leave no place for the cares and offices of men's several stations, no anxiety for worldly prosperity, or even for a worldly provifion, and, by confequence, no fufficient ftimulus to fecular induftry. Of the first Chriftians we read, "that all that believed were together, and had all things common; and fold their poffeffions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need; and, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladnefs and fingleness of heart*." This was extremely natural, and just what might be expected from miraculous evidence coming with full force upon the fenfes of mankind: but I much doubt, whether, if this state of mind had been universal, or long continued, the business of the world could have gone on. The neceffary arts of focial life would have been little cultivated. The plough and the loom would have stood ftill. Agriculture, manufactures, trade, and naviga

tion, would not, I think, have flourished, if they could have been exercised at all. Men would have addicted themselves to contem

plative and afcetic lives, inftead of lives of business and of useful industry. We obferve that St. Paul found it neceffary, frequently to recall his converts to the ordinary labours and domeftic duties of their condition; and to give them, in his own example, a leffon of contented application to their worldly employments.

By the manner in which the religion is now propofed, a great portion of the human fpecies is enabled, and of these, multitudes of every generation are induced to feek and to effectuate their falvation through the medium of Chriftianity, without interruption of the profperity or of the regular course of human affairs,

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CHAP. VII.

The fuppofed Effects of Christianity.

THAT HAT a religion, which, under every form in which it is taught, holds forth the final reward of virtue, and punishment of vice, and proposes thofe diftinctions of virtue and vice, which the wisest and most cultivated part of mankind confess to be just, should not be believed, is very poffible; but that, fo far as it is believed, it should not produce any good, but rather a bad effect upon public happiness, is a propofition, which it requires very ftrong evidence to render credible. Yet many have been found to contend for this paradox, and very confident appeals have been made to history, and to obfervation, for the truth of it.

In the conclufions, however, which these writers draw, from what they call experience,

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ence, two fources, I think, of mistake, may be perceived.

One is, that they look for the influence of religion in the wrong place.

The other, that they charge Christianity with many confequences, for which it is not refponfible.

1. The influence of religion is not to be fought for in the councils of princes, in the debates or refolutions of popular affemblies, in the conduct of governments towards their fubjects, or of ftates and fovereigns towards one another; of conquerors at the head of their armies, or of parties intriguing for power at home (topics which alone almost occupy the attention, and fill the pages of hiftory); but must be perceived, if perceived at all, in the filent courfe of private and domestic life. Nay more; even there its influence may not be very obvious to observation. If it check, in fome degree, perfonal diffolutenefs, if it beget a general pro

bity in the transaction of business, if it produce foft and humane manners in the mafs of the community, and occafional exertions of laborious or expenfive benevolence in a few individuals, it is all the effect which can offer itself to external notice. The kingdom of heaven is within us. That which is the substance of the religion, its hopes and confolations, its intermixture with the thoughts by day and by night, the devotion of the heart, the control of appetite, the steady direction of the will to the commands of God, is necessarily invifible. Yet upon thefe depend the virtue and the happiness of millions. This caufe renders the reprefentations of history, with respect to religion, defective and fallacious, in a greater degree than they are upon any other subject. Religion operates moft upon thofe of whom history knows the leaft; upon fathers and mothers in their families, upon men fervants and maid fervants, upon the orderly tradesman, the quiet villager, the manufacturer at his loom, the hufbandman in his fields. Amongst fuch its influence collectively may