and fimilitude, can, then, only hope to tafte enjoyment, when he imitates this fair example; and, from the exercife of his benevolent affections, rifes to the adoration of the creator, who is bleffed for ever. The performance, therefore, of fuch actions as naturally flow from our admiration of fuch unbounded love, is the fum and fubftance of all religious duty: whofoever perfevereth in the practice of them must be happy.

Such is the religion which reafon dictates, and which, therefore, the God of reafon muft approve.

Let us now attend to the religion of the priest; of him, I mean, who, bound by his profeffion to an implicit veneration for forms and ceremonies, and permitted in his doctrine to preach only the opinions of the church in which he minifters, is too apt to mistake the spirit of establishments for the spirit of devotion, and to forget, with Saul, that "to obey is better than facrifice, and to hearken, than the fat of rams." He will tell you, that religion confifteth in the profeffion of a particular form of faith, and in the constant attendance upon the fer

outward form, although that form was inftituted by God himself; nor, led by servile flattery, or flavish fear, could he be prevailed upon to diffemble his indignation, on account of the violated laws of God, although the daring offender was a king..

The fame fatal error, into which Saul appears to have fallen, prevails still amongst the profeffors of a religion, more pure and fimple than that under which he lived: an error the lefs pardonable, as chriflianity exprefsly prescribes to us a worship of our maker, in holiness and truth. The gospel contains a religion which encourages the facrifice of the affections, the tender of a heart deeply imbued with a sense of manly piety and virtue; the nobleft and the most acceptable facrifice which a creature can offer, the most honourable which the creator can receive.

Let us look round upon the face of nature; let us behold the wonderful fabric of the univerfe, the numerous ranks and orders of living creatures which inhabit it, and learn from thence, that the God of nature delighteth in works of mercy,' in labours of love. Man, formed in his image

and

and fimilitude, can, then, only hope to tafte enjoyment, when he imitates this fair example; and, from the exercife of his benevolent affections, rifes to the adoration of the creator, who is bleffed for ever. The performance, therefore, of fuch actions as naturally flow from our admiration of such unbounded love, is the fum and fubftance of all religious duty: whofoever perfevereth in the practice of them must be happy.

Such is the religion which reason dictates, and which, therefore, the God of reafon muft approve.

Let us now attend to the religion of the priest; of him, I mean, who, bound by his profeffion to an implicit veneration for forms and ceremonies, and permitted in his doctrine to preach only the opinions of the church in which he minifters, is too apt to mistake the spirit of establishments for the spirit of devotion, and to forget, with Saul, that "to obey is better than facrifice, and to hearken, than the fat of rams." He will tell you, that religion confifteth in the profeffion of a particular form of faith, and in the constant attendance upon the fer

vice of the church. He will tell

you, that it is your duty to be daily prefent in the courts of the most high, in order that you may be entitled to thofe fpiritual bleffings, which are difpenfed by the minifters of the gofpel, and may receive, from their hands, the benefit of abfolution. He will tell you, that, before all things, it is neceffary that you hold the catholic faith; and then, 'tis well, if he proceeds not to infult your understanding with fuch a description of that faith, as neither himself, nor his hearers can ever comprehend. He will tell you, that it is better not to pray at all, than to pray in any form or manner which is not authorized by the fanction of the church: he will tell you, that you ought to make use of the forms prefcribed in his liturgy, although you do not understand them; and, that it is profaneness to neglect them, although you should think they contain addreffes to a being, whom you do not allow to be the object of adoration. He will talk much of the benefit of faith, in opposition to the benefit of works; and will inftruct you to rely upon the merits of your faviour,

until you shall become intirely careless, whether you have any virtues of your own: in your departing hour, he fhall ftand before you in the facred veftments of his order you fhall look up to him for abfolution, while he, a poor, weak, finful mortal like yourselves, fhall affume to himself the title of the ambaffador of God; and, though your life has been deformed by every kind of vice, fhall, in the name of the father, fon, and holy ghost, affure you of the pardon of your fins. Such are the delufions which, on one fide, the ignorance or the policy of priests has fubftituted for the folid foundations of true religion; delufions, no lefs fallacious than thofe groundless terrors with which, on the other, they have too frequently invested her. But as religion was not intended to terrify, fo neither muft it be employed to deceive mankind, by flattering us with false affurances, on the bed of death; by afferting, that faith alone, at our departing hour, will atone for the crimes of a miffpent life; and, by thus teaching us to rely upon the mercy, encourage us to defy the juftice of our judge.

How widely different is the religion of

the