ON THE INFLUENCE OF A RELIGIOUS PRINCIPLE. SI GENUS HUMANUM ET MORTALIA TEMNITIS AT SPERATE DEOS MEMORES FANDI ATQUE NEFANDI. MAN, as a moral agent, feels within himself a consciousness of the immutable distinction of right and wrong. This discriminating faculty, whether it be instinctive, or insensibly acquired with our other earliest habits, forms what is called the MORAL principle:-and doubtless, if implicit obedience were yielded to its dictates, it would alone be sufficient to regulate the conduct of mankind. But the many passions, which are naturally inclined to rebel against the sovereignty of reason, require the intervention of some powerful motive to control their spirit of resistance. It would not be enough to know the different qualities of actions, unless we could also foresee that their final consequences will be different. And, accordingly, together with the consciousness of right and wrong, there always arises in the mind a conviction that right, as such, will, sooner or later, be productive of good, and wrong of evil; the great Author of nature having taught us to regard himself, eventually, as the rewarder of virtue and avenger of vice. It is this assurance of divine justice, which constitutes the RELIGIOUS principle. The moral principle, therefore, may be considered as theory, whilst the religious principle stimulates to practice; the one as an excellent law, the other as the authority which must sanction and enforce it. The idea of an universal Providence constantly attentive to our actions, judging them without error or partiality by that eternal rule the transcript of which is, as it were, engraven on our own hearts, and also possessed of unbounded power to execute what it decrees, cannot but have the happiest influence on human manners. To those, who are already disposed to virtue, it never fails to add a most forcible incentive; whilst on the vicious it often serves as a restraint, which prevents them altogether from listening to slight temptations, and from yielding without a struggle to the greatest. Indeed, so strongly does a religious principle sometimes operate, that the most abandoned characters have been induced by it to perform actions which would do honour to the most exalted. Hence it is, that villany often stops short in its career, without any external allurement to seduce, or obstacle to impede it; and hence the most cruel tyrants have abdicated their thrones, and retired to expiate a course of guilt by charity and repentance. The excellent influence of a religious principle may also be remarked in its tendency to console the mind when harassed by afflictions. A man who is thoroughly convinced of the truths of religion, and whose general conduct is actuated by this belief, has little to fear from the caprice of fortune, or the enmity of the world. If his person or his property be, attacked by the violence of lawless power, amidst all the horrors of want and the anguish of torture, he can smile at his oppressors malice, and confide in calm security on a future state of equitable retribution. -The virtuous sceptic, if exposed to similar sufferings, would derive little relief from the mere consciousness of his own innocence. Rather, indeed, this reflection would give additional poignancy to his distress, or, at least, would prompt him to hate mankind in general, for not rising to avenge his wrongs. But the contrast will be more manifest, and more instructive, if we view them in the last periods of their existence.-The one looks forward to death as to a home where everlasting happiness and tranquillity await his arrival; to the other it seems like the passage to a perpetual exile; and every moment, as it flies, brings him. nearer to that barrier, which he fancies, must separate himself and his enjoyments for ever. The collateral benefits resulting from a religious principle are not less worthy of remark than these its express and immediate consequences. As it uniformly presents to our contemplation the natural equality of all mankind, and the undistinguishing care with which they are regarded by their Creator, it of course, in a great degree, represses the pride of human grandeur, and instructs the affluent to show their gratitude for their own enjoyments by contributing to the relief of the distressed. Sentiments of general benevolence communicate serenity and delight to those who entertain them: a religious principle, therefore, is productive of the purest mental pleasure. Nor even with regard to less refined gratifications does it enjoin an excessive self-denial, but, on the contrary, bids us consider all austerity as useless, which does not strengthen a virtuous resolution, or check a propensity to vice; and every indulgence as allowable, unless it tends to corrupt the understanding, or deprave the heart. But the necessity of a religious principle will appear more evident if we reflect on the inability of every other to compensate for its absence. Honour, were its influence not limited to the higher classes of society, but even if it could operate on all, is yet of too vague and uncertain a nature to promote, in any considerable degree, the practice of virtue; since the mind, when left at liberty to determine its own obligations, would soon accommodate duty to desire, and find arguments sufficiently specious to justify every indulgence. Indeed daily experience demonstrates, that honour, instead of enjoining strict attention to moral propriety, too often inculcates maxims the most repugnant to it. A regard to the good opinion of the world must be equally defective, because there are many vices which cannot be publicly known, and others, which, if known, would be considered as venial. This motive, therefore, can restrain but few, when the temptation to guilt is great; and, besides, as fame depends on the sentence rather of a misjudging multitude, than of the wise and good, the eager pursuit of it will sometimes lead to actions intrinsically wrong. Hence it is, that the candidate for literary distinction is too often induced to maintain doctrines subversive both of moral and social order. But to the religious principle only are we indebted for the labours of those who employ their talents in a nobler cause, and enforce with the charms of eloquence the precepts of virtue and the dictates of truth. The dread of legal punishment must be allowed to be more efficacious than a sense of honour, or a regard to fame. Yet the inability of human laws to reward, as well as to punish, alone proves their imperfection: for, without some hope of recompense to animate to virtuous exertion, the most complete penal code, were its penalties un |