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