The works of the Rev. William Thom, late minister ... - waughfamily.ca

284 LETTERS, TRACTS, *^C,their bufinefs,and reje£led by thofe who could haveadvaiiced them, merely becaufe they were much fuTpe£):cdof entertaining fome very loofe and unfoundopinions.But to confider religion in the loweft view, namely,as it is a fcience and a fubjecl: of eonverfation, theyouth ought certainly to be taught it. Every gentlemanand merchant Ihould be able to talk about thetenets of that religion which is eftablifhed in hiscountry : He fliould know fomething about the governmentand difciplirre of that church of which heis a member.We fhould weary out your patience, Sir, and protra£lthis letter to an indecent length, were we tc'mention the ufe of every particular branch of literaturepropofed to be taught by the projected plan >and were we to fhow how well this plan will anfwerthe remaining ends of education ; nam.ely, to prepareyoung people to be ufeful in life, and to appear asaccom]%lifl:;ed gentlemen in eonverfation^ We will,in a few words, take notice of the advantages whicha plan of this fort has effectually to communicatethe knov/kdge which is propofed to be taught byit.I. The things to be taught are all of them" capableof beins learned.Thev are comimenfurate to the capacityof the young mind. Logical quiddities andmetaphyfical fubtleties are totally exterminated. Hiftory,geography, the natural productions of a country,the manners of the people, the manufacl:ures andcomm.odities they trade in, may all be underftood andremem.bered. Thefe are things ufeful to be knownby a commercial people. And, by the way, we begleave to fay, that if merchants have not dipped muchinto metaphyfical and moral theories, they have bytheir voyages and travelsfurniilied the world with afar more valuable fort of knowledge ; we mean thatof the maraiers and cuftoms of men, which is cer-