AndthereforethefirstfoundersandlegislatorsofCommonwealthsamongsttheGentiles，whoseendswereonlytokeepthepeopleinobedienceandpeace，haveinallplacestakencare：first，toimprinttheirmindsabeliefthatthosepreceptswhichtheygaveconcerningreligionmightnotbethoughttoproceedfromtheirowndevice，butfromthedictatesofsomegodorotherspirit；orelsethattheythemselveswereofahighernaturethanmeremortals，thattheirlawsmightthemoreeasilybereceived；soNumaPompiliuspretendedtoreceivetheceremoniesheinstitutedamongsttheRomansfromthenymphEgeriaandthefirstkingandfounderofthekingdomofPerupretendedhimselfandhiswifetobethechildrenofthesun；andMahomet，tosetuphisnewreligion，pretendedtohaveconferenceswiththeHolyGhostinformofadove。Secondly，theyhavehadacaretomakeitbelievedthatthesamethingsweredispleasingtothegodswhichwereforbiddenbythelaws。Thirdly，toprescribeceremonies，supplications，sacrifices，andfestivalsbywhichtheyweretobelievetheangerofthegodsmightbeappeased；andthatillsuccessinwar，greatcontagionsofsickness，earthquakes，andeachman’sprivatemiserycamefromtheangerofthegods；andtheirangerfromtheneglectoftheirworship，ortheforgettingormistakingsomepointoftheceremoniesrequired。AndthoughamongsttheancientRomansmenwerenotforbiddentodenythatwhichinthepoetsiswrittenofthepainsandpleasuresafterthislife，whichdiversofgreatauthorityandgravityinthatstatehaveintheirharanguesopenlyderided，yetthatbeliefwasalwaysmorecherished，thanthecontrary。
Andbythese，andsuchotherinstitutions，theyobtainedinordertotheirend，whichwasthepeaceoftheCommonwealth，thatthecommonpeopleintheirmisfortunes，layingthefaultonneglect，orerrorintheirceremonies，orontheirowndisobediencetothelaws，werethelessapttomutinyagainsttheirgovernors。Andbeingentertainedwiththepompandpastimeoffestivalsandpublicgamesmadeinhonourofthegods，needednothingelsebutbreadtokeepthemfromdiscontent，murmuring，andcommotionagainstthestate。AndthereforetheRomans，thathadconqueredthegreatestpartofthethenknownworld，madenoscrupleoftoleratinganyreligionwhatsoeverinthecityofRomeitself，unlessithadsomethinginitthatcouldnotconsistwiththeircivilgovernment；nordowereadthatanyreligionwasthereforbiddenbutthatoftheJews，whobeingthepeculiarkingdomofGodthoughtitunlawfultoacknowledgesubjectiontoanymortalkingorstatewhatsoever。AndthusyouseehowthereligionoftheGentileswasapartoftheirpolicy。
ButwhereGodhimselfbysupernaturalrevelationplantedreligion，therehealsomadetohimselfapeculiarkingdom，andgavelaws，notonlyofbehaviourtowardshimself，butalsotowardsoneanother；andtherebyinthekingdomofGod，thepolicyandlawscivilareapartofreligion；andthereforethedistinctionoftemporalandspiritualdominationhaththerenoplace。ItistruethatGodiskingofalltheearth；yetmayHebekingofapeculiarandchosennation。Forthereisnomoreincongruitythereinthanthathethathaththegeneralcommandofthewholearmyshouldhavewithalapeculiarregimentorcompanyofhisown。GodiskingofalltheearthbyHispower，butofHischosenpeople，Heiskingbycovenant。ButtospeakmorelargelyofthekingdomofGod，bothbynatureandcovenant，Ihaveinthefollowingdiscourseassignedanotherplace。
Fromthepropagationofreligion，itisnothardtounderstandthecausesoftheresolutionofthesameintoitsfirstseedsorprinciples；whichareonlyanopinionofadeity，andpowersinvisibleandsupernatural；thatcanneverbesoabolishedoutofhumannature，butthatnewreligionsmayagainbemadetospringoutofthembythecultureofsuchmenasforsuchpurposeareinreputation。
Forseeingallformedreligionisfoundedatfirstuponthefaithwhichamultitudehathinsomeoneperson，whomtheybelievenotonlytobeawisemanandtolabourtoprocuretheirhappiness，butalsotobeaholymantowhomGodHimselfvouchsafethtodeclareHiswillsupernaturally，itfollowethnecessarilywhentheythathavethegovernmentofreligionshallcometohaveeitherthewisdomofthosemen，theirsincerity，ortheirlovesuspected，orthattheyshallbeunabletoshowanyprobabletokenofdivinerevelation，thatthereligionwhichtheydesiretoupholdmustbesuspectedlikewiseandwithoutthefearofthecivilswordcontradictedandrejected。