Occasional Thoughts in Reference to a Vertuous or Cristian life, page 59 by Lady Damaris Cudworth (1659-1708) Masham
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m to neglect Obedience as that if they pursu'd the just consequence of their own Doctrine (a thing few People do) they would have no Morality at all: And how rarely soever these consequences are follow'd so far as they would lead Men, yet that they are too much so, is visible in that little concern which such People take (as has been now observ'd) in training up their Children betimes in the knowledge and practice of Vertue; so necessary to the making them hereafter Vertuous, that rarely are any found eminently to be so, where this means has been neglected; even many who are always very sincere in the Profession of Religion, having (thro' the want of this early care taken of them) their Passions never subjected to their Reason; which renders them all their Lives long uneasie to themselves, and others: Whereby also the very profession of Religion is dishonour'd, and evil spoken of.
In the Church of _England_, (whatever her Articles may be thought to teach) there are not many now who hold these Opinions; and such as do not so, rightly looking upon Vertue as the great perfection of Humane Nature, and the End which Christianity is intended to promote, do accordingly (if they are serious in their Religion) instruct their Children much better than those abovementioned are wont to do theirs; at least, they design it: For it is true that the performance does often fall short; because (as has been said) their Actions correspond not with their Instructions; and also from hence That Zeal for Morality makes some, in recommending thereof, too forgetful of that Doctrine of Faith, without which, as works avail not, so also the greatest encouragement to, and inforcement of Morality, is lost. And when any who are profess'd Teachers of the Christian Religion do this, such Men do frequently confirm in their wrong Apprehensions concerning it, those whom they would convince of mistaking the design of the Gospel; since Faith is so evidently therein the Doctrine of Salvation, that They who never preach it, are not alto