t the revenue are among the most efficient
means of teaching this lesson. Their only defect is that they attach less
ignominy to frauds upon the revenue than to other modes of theft, and thus
fail to declare the whole truth, that there is no moral difference between
him who robs the public and him who robs any one of its individual
members.

Section IV.

Sources Of Knowledge. 3. Christianity.

*Religion*, in its relation to ethics, may be regarded both as *a source
of knowledge*, and as supplying motives for the performance of duty. We
are now concerned with it in the former aspect; and it will be sufficient
for our present purpose to ascertain how much *Christianity* adds to our
knowledge of the fitnesses that underlie all questions of right and duty.
We by no means undervalue the beneficent ministry of natural religion in
the department of ethics; but the most sceptical admit that Christianity
includes all of natural religion, while its disciples claim that it not
only teaches natural religion with a certainty, precision, and authority
which else were wanting, but imparts a larger and profounder knowledge of
God and the universe than is within the scope of man's unaided reason.

*Christianity covers the entire field of human duty*, and reveals many
fitnesses, recognized when seen, but discovered by few or none
independently of the teachings and example of its Founder; while it gives
the emphasis and sanction of a Divine revelation to many other fitnesses,
easily discoverable, but liable to be overlooked and neglected.

In defining *the relations of the individual human soul to God*,
Christianity opens to our view a department of duty paramount to all
others in importance and interest. His fatherly love and care, his moral
government and discipline, his retributive providence, define with
unmistakable distinctness certain corresponding modes, in part, of outward
action, and in still greater part, of action in that inward realm of
thought whence the outward life receives its direction and impulse.

*The brotherhood of the whole human race*, also, reveals obligations which
would exist on no other ground; and for the clear and self-evidencing
statement of this truth we are indebted solely to Christianity. The
visible differences of race, color, culture, religion, and customs, are in
themselves dissociating influences. Universal charity is impossible while
these differences occ