hildren to gather
information respecting moral good and evil solely from the slowly
developed and imperfect dictates of their own nature. The whole
phenomena of the natural conscience shew, that although God secures the
operation of the legislative powers of conscience to direct the actions
of the man when they are really required, yet he intends that they
should be anticipated by moral instruction given by the parent. And this
is proved by the remarkable fact, that when this instruction is
communicated, the executive powers of conscience immediately come into
operation, and homologate this instruction, by approving of it, adopting
it, and acting upon it.

4. This is still farther obvious from a fourth consideration, which is,
that wherever moral instruction has been communicated to the young, the
legislative powers of conscience are either altogether superseded, or
left dormant.--Every person who in youth has received a regular moral
and religious education, and who retains upon his mind the knowledge
then communicated, is found through life to act upon _that_ knowledge
chiefly, if not entirely. He seldom thinks of the dictates of his
natural conscience, and but rarely perceives them. In every decision to
which he comes as to what is right or wrong, reference is generally made
in his mind, either to the declarations of Scripture, or to the moral
instructions which he has formerly received; and upon these he
invariably falls back, when any action of a doubtful character is
presented for his approval or rejection. From this very remarkable
circumstance, we at once ascertain what are the intentions of Nature.
She very plainly requires the early moral instruction of the young, by
those into whose hands she has placed them; because she is here found to
encourage and acknowledge this instruction at the expense of her own
legislative powers, which not being now required, are allowed to lie
idle.

5. Another circumstance connected with this subject, is the well known
fact, that children are found capable of moral instruction long before
the time that Nature usually begins to develope the legislative powers
of the conscience.--A child, almost as soon as he can be made to know
that he has an earthly father, may be taught that he has another Father
in heaven; and when he can be induced to feel that a certain line of
conduct is necessary to secure the favour of the one, he may also be led
to comprehend that certain dispositions