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མ་ནས

pleasures, that have engrossed our attention previ ously, ever answer our ideas of them. Add to this, that imagination is a great magnifier, and causes the hopes we conceive to grow too large for their object. -Thus expectation does not only destroy the advantage of surprise, and so flattens pleasure; but makes us hope for an imaginary addition, which gives the pain of disappointment.

tion.

ON RELIGION.

Perhaps, we should not pray to God "to keep us stedfast in any faith;" but conditionally, that it be a right one. When a tree is falling, I have seen the labourers, by a trivial jerk with a rope, throw it upon the spot where they would wish it should lie. Divines, understanding this text too literally, pretend by a little interposition in the article of death, to regulate a person's everlasting happiness. I fancy, the allusion will hardly countenance their presumpWhen misfortunes happen to such as dissent from us in matters of religion, we call them judgments: when to those of our own sect, we call them trials: when to persons neither way distinguished, we are content to impute them to the settled course of things. In regard to churchmusic, if a man cannot be said to be merry or goodhumoured when he is tickled till he laughs, why should he be esteemed devout or pious when he is tweedled into zeal by the drone pipe of an organ?— In answer to this it may be said, that if such an elevation of the spirits be not meritorious, be not devotion, yet it is attended with good consequences; as it

leaves a good impression on the mind, favourable to virtue and a religious life. The rich man, adjoining to his country-seat, erects a chapel, as he pretends, to God Almighty, but in truth to his own vain glory; furnishes it with luxurious conveniences, for prayers that will never be said. The poor man kneels by his bed-side, and goes to heaven before him. I should think a clergyman might distinguish himself by composing a set of sermons on the ordinary virtues extolled in classic writers, introducing the ornamental flourishes of Horace, Juvenal, &c. 1. Against family pride, might be taken from Juvenal's "Stemmata quid faciunt," Horace's "Non quia Mæcenas," and Marius's speech in Sallust. The text, "Is not this Joseph the carpenter's son?" 2. A sermon on the advantages of competency, contentment, and rural life, might be abundantly embellished from the classics, and would be both grateful and serviceable to the com mon people: as the chief passion from which they suffer is envy, I believe, misplaced.

3. Another might be calculated for each season of the year; illustrating the wisdom, the power, and the benevolence of Providence.-How idle to forego such fair and peaceable subjects, for the sake of widening the breach betwixt grace and works, predestination and election; solving the revelations; or ascertaining the precise nature of Urim and Thummim ! It is a common argument amongst divines, in the behalf of a religious life, that a contrary behaviour has such consequences when we come to die. It is, indeed, true, but seems an argument of a subordinate kind: the article of death is more frequently of short duration. Is it not a stronger persuasive, that virtue

makes us happy daily, and removes the fear of death from our lives antecedently, than that it smoothes the pillow of a death-bed? It is a question whether the remaining superstitions, among the vulgar of the English nation ought wholly to be removed: the notion of a ghost's appearance for the discovery of murder, or any flagrant act of injustice; "that what is got over the devil's back will be spent under his belly" that "card's are the devil's books;" &c. If there be numbers of people that murder and devour their species; that have contradictory notions of beauty; that have deemed it meritorious to offer up human sacrifices; to leave their parents in deserts of wild beasts; to expose their offspring as soon as born, &c. &c. there should seem to be no universal moral sense; and, of consequence,

none.

It is not now, "We have seen his star in the east," but "We have seen the star upon his breast, and are come to worship him.” It is said and I believe justly enough, that crimes appear less heinous to a person that is about committing them, than to his conscience afterwards. Is then the crime to be imputed to him in the degree he foresaw it, or in that he reflects on it? perhaps the one and the other may incline towards an extreme. The word "religio," amongst the Romans, and the word "church" among the Christians, seem to have more interpretations than almost any other. "MaJus procidit, ea religione moti.”—Livy, p. 1150. vol. 2. Here religion seems to mean prodigy-" Si quis tale sacrum solenne duceret, ne se sine religione & piaculo id omittere posse."-Livy, 1157. Here it seemingly means impiety: “piaculum” being such au offence as required expiatory sacrifices.

"Tantum religio potuit suadere malorum."

Here it means superstition, as it does often in Lucretius. The pope's wanton excommunications; his capricious pardon of sins; his enormous indulgences, and other particulars of like nature, shew, that (whatever religions may practice cruelty) it is peculiarly the church that makes a jest of God Almighty. The word "church" has these dif

ferent senses:

ity.

1. A set of people ordained to assist at divine service. 2. The members of a certain religious profession, including clergy and la 3. A large piece of building dedicated to the service of God, and furnished with proper conveniencies for those who meet to worship him. 4. A body of people who too frequently harrass and infest the laity according to law, and who conceal their real names under that of a spiritual court. How ready have all nations been, after having allowed a proper portion of laud and praise to their own abilities, to attribute their success in war to the peculiar favour of a just Providence! Perhaps, this construction, as it is often applied, argues more of presumption than gratitude. In the first place such is the partiality of the human heart, that, perhaps, two hostile nations may alike rely on the justice of their cause; and which of the two has the better claim to it, none but Providence can itself discover. In the next, it should be observed, that success by no means demonstrates justice. Again, we must not wholly forget to consider, that success may be no more than a mean of destruction. And lastly, supposing success to be really and absolutely good, do we find that individuals are always favoured with it in proportion to their deserts; and if not individuals,

why must we then suppose it be the uniform reccompense of society? It is often given as a reason why it is incumbent on God Almighty's justice to punish or reward societies in this world, because, hereafter, they cannot be punished or rewarded, on account of their dissolution. It is indeed, true, that human vengeance must act frequently in the gross; and whenever a government declares war against a foreign society, or finds it needful to chastise any part of it's own, must of necessity involve some innocent individuals with the guilty. But it does not appear so evident, than an omniscient and omnipotent Being who knows the secrets of all hearts, and is able to make a distinction in his punishments, will judge his unhappy creatures by these indiscriminate and imperfect laws. Societies, then are to be considered as the casual or arbitrary assortments of human institution. To suppose that God Almighty will, by means of punishments, often called judgments, destroy them promiscuously, is to suppose that he will regulate his government according to the cabals of human widom. I mean to be understood here, with regard to what are called judgments, or in other words, preternatural interpositions of Providence. In a natural way, the constitution of the universe requires, that the good must often suffer with the bad part of society. But in regard to judgments on whole bodies (which we have days appointed to deprecate) let us introduce a case, which may serve to illustrate the improbability. Societies, I suppose then, are not divine, but human bundles. Imagine a man to mix a large quantity of sand and gunpowder; then parcel out the composition into different heaps, and apply fire to

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