e first place, then, there appears throughout, both in the
principles and allowed conduct of the bulk of nominal Christians, a most
inadequate idea of the _guilt and evil of sin_. We every where find
reason to remark, that, as was formerly observed, Religion is suffered
to dwindle away into a mere matter of _police_. Hence the guilt of
actions is estimated, not by the proportion in which, according to
Scripture, they are offensive to God, but by that in which they are
injurious to society. Murder, theft, fraud in all its shapes, and some
species of lying, are manifestly, and in an eminent degree, injurious to
social happiness. How different accordingly, in the moral scale, is the
place they hold, from that which is assigned to idolatry, to general
irreligion, to swearing, drinking, fornication, lasciviousness,
sensuality, excessive dissipation; and in particular circumstances, to
pride, wrath, malice, and revenge!

Indeed, several of the above-mentioned vices are held to be grossly
criminal in the lower ranks, because manifestly ruinous to their
temporal interests: but in the higher, they are represented as "losing
half their evil by losing all their grossness," as flowing naturally
from great prosperity, from the excess of gaiety and good humour; and
they are accordingly "regarded with but a small degree of
disapprobation, and censured very slightly or not at all[85]."--"Non
meus hic sermo est." These are the remarks of authors, who have
surveyed the stage of human life with more than ordinary observation;
one of whom in particular cannot be suspected of having been misled by
religious prejudices, to form a judgment of the superior orders too
unfavourable and severe.

Will these positions however be denied? Will it be maintained that there
is not the difference already stated, in the moral estimation of these
different classes of vices? Will it be said, that the one class is
indeed more generally restrained, and more severely punished by human
laws, because more properly cognizable by human judicatures, and more
directly at war with the well-being of society; but that when brought
before the tribunal of internal opinion they are condemned with equal
rigour?

Facts may be denied, and charges laughed out of countenance: but where
the general sentiment and feeling of mankind are in question, our common
language is often the clearest and most impartial witness; and the
conclusions thus furnished, are not to be parried b