government; and that he has said a
great deal tending to encourage the enemy to persist in their demands,
and to pursue the war, than he has to discourage them. It appears, in
truth, that the English consider him in a great measure their friend
and well wisher.

Is it possible that Governor Strong can be deluded away by the
missionary and bible societies of Old England, so as to mistake the
English for a religious people? I am very confident that there is
_less_ religion, or appearance of it, in London and in all their large
cities, than in any other civilized country of the same numbers, in
Europe. Their national churches are empty, while their streets and
their harbors are full of lewdness; and they have more thieves,
gamblers, forgers, cheats and bawds than any other nation upon earth.
Add to this, their laws are bloody, beyond modern example, their
military punishments horrible, and their treatment of prisoners of
war a disgrace to the name of Christians. Can Governor Strong be
totally ignorant of the policy of some in patronizing bible and
missionary societies? And does he not see the impracticability of the
scheme contemplated by the latter? If we divide the known countries of
the globe into thirty equal parts, _five_ will be found to be
_Christians_, _six Mahometans_, and _NINETEEN Pagans_. It is difficult
to believe that the first man, the governor and commander in chief of
the great and respectable commonwealth of Massachusetts, can seriously
expect that the missionary societies of England and of Boston can
effect this immense task or that it ever was the design of Providence
that all the families of the earth should think alike on subjects of
religion. Let us take things as the sons of men have always found
them, and not presume to oppugn Providence, who has decreed that there
shall be, every where, men of different colours, countenances, voices,
manner of speaking, of different feelings and views of things, and
also of different languages and of different opinions, as it regards
the Deity, and his government of the world; and that among this great
and doubtless necessary diversity of the views of him, we may have the
most pure and rational system of any. Let us then enjoy that system,
encourage a virtuous education and love one another, and leave to his
direction and control the myriads of rational beings on earth, of
which we, Christians, make so small a part. No, no, my countrymen, if
Governor Strong will