Word of God by their Majesty and Purity:  by the consent of all the Parts, and by the scope of the whole; which is to give all Glory to God:  by their Light and Power to convince, and convert Sinners; to comfort and build up Believers to Salvation:  But the Spirit of God bearing Witness by and with the Scriptures, in the Heart of Man is alone able fully to perswade that they are the very Word of God. One would almost be tempted to suspect that Men who talk’d thus, were not themselves thorowly perswaded that the Scriptures were indeed the Word of God; for how is it possible not only for a Young Boy, or Girl, but even for an Indian Man, or Woman, to be by this answer more convinc’d than they were before, of the Scriptures being what they are pretended to be?  To assure any rational inquirer of Which, it is necessary they should be satisfied, That the Scriptures were indeed written by those whose Names they bear; That these Persons were unquestionable Witnesses, and Faithful Historians of the matters they relate; and that they had such a Guidance, and Direction from the Spirit of God as led them to deliver all necessary Truth, and to preserve them from all error prejudicial thereunto:  which Things have so good evidence, that none who are not manifestly prejudic’d, can refuse assent thereto, when they are duly represented to them:  but without having weigh’d this evidence, the Divine Authority of the Scriptures may, possibly, be by some firmly believ’d, but cannot be so upon the conviction of their Reason.

The Instruction then of most Peoples Younger Years being such as we have seen in regard of Religion:  and Vertue, viz.  The right regulation of our Passions, and Appetites, having (as has been abovesaid) no other sufficient inforcement than the Truths of Religion; can it reasonably be thought strange, that there is so little Vertue in the World as we find there is? or that correspondently to their Principles, Peoples Actions generally are (at best) unaccountable to their Reason?  For Time, and more Years, if they give strength to our Judgments whereby we may be thought able to inform our selves, and correct the errors and defects of our Education, give also strength to our Passions; which grown strong, do furnish and suggest Principles suited to the purposes and ends that they propose; besides, that Ill Habits once settl’d, are hardly chang’d by the force of any principles of which Reason may come to convince Men at their riper Age:  A Truth very little weigh’d; tho’ nothing ought more to be so with respect to a vertuous Education; since rational Religion, so soon as they are capable thereof, is not more necessary to the ingaging People to Vertue, than is the fixing, and establishing in them good Habits betimes, even before they are capable of knowing any other reason for what they are taught to do, than that it is the Will of Those who have a just power over them that they should do so.  For as without a Knowledge of the Truths of Religion, we should want very often sufficient Motives, and Encouragements to submit our Passions and Appetites to the Government of Reason; so without early Habits establish’d of denying our Appetites, and restraining our Inclinations, the Truths of Religion will operate but upon a very few, so far as they ought to do.