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

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mony to distinguished bodies or communities of men, and to thisend, I will quote a few examples of the deliberate and well-con-sidered sentiments of the American Revolutionary Congress.

On occasion of recommending a fast, this Congress declared,that “ the great Governor of the world, by his supreme and uni-versal Providence, not only conducts the course of nature withunerring wisdom and rectitude, but frequently influences theminds of men to serve the wise and gracious purposes of hisprovidential government; that it is, at all times, our indispensableduty devoutly to acknowledge his superintending Providence,and to reverence and adore his immutable justice.” * They say,(March 16th, 1776,) they are “desirous to have people of allranks and degrees duly impressed with a solemn sense of God’ssuperintending Providence, and of their duty devoutly to rely, inall their lawful enterprises, on his aid and direction.” Theydeclare the end of setting apart the day to be, “ that we maywith united hearts confess and bewail our manifold sins and trans-gressions, and, by a sincere repentance and amendment of life,appease his righteous displeasure, and, through the merits andmediation of Jesus Christ, obtain his pardon and forgiveness.”March 7th, 1778, they recommend a similar day, “that, at onetime and with one voice, the inhabitants may acknowledge therighteous dispensations of Divine Providence, confess their in-iquities and transgressions, and implore the mercy and forgivenessof God, and beseech him that vice, profaneness, extortion, andevery evil may be done away, and that we may be a reformed andhappy people.’’'’ Another proclamation of March 11th, 1780,recommends, “ that we may, with one heart and one voice, im-plore the Sovereign Lord of heaven and earth to remembermercy in his judgments, to make us sincerely penitent for ourtransgressions, to banish vice and irreligion from among us, andestablish virtue and piety by his divine grace.” March 20th,1781, “ That we may with united hearts confess and bewail ourmanifold sins and transgressions, and by sincere repentance andamendment of life, appease his righteous displeasure, and, throughthe merits of our blessed Saviour, obtain pardon and forgiveness ;

Journals of Congress, 12th June, 1775.