themselves or others. The heathen nations were never more enlightened as to philofophy, than at the time of our Saviour's appearance; yet as to morality, they never were more depraved.

It is Chriftianity then, and nothing elfe, which has deftroyed the odious idolatry of many nations, and greatly contracted its attendant immoralities. It was in this way that the gospel operated in the primitive ages, wherever it was received; and it is in the fame way that it continues to operate to the prefent time. Real Chriftians must needs be adverse to these things; and they are the only men living who cordially fet themselves against them.

This truth will receive additional evidence from an obfervation of the different degrees of morality produced in different places, according to the degree of purity with which the Christian religion has been taught, and liberty given it to operate. In feveral nations of Europe popery has long been established, and fupported by fanguinary laws. By these means the Bible has been kept from the common. people, Christian doctrine and worship corrupted, and the confciences of men fubdued to a ufurper of Christ's authority. Christianity is there in prison; and anti-christianifm exalted in its place. In other nations this yoke is broken. Every true Christian has a Bible in his family, and measures his religion by it. The rights of confcience alfo being refpected, men are allowed to judge and act in religious matters for themfelves, and Chriftian churches are formed according to the primitive model. Chriftianity is here at liberty: here therefore it may be expected to produce its greatest effects. Whether this. does not correfpond with fact; let thofe who are ac

cuftomed to obferve men and things with an impar tial eye, determine.

. In Italy, France, and various other countries, where the Chriftian religion has been fo far corrupted as to lofe nearly all its influence, illicit connexions may be formed, adulterous intrigues purfued, and even crimes against nature committed, with but little dishonour. Rouffeau could here fend his illegitimate offspring to the Foundling Hospital, and lay his accounts with being applauded for it, as being the custom of the country. It is not so in Britain, and various other nations, where the gospel has had a freer courfe for though the fame difpofitions are difcovered in great numbers of perfons, yet the fear of the public frown holds them in awe. If we except a few abandoned characters, who have nearly loft all fenfe of fhame, and who by means either of their titles and fortunes on the one hand, or their well-known baseness on the other, have almost bid defiance to the opinion of mankind, this obfervation will hold good, I believe, as to the bulk of the inhabitants of proteftant countries.

And it is worthy of notice, that in thofe circles or connexions where Christianity has had the greateft influence, a fobriety of character is carried to much higher degree than in any other. Where there is one divorce from amongst protestant diffenters, and other ferious profeffors of Chriftianity, there are I believe a hundred from amongst thofe whofe practice it is to frequent the amufements of the theatre, and to neglect the worship of God. And in proportion to the fingularity of fuch cafes, fuch is the furprise, indignation, and disgrace which accompany them. Similar obfervations might be made on public executions for robbery, forgery, tu

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mults, affaffinations, murders, &c. It is not amongst the circles profeffing a serious regard to Chriftianity, but amongst its adverfaries, that these practices ordinarily prevail.

Some have been inclined to attribute various differences in these things to a difference in national character: but national character, as it refpects morality, is formed very much from the ftate of fociety in different nations. A number of painful obfervations would arife from a view of the conduct and character of Englishmen on foreign fhores. To fay. nothing of the rapacities committed in the East, whither is our boafted humanity fled when we land upon the coafts of Guinea? The brutality with which millions of our fellow-creatures have been: torn from their connexions, bound in irons, thrown into a floating dungeon, fold in the public markets, beaten, maimed, and many of them murdered, for trivial offences, and all this without any effectual restraint from the laws, muft load our national character with everlasting infamy. The fame perfons, however, who can be guilty of these crimes at a diftance, are as apparently humane as other people when they re-enter their native country. And wherefore? Because in their native country the state of fociety is fuch as will not admit of a contrary behaviour. A man who fhould violate the principles of justice and humanity here, would not only be exposed to the cenfure of the laws, but, fuppofing he could evade this, his character would be loft. The ftate of fociety in Guinea imposes no fuch reftraints; in that fituation therefore wicked men will indulge in wickednefs. Nor is it much otherwise in our Weft-India Iflands. So little is there of Chrif tianity in those quarters, that it has hitherto had.

fcarcely any influence in the framing of their laws, or the forming of the public opinion. There are, doubtless, just and humane individuals in those iflands; but the far greater part of them, it is to be feared, are devotees to avarice; to which, as to a Moloch, one or other of them are continually offering up human victims.

Vicious practices are commonly more prevalent in large and populous cities than in other places. Hither the worst characters commonly refort, as noxious animals to a covert from their purfuers. In places but thinly inhabited, the conduct of individuals is confpicuous to the community: but here they can affemble with others of their own defcription, and strengthen each others hands in evil, without much fear of being detected. Chriftianity, therefore, may be fuppofed to have lefs effect in the way of restraining immoral characters in the city, than in the country. Yet even here it is fenfibly felt. The metropolis of our own nation, though it abounds with almost every fpecies of vice, yet what reflecting citizen will deny that it would be much worse but for the influence of the gofpel? As it is, there are numbers of different religious denominations, who conftantly attend to public and family worship; who are as honourable in their dealings as they are amiable in domestic life; and as liberal in their benefactions as they are affiduous to find out deferving cafes. The influence which this body of men have upon the citizens at large, in restraining vice, pro moting fchemes of benevolence, and preferving peace and good order in fociety, is beyond calcula tion. But for their examples and unremitted exertions, London would be a Sodom in its guilt, and might expect to resemble it in its punishment.

In country towns and villages it is easy to perceive the influence which a number of serious Chriftians will have upon the manners of the people at large. A few families in which the Bible is daily read, the worship of God performed, and a Christian converfation exemplified, will have a powerful effect. Whether characters of an oppofite description regard their conduct, or not, their confciences favour it. Hence it is that one upright man, in a question of right and wrong, will often put to filence a company of the advocates of unrighteousness; and that three or four Chriftian families have been known to give a turn to the manners of a whole neighbourhood.

In fine, let it be closely confidered whether a great part of that fobriety which is to be found among deifts themselves (as there are, doubtlefs, fober characters among deifts, and even among atheists) be not owing to Chriftianity. It has often been remarked, and juftly too, that much of the knowledge which our adverfaries poffefs, is derived from this fource. To fay nothing of the best ideas of the old philofophers on moral fubjects being derived from Revelation, of which there is confiderable evidence, it is manifest that fo far as the moderns exceed them, it is principally if not entirely owing to this medium of inftruction. The Scriptures having diffufed the light, they have infenfibly. imbibed it; and finding it to accord with reason, they flatter themfelves that their reafon has difcovered it. "After grazing," as one expreffes it, "in the pastures of Revelation, they boast of hav

"ing grown fat by nature." with regard to their fobriety. fide among people whofe ideas

And it is the fame

So long as they reof right and wrong