graved on the heart' would be infinitely

more powerful' than the fàlfe honour ⚫ of monarchies" than the humàne vi`rtues

• of republics

fpotic states">

or the fervile fear of de

Now as he had allowed

in his examination of the British conftitution' that it was the nòbleft' and most perfect form of government upon earth' fo muft it àlfo be allowed' that it ought to have the noblest and most perfect principle to fupport it" which' by his own confeffion' is that of true Chriftia`nity "

Nothing is more ftrictly demonftrable' than that no fpecies of government can lo`ng fubfift' without o'ne of these four principles With regard to virtue or public fpirit' it is fo far from operating as a general principle' that it hardly exifts amongst us' except in idèa" and the very notion of reducing it to practice' is become a fubject of ridicule ""

With

respect

respect to ho`nour' it is to be feared that little of the genuine kind remains amongst us' and that we abound too much in that

fàlfe fpecies' which' among many o`ther bad qualities' we have imported from our neighbours And with regard to fèar' or reverence for the laws the open violation' and bold defìance of them' in fuch multitudes of all ranks and orders' plainly shew that they have loft much of their force If we should be without reli`gion too we fhould then be a ftate without any principle' and confequently ready for any change' that chance' defign' or force may bring about ""

The famous Bishop of Cloyne has drawn but too just a picture of the depravity of the times' and the cause of it' in a difcourse addreffed to magiftrates' where he fays' The pretenfions and difcourfes of men throughout these kingdoms ' ' would'

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would at firft view lead one to think that the inhabitants are all politi`cians"

and yet perhaps political wifdom hath * in no age or country' been more talked of or lefs underftoo'd ""! Licence is taken for the en'd of government' and po`pular humour' for its o`rigin

No

reverence for the laws 'no attachment to the conftitution" little attention to matters of confequence' and great altercations ⚫ about trifles" fuch idle projects about reli⚫gion and government' as if the public had both to choòfe" a general contempt of all authority' divine and hùman" an indiffe⚫rence about the prevailing opinions' whether they tend to produce order or di`forder' to promote the empire of Go'd' or the devil" thefe are the symptoms that strongly mark the prefent age" and this could never have been the cafe' if a neglect of religion had not made way for it

If all this be true' as it undoubtedly is' there cannot be a subject of more impòrtance than to trace the cause of this general decay of religion amongst us" and to point out the means of refto`ring the fòle principle by which our conftitution can be upheld to its pristine vigour ""

Amid the many inquiries made into the caufes of the decay of religion and confequential advances of infidelity for many years past' it appears to me that the chief fource of both has efcaped obfervation " which is a material defect in the education of those deftined for holy orders" I mean a neglect of cultivating the powers of o`ratory" In what I have to offer on this fubject I would not be understood to throw the least reflection upon the clergy" an order of men for whom I have the higheft refpect" on the contrary' I mean in the clofe of this difcourfe' to ftand forth their

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their champion' and rescue them from that load of blame which has been conftantly' with equal ignorance and injustice' thrown upon them' for an article in which they are nò way in fault" I mean the want of the powers of elocution And yet that the decay of religion' has been chìefly owing to the wa'nt of those powers in the priesthood' occafioned by a negle&t of cu'ltivating them in our courfe of education' is what I fhall endeavour to prove in the remaining part of this discourse "''

There are two ways' by which the purity of religion and its precepts' may be defended" by speaking' and by writing"" Speech' is the immediate gift of God' who has annexed to it' when cultivated by man' and brought to perfection' powers almost miraculous' and an energy nearly divine" He has given to it' tones' to charm the car' and penetrate the heart"

he