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this, as liath been at ready observed, detradis nothing fro in their truth ando seminess) have the most influence, they are the strongest Curb from Vice, and the most effectuat spur to worthy conduet. Anii in deed, whethcrwe consider the rea n of things, or the practice of men in ali times, weshali be satisfied, that nothing truly great and good, cara enter in to thelieari os one attached to no principies of religion, who belle ves no Providen ce, who ne i ther fears hell, nor liopes for heaven. Punishments and rewards have always had, and always will have thegreatest, eight with men , and tho most considerable of both k in is a re proposed by religion, the duties whereos tali in with the views of the civilmagistrate; it undent ably sollows, that nothing cara add more strengili toa good and righteous go vern ment, than religion. There re it mainlyCOn Cern S go vernorS to heep an attentive eye on the religion of their subjects. And in deed, it is one lesion to magistrate and people, prince andiu e ', Mep m commandments and live, and w DN as the nnis of thine
Although it is no consequence Dom what hath been Oid, that men ould be de barred the Dee use of reason and inquiry ; yet, surely it Willsellow, that without good reason, a mari mould not rejeci those notions which have been instilled by the laws and education of his country. Andeven they who thinii they have such reason, have neverthelesi no right of dicta tingi to others. It is true, divine authori ty is superior to ali hu-
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man prejudices, institutions and regards what ever. And it is wise, although at the rici os liberty, or lise, to obey God rather than man. Butour modern reformers of prejudice, have nothing to plead ' of that hind. There is no magistrate so ignorant as not to know that power, physicalpo er, resides in the people; but authori ty is Dom opinion, whicli authori ty is necessary to restra in and direct the people's power, and theres ore religion is the great stay and suppori os a state. Every religion that inculcates viriue, and discourageth vice, is se far of public benefit. The christi an religion doth not only this, but further mahes every legat constitution sacred by commanding our submission the reto. Let meo sui belisbyeei to the hsther po era, salth St. Paul, for the pomers that be, are or-dained of Godi. And, in effect , sor severat years past, while the rever- ence ser our church and religion, hath been decaying and wearing ofr stomthe minds of men, it may be observed, that loyalty hath in proportion lostground ; and now the very word seems qui te forgoiten. Submission forConscience, aS weli as for wrath, was Once rechon ed an usesul lesion ; butno , with other good tessens, is laid a fide as an obsolete prejudice. That prince or magistrate, ho e ver great or powerfui, who thinlis his o n authori ty sufficient to malle him respected and obeyed, lies under awoful mista ke, and ne ver fatis to stet it oner or later. Obedience to allcivit power is rooted in the religio us fear of God; it is propagated, Pre
served and nouris hed by religion. This mahes men obey, not with eye- service, but in sinceri ty of heart. Human regards may restrain mensrom open and penal offences; but the fear of God is a restra in t Dom alldegrees of ali crimes, howe ver circumstanced. Tahe away this stay and
No man can say he is obliged in conscience, honour, or prudence, is insuit thepublic wisdom, or to ridicule the laWs under Whose protection he lives.
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A Discourse, tac. 3OIit, or greis Dom it, mali seon languissi. The authori ty, the very beingos the magistrate, Will prove a poOr and precarious thing. An inward sense of the supreme majesty of the Κing of hings, is theonly thing that can beget and preserve a triae respect for subordinate maiesty in ali the degrees of power, the first linii of authority being
fixed at the throne of God. But. in these our days, that majesas imperii, that sacrednest of character, which rooted in a religious principie, Wasthe great guard and security of the state, is through want thereos become the public scorn. And indeed, what hold can the Prince or magistrate have on the conscience of those who have no conscience t Howcan he bulld on the principies of such as have no principiest Or hois can he hope sor respect where God himself is neglected tIt is manifest, that no prince umn earth can hope to govern well, oreven to live easy and secure, much lesi respected by his people, is he donot contribute by his example and authority, to keep up in their mindsan awsul sense of religion. As sor a morat sense and morat fitness, oreternat relations, how insufficient those things are for es abiisti ing generaland just notions of morality, or sor heeping men within due bounds, isso evident stom faci and experience, that Ι need not now enter into aeparticular disquisition about them '. It must be owned, that the claws of rapine and violence, may in somedegree be pared and blianted by the ou tward potity of a state. Busmould we not rather try, is possibie, to puli them qui te out i The evit effects of wichedness may be osten redresied by public just ice. But wouldit not he helter to heal the urce, and by an in ard principie, extirpate Michednesi hom the heari, rather than depend altogether on human laws for preventing or redressing the bad effects thereost I might said the
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Too many in this age of Dee rema rhs and projects, are delighted withre publican schemes, and imagine they might remedy whate ver was amissi, and render a peopte great and bappy, mercly by a new plan or forna Os go versament. This dangerous way of thin king and tali ing, is grown familiar, through the seolisti ' Deedom of the times. But, alas litiose men do not stem to have to uched ei ther the true cause or cure of public eviis. Be the plan e ver so excellent, or the architectS e ver so abie, yet no man in his wits would underia he to bui id a palace with meremud or diri. There must be sit materials and without a religious principie, men can ne ver be sit materials for any society, much lese sor a re public. Religion is the centre whicli unites, and the cement whicli con-
necis the severat paris or members of the political body. Such it hathbeen hcld by ait wise men, from the remotest times, dorim to our ingeni- ou S contemporaries ; who, is they are in the right, it must be admitted that ali the rest of the world have been in the wrong.
Froni the knowledge of iis being absolutely necessary to the go vern-ment of a state, that the hearis and minds of the people be inu ard ly imbued with good principies, Plato et telis, that Pupiter, to preserve the race of men sto in peris hing, sent Mercu , with orders to introduce modest y and justice among them, as the firmest ties of human society ις and thout whicli, it could not subsist.' Arad et where, the fame author gives it pia inly as his sense, that j concerning tho se great duties
v Scientia SIN. Lib. I. Fol iet. 1 Men forget, that liberty consists in a mean, or that there is any other extreme bes de
tyranny. : In PROTAGORA. 9 De legibus, Lib. VIII.
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whicli men's appetites and passions render dissiculi, it mould stem ra- ther the work of God to provide, than of humari legislators, is it were
possibie to hope sor a system os laws framed and promulgated by God
himself.' You see hois agreeable the Mosais and christi an institutionsare to the wishes of the wisest heathen. ses, indeod, doth not insist on a future state, the common basis os ali political institutions. Nor do other lawgi vers malae a particular mention os ali things necessary, but suppose se me things as generalty hnownor belle ved. The belles of a future state, whicli it is manifest the ymo Were possessed os, long be re the coming of CHRIs Τ) seems to have ob talia ed among the Hebre s froni primaevat tradition; whicli might renderit un necessary for Moses to insist on that articie. But the Sadductes and Epicureans had, in progress of time, gone so far towarils rooting out this ancient and original sentiment, that it was in danger of heing lost, had itnot been tauit and promulgated in a ne is light by our blescted Savi our. But many among us, Who Would pasi sor assertors of truth and liberιy,
are accustomed to rati at this, and ali other estabit med opinio ras, as pre-judices Which peopte are taught whether they wili or no, and be fore theyare able to distinguim whether they a re right or wrong. These lovers of truth would do weli to consider, that in political, moral, and rcligious matters,.the opinions of the vulgar, Whether they go in coaches, or wallion ot, are sor the most pari prejudices; and a re so like to be whate versi de of the question they embra ce; whether they sol low the old maxim sof the religion of their country, or the modern instructions os their ne vmasters. I have atready observed, that a poliat's heing useful, and inculca ted be times, can he no argument of iis falsiaood, even although it stiouldbe a prejudice; far other i se, utili ty and truth a re not to be divided; thegenerat good of manliind, heing the rule or measure of morat truth. '
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of them. It is even piti fui to thin k what would hecome of certa in mo deria declai mers on that arti cle, were prejudice reatly set aside, and wereali men to be weighed in the exast scale os merit, and considered in proportion only to their intrinsic Worth. Some prejudices are grounded in truth, rea n and nature. Such are the respects whicli are pald to knowledge, learn in g, age, honesty and courage, in ali civili ged countries. Ο-thers a re pure ly the effect of particular constitutions; such are the re- spedis, righis and pre- eminences ascribed to se me men by their fellowsubjects, ori account of their birili and quali ty; whicli, in the great empires of Turio and China, past for nothing; and will past for nothinget where, as soon as men have got rid of their prejudices, and learn edto despi se the constitutions of their country. It may bellove those whoare concerned, to reflect on this betimes.
GOD, comprehending with in himself, the beginia in g, en d, and middie of ali things and times, exeris his energy throughout the whole creation. He ne ver ceaseth to influence by instinet, by the light of nature, by his declared wili. Anil it is the duty of magis rates and la givers, to culti-
vate and cncourage those divine impressions in the miniis of ali men under their care. We a re not to thin k, it is the work of God, and there- fore not to be seconded by humari care. Far other iste, for that very
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A Discourse, Uc. cord ing to this fame analogy, , the principies of piety and religion, thethings that belong to our salvation, although originalty and primari ly the
work of God, yet require the protection os human go vertament, as Heli a Sthe furtherance and a id os ali wi se and good men. And is religion in ali govern ments be necessary, yet it seems to be somore especialty in monarchies: sorasmuch as the frugal manners, and more equat fortunes in republics, do not so much insta me men's appetites, or afford such power or temptation to mischi ef, as the high estate and great wealth of nobles under a Ling. There re, although the magist rate, as was atready observed) hath for his peculiar o est, the temporat well-being of the State ; yet this will by no means exempt hi in stom a due concern for the religion of his country. What was the sense of our ancestors on this potnt, appears throughOUt the whole constitution of the se Lirigdonas: and in order to justii y this constitution, and the wis dona of those who framed it, I mali crave leaveto malae use of se me uni spected testimoni es, ancient and modern, Whichwill shew, that the public care os a national religion, hath been always amosi principat pol ni in the esteem of wise men, ho Ne ver run down by the prevalling licence of our times. The firsi testimo ny I mali produce, is that os Zaleucus, the famous law-gi ver of the Locrians; Who, in his pream bie to his laws, ' begins with religion, laying it down as the corner sione, or undation of his whole superstructure, ' That e very inhabitant subject of the state, mould be pe suaded that there is a God and divine Provide nee : that the an ly way
i It will be lassicient, is suci, analogy appears belween the dispensations of grace and nature, as may malae it probabie to suppo se them derived froni the sanae author. ALCIPHRON, Dial. VI. Sedi ai.
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good, both in de ed and in Wili: that a worthy citi gen is one that pre- fers integri ty to wealth.' He further admonis hcs those who are dissiculi to persuade, To belli inli them se lues of God's providen ce, and the punishments that await e vil-doers ; and in ali their actions, to he ever mindi ut of the last Jay, as is it were present, or in case the ' de vil slaould tempt a man to sin, he exhoris such a one to frequent the tem' ples and altars, Wors hipping and implor ing the divine assistance.' i sorse, ' discoursing of the means to preserve a monarchy, admonimes the se preme magistrate, a bove ali things to meis himself gealous in religious matters; and this particular ly, for two reasons. I. Because the subjects will have less to fear frona one who fears God. a. Because they will he lese apt to rebel against him, Whom they take to be the fa -- vourite of heaven.' Arad et se here, this fame philosopher, recommendsthe wors hip of the Gods, a S the sirst care of the state. 3Plato likewise hegins his laws with the care os religious rites. Hec vera maintains religion, or di Vine Mors hil , to be the clites aim and scope
of human lila. t Hippodamus the Milesian, it in his scheme of a republio, allot ted a third part of the land for maintaining divine wors hi p. ' The Roman historians and poets do se abound with passages ascribing
the successes of their go vertament to religion, and iis deciension to the. γα in κακος. ' De Republ. Lib. V. 6 Ibid. Lib. VII. Cap. 17. t De leg. Lib. IV. & Lib. VI. li AR Is T. de Republ. Lib. II Cap. 8. The aboli ing of the christi an religion, upon a frugal principie, must be bad poticy, is we may jud ge what will be, by What hath been in the great Pagan states of antiquity, ωhose religions, opon a Lir estimate, Will be found to have been more expensive. Want
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want or neglect thereos, that it may stem impertinent to enter into a de-tail of what every school-boy lino s. To come Dom ancient, to modern authori ty, Machia I himself, repreta senis religion as absolutely necessary to maintain civit order and go vern-ment. He observes, that for many years, there was a moti a fui senseos religion in the old Romans, and that this did much facilitate their great undertakings. He likewise observes, and shews by divers instances that the Romans Nere more afra id to breali an oath, than to trangress thelaws; and that those things whicli even the love of their country and constitution could not bring them to, they were brought to through a sense os religion. Upon the whole, he concludes, that old Rome was more obliged to Numa, who estabit med a national religiosa, than to Romulus himself, the under of that state. 'And here by the by, I shali talie notice, that sonae may imagine, the
various forins and institutions os religion ought to unstitie men's mira df, with rogard to the truth and certa in ty of any . Eut this matter rightly conssidered, Will, I thin k, produce a contrary essest. It sheweth, indecd, that mera groping out their way by the diat twilight of nature did onlyapproach, so me nearer, some farther off, while ali were stiori of the truth. Eut then it sheweth like vise, ut on the whole, and in generat, that religion is so natural to our mi ads, usesul to societ y, and of so necessaryimportance to the worid, as might weli prove iis truth, and render it
orthy of the divine care to propagate by prophecies, miracles, and themission of the Son os God. Philip de Comines, ' a wise statesman, and honest writer, Who had great experie iace in assairs, declares it to be his opinion, That want of reli- gious salth, is the only solanta in os ali misthiese.'
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And that able minister, the samous Monsi eur cideri, mahes it his observation, A That is once the ecclesiastical character, as lach, is vitified, ' the civit magistrate, even the crown itself, will, in consequence thereos, lose ait authori ty.'It Nould he no hard matter, to produce a cloud of testimontes in be-half of a national religion, frona the most eminent of our own writers ;but I shali content myself with adding one only, and that from a veryian suspected writer, Mr. Harrington, author of the Oceana, who fhews, that to be just and fair, whicli others have shewed to be expedient.
to the national conscience, must be most absurd. And again : is the conviction os a man's private conscience, produce his private religion ; the conviction of the national conscience, must produce a national re-
it had been very easy to have increa sed the number. But, I am sorry, I was obliged to mention any at ali, in proos of so plain and fundamental a poliat as that os a national religion. It is inde ed, a stiam esul necessi ty We lie under, of pro ving at this time of day the sirit elements, Ι Willnot say of christiani ty, hut even os natural light, stom reasons and stomauthorities. The spirit of the times halli rendered this una voidable. Is it should be aled aster ali, how comes it then to pasi, that theseshion able and prevat ling maginas among our bellers, in a ne igh bouringnation, mould run direct ly counter to ali sucii rea fons and authoriti est I Will answer this question, by ashing when were our neighbours knownto abound to that degre e in highwaymen, munderers, housC-breahers, in-