History of Northampton, Lehigh, Monroe, Carbon, and Schuylkill ...

S92 HISTORY OP SCHUYLKILL COUNTY.
in English, to ktiow what is doing in the comilry
around them, and, in a word, to judge and act entirely
for theniselves without being obliged to take things
upon the word of others, whose interest it may be to I
deceive and mislead them.
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"We have only further to add, that having thus
published, in our names, a true and laitht'ul account j
of (ho rise and progress of this excellent charity, down :
to the present time, we hope it will candidly be received
as such, and prevent many wrong conjecturea
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and insinuations, ilial. might otherwise have lieen
made, if we had not given this genuine and necessary (
information concerning it. From the foregoing plan i
it plainly appears, tliat as the chief manageuient is in i
the people ihemselves, it nmst he entirely their own f
faults, if these schools do not become the greatest
blessing to many generations, that ever was proposed /
in this coinitry. Such, and so benevolent are the designs
of this new society !
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"And surely, now, wo may be permitted in linii
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name, to andrc^s you, countrymen and fellow Chris- \
tians, for whose lenetit the great work is undertaken
AVe cannot but entreat you to consider, of what ini-
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portance such a scheme must be to you, and your S
children afu^r yoa. VVe are imwilling to believe diat
there are any persons, who do not heartily wish sue- »
cess to a design so pious and benevolent. But, ii', 1
unhappily lor thumseives, there should be any such
among us, we are bound in charity to suppose they *
have never yetreflected that, whilst they indulge such \
wishes, they are in fact acting a part, plainly repug-
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nant to the interests of liberty, true religion, and Lveli
of human nature. |
" Manki'id in general are, perhaps, scarcely rai.-cd
more^ by iheir nature, above the brutes, than a man
loell imlructed above the man of no knowledge ur I
education ; and whoever strives to keep a peoiUe in \
ignorajice, nuisl cerlahily harbor notions or desi-i.s
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