They do not look up either to their own imaginations, or to the
imaginations of others, for any rule in the education of their children.
As a christian society, they conceive themselves bound to be guided by
revelation, and by revelation only, while it has any injunctions to
offer, which relate to this subject.
In adverting to the Old Testament, they find that no less than nine, out
of the ten commandments of Moses, are of a prohibitory nature, and, in
adverting to the new, that many of the doctrines of Jesus Christ and the
apostles are delivered in the form of prohibitions. They believe that
revealed religion prohibits them from following all those pursuits,
which the objections notice; for though there is no specific prohibition
of each, yet there is an implied one in the spirit of christianity,
Violent excitements of the passions on sensual subjects must be
unfavourable to religious advancement. Worldly pleasures must hinder
those, which are spiritual. Impure words and spectacles must affect
morals. Not only evil is to be avoided, but even the appearance of evil.
While therefore these sentiments are acknowledged by christianity, it is
to be presumed that the customs, which the objections notice, are to be
avoided in christian education.
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