darling Passion. For if it be Right it will stand the test of all that can be urg’d against it; if it be not, is it Good for them to retain and cherish it any longer? And if they refuse to listen to the _Kind_, tho according to them, unseasonable and mistaken advice that is given, and seek no further than for Arguments to Justifie themselves, do they not by so great a Partiality secretly confess that they are in the Wrong, and wou’d not have it discover’d that they are so, because they’re resolv’d with or without Reason to continue their irregular Passion?
And the cause of this strange Resolution seems to be this, That a Passion of any sort having got the hank of one, it becomes so Natural, so Agreeable, that the going about to wean them from it, looks like an attempt to deprive them of all their Joy; and they’re hardly persuaded to part with what’s a _Present_ Delight, let its Consequences be what they may, and tho the quitting of it be in order to th’ enjoyment of that much Sweeter, as well as Nobler Pleasure, which arises from the due use of Reason; and with which those Wise and Holy Souls are entertain’d, who prefer the relishes of a Rational before those of an Animal Life.
But they ought not to think us their Enemies, when we endeavour their Cure, tho we happen to Lance and Scarifie them. They who are Sick of Passion are like People in a Lethargy, insensible of their Danger; nay they’re fond of their Disease, and set themselves against our Medicines; tho the greater unwillingness they show to be Disturb’d, so much the more need of Rousing ’em out of their pleasing slumber.
The more secure they think themselves, the more wretched is their Condition, for that’s a sign that the Passion has got an intire Possession of their Soul, and has fortified all its Avenues against Reason and Wholesome Advice. And ’tis worth being remarqued, that our Inclinations how Innocent and Harmless soever they appear, are always to be suspected if the Passions that accompany them are violent. For Violence does not Answer but Destroy the Use of Passion, it hinders th’ Operations of the Soul, insted of disposing the Body to follow her Directions Vigorously.
And as to the Influence that another Persons Passion may have on us, enough has bin said to warn us, not to dally with the Flame when our Neighbours house is on Fire, lest we be consum’d in it; and carefully to avoid doing any thing which may excite, or encrease their Passions.
But when we discern that the Plague is begun, let’s remove with all possible speed out of the infected Air. Great Passions arise from very small beginings, and that which appear’d Innocent at first if allow’d on that account, does often become our Ruin, or gives us at least the greatest trouble in overcoming it.
_The CONCLUSION._ Thus you have Ladies, the best Method I can at present think of for your Improvement, how well it answers my Design the World must judge, if you are so favourable as to think it comes up to’t in any measure, what remains but to put it in Practise, tho in the way in which you live, ’tis not probable that all of you either Will or Can, for reasons mention’d in the first Part, and particularly because of the great waste of your Time, without Redeeming of which there’s nothing to be done. It is not my intention that you shou’d seclude your selves from the World, I know it is Necessary that a great number of you shou’d live in it; but it is Unreasonable and Barbarous to drive you into’t, e’re you are capable of doing Good in it, or at least of keeping Evil from your selves. Nor am I so fond of my Proposal, as not to lay it aside very willingly, did I think you cou’d be sufficiently serv’d without it. But since such Seminaries are thought proper for the Men, since they enjoy the fruits of those Noble Ladies Bounty who were the foundresses of several of their Colleges, why shou’d we not think that such ways of Education wou’d be as advantageous to the Ladies? or why shou’d we despair of finding some among them who will be as kind to their own Sex as their Ancestors have been to the other?
Some Objections against this design have already been consider’d, and those which I have since met with are either too trifling to deserve a serious Answer, or too Ill-natur’d not to require a severer than I care to give them. They must either be very Ignorant or very Malicious who pretend that we wou’d imitate Foreign Monastries, or object against us the Inconveniencies that they are subject to; a little attention to what they read might have convinc’d them that our Institution is rather _Academical_ than _Monastic_. So that it is altogether beside the purpose, to say ’tis too Recluse, or prejudicial to an Active Life; ’tis as far from that as a Ladys Practising at home is from being a hindrance to her dancing at Court. For an Active Life consists not barely in _Being in the World_, but in _doing much Good in it_: And therefore it is fit we Retire a little, to furnish our Understandings with useful Principles, to set our Inclinations right, and to manage our Passions, and when this is well done, but not till then, we may safely venture out.
As for those who think so Contemptibly of such a considerable part of GOD’s Creation, as to suppose that we were made for nothing else but to Admire and do them Service, and to make provision for the low concerns of an Animal Life, we pity their mistake, and can calmly bear their Scoffs, for they do not express so much Contempt of us as they do of our Maker; and therefore the reproach of such incompetent Judges is not an Injury but an Honor to us.
The Ladies I hope pass a truer estimate on themselves, and need not be told that they were made for nobler purposes. For tho I wou’d by no means encourage Pride, yet I wou’d not have them take a mean and groveling Spirit for true Humility. A being content with Ignorance is really but a Pretence, for the frame of our nature is such that it is impossible we shou’d be so; even those very Pretenders value themselves for some Knowlege or other, tho it be a trifling or mistaken one.
She who makes the most Grimace at a Woman of Sense, who employs all her little skill in endeavouring to render Learning and Ingenuity ridiculous, is yet very desirous to be thought Knowing in a Dress, in the Management of an Intreague, in Coquetry or good Houswifry.
If then either the Nobleness or Necessity of our Nature unavoidably excites us to a desire of Advancing, shall it be thought a fault to do it by pursuing the best things? and since we _will_ value our selves on somewhat or other, why shou’d it not be on the most substantial ground? The Humblest Person that lives has some Self-Esteem, nor is it either Fit or Possible that any one should be without it. Because we always Neglect what we Despise, we take no care of its Preservation and Improvement, and were we throughly possess’d with a Contempt of our selves, we shou’d abandon all Care both of our Temporal and Eternal Concerns, and burst with Envy at our Neighbours. The only difference therefore between the Humble and the Proud is this, that whereas the former does not prize her self on some Imaginary Excellency, or for any thing that is not truly Valuable; does not ascribe to her self what is her Makers due, nor Esteem her self on any other account but because she is GOD’s Workmanship, endow’d by him with many excellent Qualities, and made capable of Knowing and Enjoying the Sovereign and Only Good; so that her Self-Esteem does not terminate in her _Self_ but in _GOD_, and she values her self only for GOD’s sake. The Proud on the contrary is mistaken both in her Estimate of Good, and in thinking it is her Own; She values her self on things that have no real Excellency, or which at least add none to her, and forgets from whose Liberality she receives them: She does not employ them in the Donors Service, all her care is to Raise her self, and she little considers that the most excellent things are distributed to others in an equal, perhaps in a greater measure than to herself, they have opportunities of advancing as well as she, and so long as she’s puft up by this Tumor of Mind, they do really excel her.
The Men therefore may still enjoy their Prerogatives for us, we mean not to intrench on any of their Lawful Privileges, our only Contention shall be that they may not out-do us in promoting his Glory who is Lord both of them and us; And by all that appears the generality will not oppose us in this matter, we shall not provoke them by striving to be better Christians. They may busy their Heads with Affairs of State, and spend their Time and Strength in recommending themselves to an uncertain Master, or a more giddy Multitude, our only endeavour shall be to be absolute Monarchs in our own Bosoms. They shall still if they please dispute about Religion, let ’em only give us leave to Understand and Practise it. And whilst they have unrival’d the Glory of speaking as _many_ Languages as _Babel_ afforded, we only desire to express our selves Pertinently and Judiciously in _One_. We will not vie with them in thumbing over Authors, nor pretend to be walking Libraries, provided they’ll but allow us a competent Knowlege of the Books of GOD, Nature I mean and the Holy Scriptures: And whilst they accomplish themselves with the Knowlege of the World, and experiment all the Pleasures and Follies of it, we’ll aspire no further than to be intimately acquainted with our own Hearts. And sure the Complaisant and Good natur’d Sex will not deny us this; nor can they who are so well assur’d of their own Merit entertain the least Suspicion that we shall overtop them. It is upon some other account therefore that they object against our Proposal, but what that is I shall not pretend to guess, since they do not think fit to speak out and declare it.
Some indeed are pleas’d to say, that tho this appears in Speculation to be a very Happy and Useful way of Living, it will be quite another thing when reduc’d to Practice. Variety of Humours will occasion Resentments and Factions, and perhaps other inconveniencies not yet foreseen; nor can we expect that every Person there will be of such an agreeable, obliging and teachable Temper, as neither to Give nor Take Offence. And supposing the first Company were as tractable and as happily cemented by the mutual love of Vertue, and prudent Management, as we cou’d desire, yet how can we be secure of their Successors, or that this as well as other good Institutions shall not degenerate?
I agree so far with this Objection as to grant that our Proposal is not such a piece of Perfection that nothing can be said against it, but is there any thing in this World that is so? Or do Men use to quit their Employments and Houses, their Wives and Children, Relations and Friends, upon every little pet, or because they very often find trouble or disagreeableness? do they not rather if they are good Christians, bear with Infirmities and endeavour to mend them? He then who wou’d Object to purpose must shew that the Good it may do is not equivalent to the Evil which may attend it; that the Ladies will suffer greater Inconveniencies with, than without it, and that it will not in the _Main_ be best. Otherwise we shall take liberty to believe that it is Humor, Covetousness or any thing rather than Reason which restrains him from Approving and Promoting it. There is a certain Pride in the Mind of Man, which flatters him that he can See farther and Judge better than his Neighbour, and he loves to feed it by scrupling and objecting against what another proposes, who perhaps has not over-look’d those fine discoveries in which he hugs himself, but having view’d them on all sides has discern’d and despis’d their insignificancy. I wou’d only ask our Objectors whether they think the World so good as that it needs none, or so bad as that it is not capable of Amendment? If neither of these, let them tell me whether Complaining and Wishing will ever do the business, or who is the greatest Benefactor to Mankind, he who finds fault with every Project set on foot to better and improve them, because it is not exactly after the Pattern in the Mount, that is indeed according to his own tooth and relish; it is not beyond exception, but has a touch of Humane Weakness and Ignorance mingled with it? Or he who vigorously and sincerely with a pure heart and a diligent hand, sets about doing what he Can, tho not so much as he Wou’d, were his abilities greater? We’re all apt enough to cry out against the Age, but to what purpose are our Exclamations unless we go about to Reform it? Not faintly and coldly as if we were unconcern’d for the success, and only wou’d do somewhat to still the reproaches of our Consciences and to exalt us in our own Imaginations, with the Pompous Idea of Zeal and Public Spiritedness; _but with all our Might_, with an Unwearied Industry and Vigor, I’me asham’d to say like that which the Instruments of Satan express in making Proselytes to Wickedness and Prophaneness; but rather with such as becomes the Servants of Christ, which bears some sort of proportion to the Greatness of our Master, the Importance of the Work and the Excellency of the Reward.
We do not expect that all who come into this Society will be perfect, but we will endeavour to make them and our selves so as much as may be. Nor shall any be admitted who either have not, or are not desirous to have, that Divine yet humble, that Great and Generous, yet Meek and Condescending Spirit, that unfeigned Love to GOD and all Mankind which was in Christ Jesus. We set no other Rules than those of the Gospel, Christianity being the highest Improvement of a Rational Nature, and every one’s oblig’d to keep its Institutions whether they Live in such a Society or out of it.
And as for that degeneracy which it may fall into, ’tis too general an objection to have any weight, and may as well be urg’d against Universities, all sorts of Government, and indeed against every thing, as against this. _May be’s_ and _if’s_ are endless, and he who undertakes to provide against all Future Contingencies, either believes no GOD or fancies himself to be one. A Prudent Man will look as far as he can, and provide to the utmost of his Knowlege and Power, but when that’s done, he knows he’s but a Man and therefore can’t possibly Forsee and Remedy all things.
Let’s then do what we _Can_, and leave the rest to our Great Benefactor and Governor, but let us set about our own part, not only when the way is open and easy, who shall give us thanks for that? but in spite of all Difficulties and Discouragement, since we have so Glorious a Leader, so indefatigable in his Labours, so boundless in his Love, such an Omnipotent Assister who neither wants Power nor Will to help us. The Peevishness and Obstinacy of such as Quarrel with our Labour of Love and set themselves against all we can do to serve them, will only add to our Laurels and enlarge our Triumphs, when our Constancy in doing Good has at last o’ercome those Perverse Opposers of it.
_The End._ ERRATA.
Paul’s Church-yard.
A Serious Proposal to the Ladies for the Advancement of their true and greatest Interest: Part 1. By a Lover of her Sex, the 3_d._ Edition.
Letters concerning the Love of God, between the Author of the Proposal to the Ladies and Mr. _John Norris_. 8^o.
Bishop _Patrick_’s Glorious Epiphany. 8^o.
---- His Search the Scriptures. 12^o.
Dr. _Abbadie_’s Vindication of the Truth of Christian Religion, against the Objections of all modern Opposers. 8^o.
Dr. _Woodward_’s Natural History of the Earth. 8^o.
An Answer to _W. P._ his Key about the Quakers Light within and Oaths; with an Appendix of the Sacraments. 8^o.
The Lives and Acts of the Holy Apostles comprehensively and plainly related according to the Holy Scriptures and the Writings of the Primitive Fathers of most approved Authority. 8^o.
A Letter to the Honourable Sir _Robert Howard_: Together with some Animadversions on a Book entituled _Christianity not mysterious_. 8^o.
The Inhuman Cardinal, or Innocence betray’d, a Novel. 12^o.
_Ibrahim_, the 13_th._ Emperor of the _Turks_, a Tragedy: Both written by Mrs. _Mary Pix_.
The Unnatural Brother: A Tragedy, by _Edward Filmer_, L.L.D.
_FINIS._