112 



THE PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION. 



ed by the frequent violations of this law ? and 

 how seldom do we reflect, that every falsehood 

 we unadvisedly utter, is an infringement of that 

 law on which rest the throne of the Almighty 

 and the eternal happiness of the universe ? For 

 if one lie may be palliated or vindicated, on the 

 same principle we might vindicate a thousand, 

 and a million, and millions of millions, till false 

 hood became universal among all ranks of 

 beings and till the moral order of the intelligent 

 creation was completely subverted. Of how 

 much importance is it then, that an inviolable at 

 tachment to truth, in its minutest ramifications, 

 be early impressed upon the minds of the young, 

 by persuasion, by precept, by example, by rea 

 soning, and by a vivid representation of its im 

 portance, and of its inestimable benefits ? and 

 how careful should we be to preserve them from 

 all incentives to the practice of lying, and espe 

 cially from the company of those &quot; whose mouth 

 speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right 

 hand of falsehood.&quot; 



Were falsehood universally detested, &nd the 

 loveof truth universally cherished ; were asingle 

 lie never more to be uttered by any inhabitant of 

 this globe, what a mighty change would be ef 

 fected in the condition of mankind, and what a 

 glorious radiance would be diffused over all the 

 movements of the intelligent system ? The 

 whole host of liars, perjurers, sharpers, seducers, 

 slanderers, tale-bearers, quacks, thieves, swin 

 dlers, harpies, fraudulent dealers, false friends, 

 flatterers, corrupt judges, despots, sophists, hypo 

 crites, and religious impostors, with the count 

 less multitude of frauds, treacheries, impositions, 

 falsehoods, and distresses which have followed in 

 their train, would instantly disappear from among 

 men. The beams of truth, penetrating through 

 the mists of ignorance, error, and perplexity, 

 produced by sophists, sceptics, and deceivers, 

 which have so long enveloped the human mind, 

 would diffuse a lustre and a cheerfulness on the 

 face of the moral world, like the mild radiance 

 of the morning afier a dark and tempestuous 

 night. Confidence would be restored through 

 out every department of social life ; jealousy, 

 suspicion, and distrust would no longer rankle 

 in the human breast ; and unfeigned affection, 

 fidelity, and friendship, would unite the whole 

 brotherhood of mankind. With what a beauti 

 ful simplicity, and with what smoothness and 

 harmony would the world of trade move onward 

 in all its transactions ! How many cares and 

 anxieties would vanish ! how many perplexities 

 would cease! and how many ruinous litigations 

 would be prevented ? For the violation of truth 

 may be considered as the chief cause of all those 

 disputes respecting property, which have plung 

 ed so many families into suspense and wretched 

 ness. The tribunals of justice would be purified 

 from every species of sophistry and deceit ; and 

 the promises of kings, and the leagues of nations, 



would be held sacred and inviolate. Science 

 would rapidly advance towards perfection ; for, 

 as all its principles and doctrines are founded 

 upon facts, when truth is universally held invio 

 lable, the facts on which it is built will always 

 be fairly represented. Every fact asserted by 

 voyagers and travellers, in relation to the physi 

 cal or the moral world, and every detail of ex 

 periments made by the chemist and the philoso- 

 pher, would form a sure ground-work for the 

 development of truth, and the detection of error; 

 without the least suspicion arising in the mind 

 respecting the veracity of the persons on whose 

 testimony we rely. For want of this confidence 

 the mind has been perplexed and distracted by 

 the jarring statements of travellers, naturalists, 

 and historians ; false theories have been fram 

 ed ; systems have been reared on the baseless 

 fabric of a vision ; the foundations of science 

 have been shaken ; its utility called in question, 

 and its most sublime discoveries overlooked and 

 disregarded. 



In fine, the clouds which now obscure many 

 of the sublime objects of religion, and the reali. 

 ties of a future world, would be dispelled, were 

 falsehood unknown, and truth beheld in its na 

 tive light ; and religion, purified from every mix 

 ture of eiror and delusion, would appear arrayed 

 in its own heavenly radiance, and attract the love 

 and the admiration of men. When exhibited 

 in its native grandeur and simplicity, all doubts 

 respecting its divine origin would soon evanish 

 from the mind the beauty and sublimity of its 

 doctrines would be recognised as worthy of its 

 Author ; and all its moral requisitions would be 

 perceived to be &quot; holy, just, and good,&quot; and 

 calculated to promote the order, and the ever 

 lasting happiness of the intelligent universe. 

 Divine truth irradiating every mind, and accom* 

 panied with the emanations of heavenly love, 

 would dispel the gloom which now hangs over 

 many sincere and pious minds ; would unite 

 man to man, and man to God ; and the inhabi 

 tants of this world, freed from every doubt, error, 

 and perplexity, would move forward in harmony 

 and peace, to join&quot; the innumerable company of 

 angels, and the general assembly of the spirits of 

 just men made perfect, whose names are written 

 in heaven.&quot; 



THE TENTH COMMANDMENT. 



&quot; Thou shall not covet thy neighbour s house, 

 thou shalt not covet thy neighbour s wife, nor 

 his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his 

 ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that it thy neigh 

 bour s.&quot; 



Every precept of the law to which I have 

 hitherto adverted, has a reference not only to the 

 external conduct of moral agents, but also to the 

 internal motives or principles from which th&f 

 conduct proceeds This is evident from th* con- 



