[\"Thosethingsbelongtothegodstodeterminethantothem;letthegods，therefore，takecarethattheirsacredmysterieswerenotprofaned。\"——Livy，x。6。]
accordingtowhattheoracleansweredtothoseofDelphoswho，fearingtobeinvadedbythePersiansintheMedianwar，inquiredofApollo，howtheyshoulddisposeoftheholytreasureofhistemple;whethertheyshouldhide，orremoveittosomeotherplace？Hereturnedthemanswer，thattheyshouldstirnothingfromthence，andonlytakecareofthemselves，forhewassufficienttolooktowhatbelongedtohim。
——[Herodotus，viii。36。]。——
TheChristianreligionhasallthemarksoftheutmostutilityandjustice:butnonemoremanifestthanthesevereinjunctionitlaysindifferentlyuponalltoyieldabsoluteobediencetothecivilmagistrate，andtomaintainanddefendthelaws。Ofwhich，whatawonderfulexamplehasthedivinewisdomleftus，that，toestablishthesalvationofmankind，andtoconductHisgloriousvictoryoverdeathandsin，woulddoitafternootherway，butatthemercyofourordinaryformsofjusticesubjectingtheprogressandissueofsohighandsosalutiferousaneffect，totheblindnessandinjusticeofourcustomsandobservances;sacrificingtheinnocentbloodofsomanyofHiselect，andsolongalossofsomanyyears，tothematuringofthisinestimablefruit？Thereisavastdifferencebetwixtthecaseofonewhofollowstheformsandlawsofhiscountry，andofanotherwhowillundertaketoregulateandchangethem;ofwhomthefirstpleadssimplicity，obedience，andexampleforhisexcuse，who，whateverheshalldo，itcannotbeimputedtomalice;’tisattheworstbutmisfortune:
\"Quisestenim，quemnonmoveatclarissimismonumentistestataconsignataqueantiquitas？\"