The Love of
one's Country is natural and very bad Men may feel it as warm about
them, as very good Men; and it is a Principle, which a Man may as
sincerely act from, who Fights against his King, as he who Fights for
him. But these sincere and well-meaning People, that can pray and
fight, sing Psalms and do Mischief with a good Conscience, may in many
Respects be Morally good, and yet want most of the Virtues, that are
peculiar to Christianity, and, if the Gospel speaks Truth, necessary
to Salvation. A Man may be continent and likewise never drink to
Excess, and yet be haughty and insupportable in his Carriage, a
litigious Neighbour, an unnatural Father, and a barbarous Husband. He
may be just in his Dealings, and wrong No body in his Property, yet he
may be full of Envy, take Delight in Slander, be revengeful in his
Heart, and never known to have forgiven an Injury. He may abstain from
Cursing and all idle as well as prophane Swearing, and at the same
Time be uncharitable and wish Evil to all, that are not of his
Opinion; nay, he may mortally hate, and take Pleasure in persecuting
and doing Mischief to, all those who differ from him in Religion.
Hor. I see plainly now, how Men may be sincere in their Religion, and
by Art be made to act quite contrary to the Precepts of it: And your
Manner of accounting for this, does not only render the Sober Party
less odious, than the Orthodox have represented them; but there is
likewise greater Probability in it, than there is in what they
generally say of them: For that an Army of a great many Thousand Men
should consist of None but Hypocrites, who yet should fight well, is
an inconceivable Thing.
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