RELIGION.
The love of ourselves is so firmly implanted in our heart, for
which every honest being turns its eyes from death with disgust:
and were it not mitigated with the idea of immortality, the man who
coolly meditates on the loss of life, were it united with the utter
annihilation of his soul, death would be too painful. Hence, we have
not yet found any nation, which did not hope for a life to come; where
the good, will receive the reward he cannot receive upon this land so
badly governed.
Nothing is more sublime than the poetry of divine religion. When false
love, false friends have wounded the heart, born for company, and love,
it is satisfactory, it is pleasing to think that the Being of purity,
love, and wisdom, is there in heaven to accept the rich, refreshing
perfumes of our virtuous life. Could it be understood as it should
be, religion is a branch of literature, which nobilitates man. The
intolerant, the narrow-minded, the superstitious, the hypocrite, the
interested, and the ignorant, have done such a mischief to religion,
that many an honest man, who were the most sanguine champions of
religion, they turned from her with disgust. Still, such is the human
propensity towards religion, and the immortality of the soul, that
the very philosopher, who could not believe that such cruelties, as
we read in history, had been commanded by God, in leaving the bloody
intolerance, he believed, and still believes in a life to come.
Religion is lovely, pure, innocent, sympathetic, and disinterested.
From religion we derive the nobility of our mind, and heart. Religion,
as I understand it myself, is a branch of literature, and imagination
which links us to heaven. But, as my religion differs from the religion
of the many; besides, religion, being a spontaneous sentiment of the
heart, it is our duty to leave any one freely in the hand of God, who
will lead them to truth. As far as my neighbor does not interfere with
my temporal existence, and acts honestly with me on this traveling
land, he may differ from my religion as well as I do differ from his
own. It is a matter which does regard his future happiness, it is a
matter of his own conscience, and of his God: and no law can force,
or control the free mind of man in this world for what it belongs to
heaven.