Chap. I.] MORAL INFLUENCE OF A BELIEF IN GOD.

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its natural level. Our conception of the Deity, then, composedas it is of the richest moral elements, embraces, under thecharacter of a Beneficent Parent and Almighty Ruler, whateveris venerable in wisdom, whatever is awful in authority, whateveris touching in goodness ; and a belief in this Supreme Being,and in his superintending Providence, has always been accom-panied by a salutary moral influence on mankind.*

The argument, which has been advanced respecting the greatand special moral influence arising from a belief in a God andhis superintending Providence, may be confirmed by an appealto the recorded convictions of mankind, as seen in the writingsof all times and every country. And this is a position of somuch importance, that it may be well to set it in a perfectlyclear light, by subjoining a few illustrations of this kind.

Mr. Addison, in the person of Cato, has well declared thenatural and settled convictions of mankind at all times.

“ If there’s a power above us,

And that there is, all nature cries aloudThrough all her works, he must delight in virtue;

And that which he delights in must be happy 5 ”—

that is, must lead men to happiness.f An oath for confirma-tion,—'an end of all strife, f is coeval with any considerable ad-vancement in civilization among all nations* and is a public re-cognition of the moral influence of a belief in a Divinity,equally familiar and venerable. The moral influence of a be-lief in a Divinity, shows, moreover, the indissoluble connexionwhich subsists between religion and morals, as also between reli-gious sentiment and moral character and conduct. “ Let no one,”says Plato, “ utter falsehood, or deceive, or commit any impureact with an invocation of the gods, unless he wishes to renderhimself hateful to the Divinity.” § The prayer of Cyrus whendeath was approaching, is instructive in the same point of view.||The works of Cicero are everywhere rich in instruction to thesame effect. tc However much,” says he, “we may be disposedto exalt our advantages, it is nevertheless certain, that we havebeen surpassed in population by the Spaniards, in physical force

* Robert Hall’s Works, Vol. I. p. 30. t Tragedy of Cato, V. 1.

t Heb. vi. 16. § Quoted by Rosenmflller, in Exod. xx. 7.

|| Xenophon, Cyri Disciplina, Lib. VIII. c. 7.