“x792- . detached remark. 95 
any other circumstance necefsary to the good consti- 
‘tution, or orderly government of a church. 
| There is, unhappily, among all denominations, an 
indifference about religion, and a neglect of its or- 
‘dinances, that is extremely affecting to pious minds. 
‘The civil power is too inattentive to the influence 
‘which religion would have on the good government 
‘of the state. They have a religion that satisfies 
‘their low ideas at present, and the Americans are 
‘not famous for looking forward to security, and 
forming their schemes, or planning their works for 
“succeeding generations ; and they piously believe, 
“that heaven will take care of the church, if they take 
‘care of the state. 
~ Tcould with that America would learn wisdom 
from the example, or from the errors of other nati- 
“ons ; but we are men, andI am afraid, like other 
men, must learn from our own experience, and con- 
“sequently from our own misfortunes. When we 
fhall be wise enough to discover those evils which 
we might have avoided, we fhall be probably too cor- 
rupt to effect a reformation. I am, We. 
rs) 
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oa 
Pe 
: A DETACHED REMARK. 
STATESMEN and generals, merchants and manufactu- 
rers, may grow rich and great by unexpected acci- 
dents, and a fortunate concurrence of circumstances, 
neither procured nor foreseen by themselves ; but 
excellence and reputation in the learned world must 
he the effects of capacity and industry. 
