Hor. You are to prove, that Acts of Devotion, and an outward Shew of
Religion, may make an Army Victorious, tho' the General was an
_Atheist_, the Clergy were Hypocrites, and the Generality of the Men
wicked Livers.
Cleo. A little more Accuracy, if you please. I said, that they might
do vast Service for the obtaining of Victory; the Service I mean,
consists in rousing the Courage of the Men, and throwing them into an
Enthusiasm, that shall dissipate their Fears, and make them despise
the greatest Dangers. There is no greater Art to make Men fight with
Obstinacy, than to make them trust to, and rely with Confidence on the
Assistance of the invisible Cause, they Fear.
Hor. But how can wicked Men be made to do this? What Reasons can they
be furnish'd with, to hope for the Assistance of Heaven?
Cleo. If you can assure Men of the Justice of their Cause, and render
that evident and unquestionable, the Business is done, and their own
Wickedness will be no Obstacle to it. Therefore this, you see, is the
Grand Point, which Priests have ever labour'd to gain among Fighting
Men in all Countries and in all Ages. How immensely soever they have
differ'd from one another in Religion and Worship, in this they have
all agreed. We were speaking, you know, of _Cromwell's_ Army; do but
recollect what you have heard and read of those Times, and you'll
find, that the Notions and Sentiments, that were industriously
instill'd into the minds of the soldiers, had a manifest tendency to
obtain this end, and that all their preaching and praying were made
serviceable to the same purpose.
Pages:
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143