A SERMON Preached at St. MARY's in OXFORD, ΑΤ THE ASSIZES On Thursday, March 6th. 1734-5. The FIFTH EDITION. [3] GENESIS XX. 11. And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the Fear of GOD is not in this Place; and They will flay me for my Wife's Sake. T HAT the General Belief and Publick Acknowledgment of those great Principles of Religion, the Being of a GOD and His Providence, are neceffary to fecure the Order and Happinefs of Civil Societies," is an Opinion confirmed by the united Suffrage of the Thinking Part of Mankind in all former Ages. Not only the Advocates for Religion, after having established its Truth, generally infift on its Importance to Men's Social Interefts: But its very Enemies have been forced to give us fuch Accounts of its Original and Propagation, as plainly imply a Confeffion, that the Belief of it has always been thought necessary, to deceive Mankind into a Compliance with the Rules of Virtue, and a Participation of the Benefits of Society. This Opinion however, while suffered to keep Poffeffion, must needs be a confiderable Prejudice against all Attempts in Favour of Irreligion. Accordingly Some of those, who, in this Age of Doubting, have discovered an Inclination lefs favourable to Religion and every Thing related to it, have (confiftently enough) endeavoured to remove this Obftruction. Hence, as it should seem, we have been entertained with Calculations of the Effects of Theifm, Scepticism, and even Atheism, upon Moral Goodness: And the fame Perfons, who have pleaded for fubjecting the most facred Truths to the Teft of Raillery and Ridicule, have also proposed it as a Problem, "Whether an Atheist may not poffibly be a Man of Virtue and Merit?" fhewing a Willingness at least to answer it in the Affirmative. And, fhould Speculations of this Kind be thought harmless Amusements only, of refined and contemplative Heads; yet our own Observation, I fear, may but too fully convince us, that Something more than Amusement has been the Confequence of them. Unconcernedness about about Religious Principles in general feems to have been for fome Time fucceeding into the Place of (what used to be accounted) a just Abhorrence of Infidelity and Atheism. Our late Pretenders to Free-Thinking have indeed, for the most part, chofen avowedly to attack Revealed Religion only; and even in fuch their Attempts the Interests of the Publick may perhaps be found by no means flightly concerned. But 'tis well-known alfo, that the Arguments they have generally employed for that Purpose are calculated to carry their de- ́ luded Followers ftill farther. And there is great Caufe to believe, that thofe Perfons, whom fuch Cavils are fufficient to remove from the Faith of the Gospel, very rarely stop fhort of a Disbelief of, at least an Indifference towards, all Religion whatsoever. It is therefore become but too feasonable, and will not, I trust, be thought wholly improper on this Publick and Solemn Occafion, to reconfider the Subject above-mentioned: to enquire, Whether the general Acknowledgement and Influence of Religious Principles be really of fo much Importance to secure the Morals and Good Order, and (which I will here fuppofe to be connected with These) the Happiness of Societies, as has been comA 3 monly |