第35章

For the first grand step towards effecting any substantial improvement in these realms，without injury to any part of the community，is to make it the clear and decided interest of the Church to co-operate cordially in all the projected ameliorations.Once found a national church on the true，unlimited，and genuine principles of mental charity，and all the members of the state will soon improve in every truly valuable quality.If the temperate and discerning of all parties will not now lend their aid to effect this change by peaceable means (which may with the greatest ease and with unerring certainty be done)，it is evident to every calm observer，that the struggle by those who now exist in unnecessary misery，to attain that degree of happiness which they may attain in practice，cannot long be deferred.It will therefore prove true political wisdom to anticipate and guide these feelings.

To those who can reflect and will attend to the passing scenes before them，the times are indeed awfully interesting；

some change of high import，scarcely yet perhaps to be scanned by the present ill-taught race of men，is evidently in progress：in consequence，well-founded，prompt，and decisive measures are now required in the British councils，to direct this change，and to relieve the nation from the errors of its present systems.

It must surely then be the desire of every rational man，of every true friend to humanity，that a cordial co-operation and unity of action should be effected between the British Executive，the Parliament，the Church，and the People，to lay a broad and firm foundation for the future happiness of themselves and the world.

Say not，my countrymen，that such an event is impracticable；

for，by adopting the evident means to form a rational character in man，there is a plain and direct road opened，which，if pursued，will render its accomplishment not only possible but certain.That road，too，will be found the most safe and pleasant that human beings have ever yet travelled.It leads direct to intelligence and true knowledge，and will show the boasted acquirements of Greece，of Rome，and of all antiquity，to be the mere weakness of mental infancy.Those who travel this road will find it so straight and well defined，that no one will be in danger of wandering from the right course.Nor is it yet a narrow or exclusive path；it admits of no exclusion：every colour of body and diversity of mind are freely and alike admitted.It is open to the human race，and it is broad and spacious enough to receive the whole，were they increased a thousandfold.

We well know that a declaration like the one now made must sound chimerical in the ears of those who have hitherto wandered in the dark mazes of ignorance，error，and exclusion，and who have been taught folly and inconsistencies only from their cradle.

But if every known fact connected with the subject proves that，from the day in which man first saw light to that in which the sun now shines，the old collectively have taught the young collectively the sentiments and habits which the young have acquired；and that the present generation and every following generation must in like manner instruct their successors；then do we say，with a confidence founded on certainty itself，that even much more shall come to pass than has yet been foretold or promised.When these principles，derived from the unchangeable laws of nature，and equally revealed to all men，shall，as soon as they will，be publicly established in the world，no conceivable obstacle can remain to prevent a sincere and cordial union and co-operation for every wise and good purpose，not only among all the members of the same state，but also among the rulers of those kingdoms and empires whose enmity and rancour against each other have been carried to the utmost stretch of melancholy folly，and even occasionally to a high degree of madness.

Such，my fellow men，are some，and yet but a few，of the mighty consequences which must result from the public acknowledgement of these plain，simple，and irresistible truths.

They will not prove a delusive promise of mockery，but will in reality speedily and effectively establish peace，goodwill，and an ever-active benevolence throughout the whole human race.

The public avowal of these principles，and their general introduction into practice，will constitute the invaluable secret，for which the human mind，from its birth，has been in perpetual search；its future beneficial consequences no man can yet foresee.

We will now show how these principles may be immediately and most advantageously introduced into general practice.

It has been said that 'the state which shall possess the best national.system of education，will be the best governed'；and if the principle on which the reasoning of these Essays is founded be true，then is that sentiment also true.Yet (will future ages credit the fact？)to this day the British Government is without any national system of training and education even for its millions of poor and uninstructed！The formation of the mind and habits of its subjects is permitted to go on at random，often in the hands of those who are the most incompetent in the empire；

and the result is，the gross ignorance and disunion which now everywhere abound！

(Even the recent attempts which have been made are conducted on the narrow principle of debasing man to a mere irrational military machine which is to be rapidly moved by animal force.)

Instead of continuing such unwise proceedings，a national system for the training and education of the labouring classes ought to be immediately arranged；and，if judiciously devised，it may be rendered the most valuable improvement ever yet introduced into practice.

For this purpose an act should be passed for the instruction of all the poor and labouring classes in the three kingdoms.

In this act，provision should be made：