NEXT the Care of our own Souls, a right Educa­tion of our Children is greatest, for he can scarce be said to be a Happy Father, whose Child is Un­happy: And also the great Master of Heaven and Earth, who hath given us the Charge over them, to Nurse and Educate, will require them at our hands: For if such In­animate Things, as Corn, Wine and Flax, shall be ac­counted for, much more our Off-spring. Yet it's to be feared, if there is not more Care, and a better Method than hath been hitherto taken, in many of our Childrens Edu­cation, too many of them will leave the Service, and lose the Blessing of Upholding the Profession of Truth in suc­ceeding Ages to the Families of Strangers, whilst the Poste­rity of the present Professors of it, may have little Share in it.

Heavy and Sore was the Judgment, upon that honourable old Man Eli, for his Neglect of his Children, (tho' he re­proved them,) their Sins being his and their Ruin, and the Loss of the Priesthood.

Reproof stands for little, without other good Manage­ment (and with it Children trained young, will need little Correction or Reproof either) and that lies much in a con­stant useful Imployment, joyn'd with good Instruction; a good Instructor being like to a good Seeds-man; but how Poor will the Crop be, if the Husband-man doth not manage [Page 2] his Ground, first by Plowing and stirring it, to prevent Weeds growing.

The Mind is always at work, bringing forth something, and a right managing of that in our Children, is the chief of our Charge concerning them; and their Thoughts are of four sorts, 1st, either Innocent, as when Infants; or 2dly, Useful, when their Hands are usefully imploy'd; or 3dly, Foolish or Wicked, When Idle; or 4thly, Religious. Idle­ness is the Devil's great Opportunity, especially added to ill Company.

Infants are capable of little but feeding, bigger Children of some Knowledge of Good and Evil, yet of being kept as Innocent from the Evil as in their Sucking-days, by their Thoughts being entertain'd upon the Subject their hands are imploy'd in, when not upon the Instruction their Tutors shall give them (suitable to their Age) and so forward til l they come to a stronger Judgment; How readily then will they receive the Council of God, when their Regular and Inno­cent Education hath given their Spirits the Nature of the good Ground, (neither High-way nor Stony?) And a Child thus bred, will not readily depart from it when he is Old.

But few private Persons have the Conveniencies, Leisure and Capacity, of giving their Children an Exact Education at Home; such as have Instructions usually wanting suitable Imployment, and such as have Imployment often wanting Instructions; so that the Subject is indispensably the Churches Care, and worth their Modelling.

Now as a further Preface to what may be said for an In­dustrious Education of Children, I recommend to your Con­sideration my Printed Proposals for Raising a Colledge of Industry.

WE having Perused and Considered a Discourse, lately Published by our Friend John Bellers, for the better Education of Youth, and Ampler Provision for the Poor; the Care of whom Friends were Particularly Exhorted to by the last Yearly Meeting; we Recommend the said Book to your Consideration; as, believing it may be of Use for those good Ends, if one House or Colledge, for a beginning, were set on foot, with a joint Stock, by the Friends of Estates through the Nation.