niverfally obeyed. The only motive that can enforce obedience to them, is a regard to God; the only means of impreffing their minds with fuch regard, is public worship. This is fo unquestionably true, that if we take a view of the hiftory of the world, we fhall find, that ftates and empires have always flourished while public worthip was maintained with due reverence, and have been brought to ruin by irreligion alone. This we are exprefsly told was the immediate and fole occa fion of the grandeur and deftruction of the Jewish ftate. So it happened to the Egyp tians, the wifest and most learned nation among the ancients *. And fo it happened to the Perfians t. Upon the foundation of public religion, both these kingdoms stood firm and profperous for many ages, till the neglect of it introduced luxury, effeminacy, and impiety, which rendered the first an easy prey to the other; and that as eafy a conqueft to the Grecians. Under these several great kingdoms fprang up, which appeared fuddenly like fiery meteors, and as fuddenly evanished; and a great part of the world continued for a long time a deplorable. fcene of blood and maffacre: and no wonder ;. for religion was in thofe days utterly loft, and impiety and wickednefs ruled without controul. • Heredot. 1. 2. Diodor. Sicul. I. 2. f. a Xenophon. Cyroped. 1. 1. 4. 8. &c. .. But But we fhall fee this truth in its full light in the inftance of the Roman empire. Never was there a state in which the inftitutions of worship were more folemnly and strictly enjoined, nor more religiously obferved; never was religion in higher esteem; their public and private actions, their affairs of peace and war; every thing they undertook was fanctified, as it were, by an act of worship. Even their magiftrates, in their speeches to the people, always began with folemn prayer. And it is almoft incredible what a happy influence this regard to religion had upon them. The belief of a divine providence, and a reverence of the Deity, were to them in place of all other laws. What they were once perfuaded was acceptable to him, that no danger or terror could hinder them to perform; and, on the other hand, no perfuafion or threats could induce them to do a thing which they thought he difapproved of. An inftance of perjury is scarce to be found in their history; and but few of prevarication; and these such, as, amongst us, would perhaps be thought in nocent, but were held by them as impious and deteftable. But i need not enlarge upon particulars; it is well known how religious a people they were, and how profperous while they continued fo. But by degrees religion became contemptible; public worship began to be neglected, and at last to be ridiculed, efpecially by the great men, (for irreligion for the moft part begins at them); and then all manner of vice brake in amongst them. That glorious love of the public, to which fo many of their brave men had facrificed their lives, gave way to a contracted selfish spirit; and they were reckoned fools amongst them, as they are now amongst us, who fhowed any difinterested concern for their country. Even Atheism itfelf became fashionable; and, in the end, liberty fell a facrifice to impiety. After this we have a mournful profpect of a ftate without religion, a state of lawless power, of wanton merciless cruelty on the one hand, of the most abject flavery on the other, and of deteftable wickednefs on both. And though it maintained for fome time an outward fhew of its former greatnefs, yet its foundations were fapped. Religion being thrown out, the foul of it was gone; and nothing remained but a dead carcafe, which, though it did not immediately putrify, yet was gradually corrupting, till at last it fell in pieces, and mouldered into dust. So true it is what an author, who had carefully ftudied the nature of government, and who was never fufpected of enthufiafm, fays upon this fubject, "The happiness of the Romans was principally owing to "the religion established by their firft kings. For as the obfervance of divine wor"fhip is the chief caufe of the greatness "of ftates, fo the contempt of it brings. them to ruin; for where the fear of God is wanting, a kingdom cannot be fupport "ed * ed *." And the fame author tells us, "That princes and ftates who would pre"ferve themfelves, ought, above all things, "to maintain what belongs to religion in "the highest veneration; for there cannot be a greater fign of the ruin of a state, than to fee divine worship defpifed. "Those therefore who are in power, fhould "take care to keep public religion invio"lable; and this being done, it will be eafy "for them to keep the people religious, and "confequently virtuous and united." And with respect to his own country, he fays, "That by the ill example of the court of "Rome, this province has loft all devotion ❝ and religion, which draws after it num"berlefs inconveniencies and diforders; be caufe, where religion is, there you may ex"pect every virtue; and where it is not, you be fure of the contrary.” may I am fenfible, that what I have said upon this head is fomewhat uncommon in a difcourfe from the pulpit; but as I undertook to prove, that the happiness of society depends upon the regard that is shown to public worship; and as abftract reasoning is not understood by fome, and is evaded by others; I thought the most direct and con vincing proof would be, an appeal to facts and authorities. And from those hints I have given, nay, from the whole history of mankind, it • Machiavil. Difcorf. fopra Liv. cap. 11. will |