fail to blefs the Founder of an inftitution, that has thus vindicated the rights, and improved the affections of human nature; that has shown you how you may blend the foftness of pity, and the nobleness of generofity, with the vigour of resolution how you may rise above fear and pride at the fame inftant, and fuperadd to the defeat of your enemies the yet greater conqueft of yourselves?Let it never be forgotten, that when the bravery of this nation had, in the laft war, overcome the forces of France, the piety of this nation cloathed and fed her prifoners.

Believe me, Gentlemen, nothing can be more unjust than the afperfion caft upon Religion by her adverfaries, when they alledge, that the contracts and depreffes the foul, by enflaving it to falfe terrors and felfifh cares. Such indeed is the character of Superftition, her wretched counterfeit but her natural and genuine tendency is the very reverfe. While the

exprefsly calls upon her followers "to "be of good courage, to quit them like "men, and be ftrong; to refift unto blood,

ftriving against fin; and even to lay "down their lives for their brethren," if neceffary; fhe kindly delivers them from thofe fears, anxieties, and fordid paffions, that would cramp and debase their hearts, and infpires them with difinterefted benevolence, virtuous refolution, inward ferenity, and immortal hope: or, to give you her defeription in three words from one who knew her well, fhe is "the Spirit of "Power, and of Love, and of a Sound "Mind."

It has indeed been lately afferted by a fprightly writer who pleads her cause, that Valour, or active courage, is totally incompatible with the genius of Chriftianity. But he forgets that valour, like many other qualities, is fanctified and meritorious, or the contrary, juft as it is under right or wrong direction. He "objects not to the

"praise and honours beftowed on the va"liant by those who enjoy safety and af"fluence through the intervention of their dangers and fufferings." But fuppofe

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them to be actuated in this case by. benevolent and pious principles, (and certainly the fuppofition is not impoffible) shall it yet be faid, that they cannot be chriftians? The moral virtues them felves are not recognized by the Gofpel, unless they are influenced by its precepts, or cultivated in fubferviency to its ends. What is often efteemed valour, we readily. confefs, has done infinite mifchief among mankind: but the virtue, which properly deferves that name, has nothing to do with the fiercenefs of a favage, or the barbarity of a gladiator, or the impious defperation of a fuicide, or the infenfibility and turbulence of a Charles the Twelfth, or the Spirit of conqueft in an Alexander the Great, as he was erroneously ftyled, or in any other public or private robber and destroyer whatsoever; nor yet with those

laws of honour, as they are moft abfurdly called, which prompt a man in cold blood, with much form and deliberation, to affault the life of another, perhaps a companion, perhaps a benefactor, perhaps the father of a numerous family, perhaps a perfon with whom the welfare of a community is nearly connected, and to hazard his own for a punctilio.-What shall I fay more?True valour has nothing to do with any kind of bravery that is not guided by the lights of reafon, or excited by the calls of justice and humanity. With fuch inftances of brutal or unhallowed refolution a real chriftian has nothing to do: his principles difapprove and detest them; nor does he think himself warranted to repel every flight affront, every uneffential injury, or yet implacably to resent the greateft wrongs, how much foever he may afterwards diftruft or fhun fuch as did them. But will it therefore follow, that he muft never in any cafe exert an active Courage? What! not in his own defence, or that

of a valuable connection, or an impor tant interest, when dangerously attacked ? What! not in defence of his King, and the facred or civil rights of his Country, when directly invaded, or vifibly threatened? It is impoffible that those who embrace this doctrine (and they are a numerous fect) can have attended duly to the confequences, were it universally adopted: they would be dreadful: I mean, that till fuch time as "the chriftian nations" became unanimoufly "nations of chriftians," the beft part of the human fpecies muft every where, and on all occafions, fall an unrefifting prey to the worft; and law, and liberty, and property, and Religion. herfelf, peradventure too the lives of her difciples, be tamely facrificed to the demons of Avarice, Ambition, and Bigotry.

It may be worth remarking here, that when the Soldiers who had been convinced by the preaching of John the Baptist, came to ask him, What they fhould do,' he,