An inquiry concerning virtue or merit

Summary

Putting play aside, let us turn to serious things.

Religion and virtue appear in many respects so nearly related that they are generally presumed inseparable companions. And so willing we are to believe well of their union that we hardly allow it just to speak or even think of them apart. It may however be questioned whether the practice of the world in this respect be answerable to our speculation. It is certain that we sometimes meet with instances which seem to make against this general supposition. We have known people who, having the appearance of great zeal in religion, have yet wanted even the common affections of humanity and shown themselves extremely degenerate and corrupt. Others, again, who have paid little regard to religion and been considered as mere atheists, have yet been observed to practise the rules of morality and act in many cases with such good meaning and affection towards mankind as might seem to force an acknowledgment of their being virtuous. And, in general, we find mere moral principles of such weight that, in our dealings with men, we are seldom satisfied by the fullest assurance given us of their zeal in religion till we hear something further of their character. If we are told that a man is religious, we still ask, ‘What are his morals?’