第22章

Let the plan which has now been recommended be steadily put in practice from infancy，without counteraction from the systems of education which now exist，and characters，even in youth，may be formed，that in true knowledge，and in every good and valuable quality，will not only greatly surpass the wise and learned of the present and preceding times，but will appear，as they really will be，a race of rational or superior beings.It is true，this change cannot be instantaneously established；it cannot be created by magic，or by a miracle；it must be effected gradually and to accomplish it finally will prove a work of labour and of years.For those who have been misinstructed from infancy，who have now influence and are active in the world，and whose activity is directed by the false notions of their forefathers，will of course endeavour to obstruct the change.Those who have been systematically impressed with early errors，and conscientiously think them to be truths，will of necessity，while such errors remain，endeavour to perpetuate them in their children.Some simple but general method，therefore，becomes necessary to counteract as speedily as possible an evil of so formidable a magnitude.

It was this view of the subject which suggested the utility of preparing the means to admit of evening lectures in the New Institution；and it is intended they should be given，during winter，three nights in the week，alternately with dancing.

To the ill-trained and ill-taught these lectures may be made invaluable；and these are now numerous；for the far greater part of the population of the world has been permitted to pass the proper season for instruction without being trained to be rational；and they have acquired only the ideas and habits which proceed from ignorant association and erroneous instruction.

It is intended that the lectures should be familiar discourses，delivered in plain impressive language，to instruct the adult part of the community in the most useful practical parts of knowledge in which they are deficient，particularly in the proper method of training their children to become rational creatures；how to expend the earnings of their own labour to advantage；and how to appropriate the surplus gains which will be left to them，in order to create a fund which will relieve them from the anxious fear of future want，and thus give them，under the many errors of the present system，that rational confidence in their own exertions and good conduct，without which，consistency of character or domestic comfort cannot be obtained，and ought not to be expected.The young people may be also questioned relative to their progress in useful knowledge，and allowed to ask for explanations.In short，these lectures may be made to convey，in an amusing and agreeable manner，highly valuable and substantial information to those who are now the most ignorant in the community；and by similar means，which at a trifling expense may be put into action over the whole kingdom，the most important benefits may be given to the labouring classes，and through them，to the whole mass of society.

For it should be considered that the far greater part of the population belong to or have risen from the labouring classes.

and by them the happiness and comfort of all ranks，not excluding the highest，are very essentially influenced：because even much more of the character of children in all families is formed by the servants，than is ever supposed by those unaccustomed to trace with attention the human mind from earliest infancy.It is indeed impossible that children in any situation can be correctly trained，until those who surround them from infancy shall be previously well instructed；and the value of good servants may be duly appreciated by those who have experienced the difference between the very good and very bad.

The last part of the intended arrangement of the New Institution remains yet to be described.This is the Church and its doctrines；and they involve considerations of the highest interest and importance；inasmuch as a knowledge of truth on the subject of religion would permanently establish the happiness of man；for it is the inconsistencies alone，proceeding from the want of this knowledge，which have created，and still create，a great proportion of the miseries which exist in the world.

The only certain criterion of truth is，that it is ever consistent with itself；it remains one and the same under every view and comparison of it which can be made；while error will not stand the test of this investigation and comparison，because it ever leads to absurd conclusions.

Those whose minds are equal to the subject will，ere this，have discovered，that the principles in which mankind have been hitherto instructed，and by which they have been governed，will not bear the test of this criterion.Investigate and compare them；they betray absurdity，folly，and weakness；hence the infinity of jarring opinions，dissensions，and miseries，which have hitherto prevailed.

Had any one of the various opposing systems which have governed the world and disunited man from man，been true，without any mixture of error -that system，very speedily after its public promulgation，would have pervaded society，and compelled all men to have acknowledged its truth.

The criterion，however，which has been stated，shows，that they are all，without an exception，in part inconsistent with the works of nature；that is，with the facts which exist around us.

Those systems therefore must have contained some fundamental errors；and it is utterly impossible for man to become rational，or enjoy the happiness he is capable of attaining，until those errors are exposed and annihilated.

Each of those systems contains some truth with more error；

hence it is that no one of them has gained，or is likely to gain，universality.