for a child, 
Id say it is too sublime for him to whom Sir Isaac Newton 
were as a little child. But the early imprefsion being 
properly made, it will always carry along with it the af- 
sociate idea of divine intelligence, and will lay a foundati- 
-on for the unfolding understanding to receive proper in- 
struction, and for the inquisitive youth, to direct his at- 
‘tention more to the ultimate properties of nature by ob- 
servation, and experiment than by theorising on seconda-’ 
ry causes; and thus he will be early taught to set his foot 
upon the first step of the ladder of the illustrious Lord Ba- 
€0N. 
To be continued. 
