Butasreligionisveryimproperlymadeapoliticalmachine,andtherealityofitistherebydestroyed,Iwillconcludethisworkwithstatinginwhatlightreligionappearstome。
Ifwesupposealargefamilyofchildren,who,onanyparticularday,orparticularcircumstance,madeitacustomtopresenttotheirparentssometokenoftheiraffectionandgratitude,eachofthemwouldmakeadifferentoffering,andmostprobablyinadifferentmanner。Somewouldpaytheircongratulationsinthemesofverseandprose,bysomelittledevices,astheirgeniusdictated,oraccordingtowhattheythoughtwouldplease;and,perhaps,theleastofall,notabletodoanyofthosethings,wouldrambleintothegarden,orthefield,andgatherwhatitthoughttheprettiestfloweritcouldfind,though,perhaps,itmightbebutasimpleweed。Theparentwouldbemoregratifiedbysuchavariety,thanifthewholeofthemhadactedonaconcertedplan,andeachhadmadeexactlythesameoffering。Thiswouldhavethecoldappearanceofcontrivance,ortheharshoneofcontrol。Butofallunwelcomethings,nothingcouldmoreafflicttheparentthantoknow,thatthewholeofthemhadafterwardsgottentogetherbytheears,boysandgirls,fighting,scratching,reviling,andabusingeachotheraboutwhichwasthebestortheworstpresent。
Whymaywenotsuppose,thatthegreatFatherofallispleasedwithvarietyofdevotion;andthatthegreatestoffencewecanact,isthatbywhichweseektotormentandrendereachothermiserable？
Formyownpart,IamfullysatisfiedthatwhatIamnowdoing,withanendeavourtoconciliatemankind,torendertheirconditionhappy,tounitenationsthathavehithertobeenenemies,andtoextirpatethehorridpracticeofwar,andbreakthechainsofslaveryandoppressionisacceptableinhissight,andbeingthebestserviceIcanperform,Iactitcheerfully。
Idonotbelievethatanytwomen,onwhatarecalleddoctrinalpoints,thinkalikewhothinkatall。Itisonlythosewhohavenotthoughtthatappeartoagree。ItisinthiscaseaswithwhatiscalledtheBritishconstitution。Ithasbeentakenforgrantedtobegood,andencomiumshavesuppliedtheplaceofproof。Butwhenthenationcomestoexamineintoitsprinciplesandtheabusesitadmits,itwillbefoundtohavemoredefectsthanIhavepointedoutinthisworkandtheformer。