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he cannot give equal security for his behaving with honor, fidelity, and justice; that on this account, he ought to be an object of the most jealous caution to all, and narrowly watched by those who are charged with the maintenance of public virtue ; not only as to smaller acts of iniquity, but with respect to the blackest and most atrocious crimes; and that religion is the grand support and strength of all virtue, but that Atheism opens up a plain and smooth path to all vice, offers new and strong temptations to it, to which men are not naturally liable, but which scarcely ever fail of being successful, when they meet with inflamed passions, or vicious dispositions.
I have already expressed my trust that none of you entertain Atheistical opinions, and I am hopeful that you will be the more on your guard against them, from the representation of their tendency which we have now given you. It is too common for men to consider opinions respecting religion, as matters of no great moment, provided their practice be good; but practice will ever be found on right religious principles, and where there are no such principles as you have seen, there can be no motives of any power to produce a good practice. Every man who knows himself, and the temptations to which he is exposed, will, upon consideration, admit that he has need of every motive to right conduct, which the belief of a God affords; and every truly good man will also admit, deviations from his duty to men have been in proportion to the feebleness of his religious impressions; “The transgressions of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.”
