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city, Leisure or Inclination for such an inquiry, disposing Men, very generally, to neglect it; and easily to satisfy themselves in so doing, from a perswasion that the Christian Religion is indeed self condemn'd: Those whom they imagine to have understood it as well as any Men, having never taught them that this Religion does so much as pretend to any Foundation in, or appeal to Reason, that Faculty in us which distinguishes us from Beasts, and the Actual use thereof from Mad-Men; but indeed Taught them the contrary: And thus prejudg'd, it truly is that the Christian Religion, by those who disbelieve it, has usually come to be rejected; without ever having been allow'd a fair Examination. From what has been said, I think it does appear, that Ill, that is to say, Irrational Instruction concerning Religion, as well as want of Instruction, disposes to Scepticism: And this being so, what wonder can it be that Scepticism having once become fashionable, should continue so? the un-instructed, and the ill-instructed, making by so great odds, the Majority. For Those who have no Religion themselves, do not often take care that others should have any: And They who adhere to a misgrounded Perswasion concerning Religion, retaining a Reverence for their Teachers, do, in consequence thereof, commonly presume that their Children cannot be better taught than they have been before them; which is generally (as has been said) only by the learning of some approved Catechism; wherein, commonly enough, the first principles of Religion are not, as they should be, laid down, but suppos'd: and from whence Those who learn them, learn nothing except that certain Propositions are requir'd to be Believed, which perhaps, they find inconceivable by them; or (at best) whereof they see neither use, nor certainty: These Catechisms yet being represented to Children by those whom they the most Esteem, and Credit, as containing Sacred verities on the Belief of which Salvation does depend, they quickly become afraid to own that they are not convinc'd of the Truth of what is deliver'd in them: For the greater part among our selves are instructed in Religion much after the same manner that that good Lady of the Church of _Rome_ instructed her Child; who when the Girl told her, she _could not believe Transubstantiation_; Reply'd, _What? You do you not believe Transubstantiation? You are a naughty Girl, and must be whip'd._ Instead of having their reasonabl
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