MAN-THE SUBJECT OF MORAL AND SOCIAL OBLIGATION. [BEING PART OF A CHARGE DELIVERED TO THE GRAND JURY OF BERKS COUNTY, JAN. 6, 1800.] Gentlemen of the Grand Jury, THERE is no knowledge of But more importance, than that which teaches us to vindicate the ways of GOD to man. in order to form correct notions on this subject, it should be always remembered, that, though God be the universal Parent of mankind, it is not less true, that he is their moral Governor, and Supreme Magistrate. Consi dered in the light. of a wise and just Sovereign, exercising dominion over intelligent beings, he cannot act otherwise, than dispense rewards and punishments according to the different characters of those who are the subjects of his moral government. It is undoubtedly for want of considering the Deity in this most serious and important light, as the Supreme Magistrate and Ruler over his creatures, that men so frequently violate his. laws. If they were duly impressed with an athoritative sense of his right to prescribe rules of action to creatures, formed by his power, and depending on his goodness, they would yield the most implicit subjection to his commands.. GOD as a Sovereign; has a right to expect perfect obedience to all his laws, and to punish every violation of them. True it is indeed, that in their present lapsed and de-generate state, mankind are incapable * of * Mankind labour under no natural inability, in their lapsed state, to obey the perfect law of nature, though they are dead in trespasses and sins. The moral law, founded in "the reason and fitness of things," as the Judge observes, page 12, requires only to love the Lord our God with all our strength-the natural ability we now have in our weak and lapsed state-for it is a maxim in morals, in which the scriptures agree, that natural inability always destroys moral obligation. "It is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.” There were obstacles in the way of the salvation of men which they have not natural ability to remove-but these are removed by the atonement, and now he that performs sincere, that is, holy obedience, is accepted "through the vicarious satisfaction and complete obedience of him who hath fulfilled all righteousness in our stead, and laid down his life for the whole human rac N. Y. F yielding that sinless obedience, which the perfect law of nature requires from every rational and intelligent being, to the will of its Creator. But this moral impotence is happily removed by the divine scheme of revelation, whereby God has graciously so ordered it, that sincere, though imperfect obedience will be accepted, through the vicarious satisfaction, and complete obedience of HIM, who hath fulfilled all righteousness in our stead, and laid down his life for the human race. From this relation of obedience on the one hand, and the right of governing on the other, results that system of duty which fully evinces, that man is the subject of moral obligation, in every light in which he can be contemplated. If you view him in the light of an individual, he is under the strongest possible obligation as a dependant being, to love and revere the Great Author of his existence, and to make his sovereign will the supreme rule of every action. If you view him again, in his social capacity, you perceive a train of the most important duties resulting from his sta tion, which are called social duties; because the violation of them is attended with injury to our fellow-creatures. Writers on the subject of ethicks, have therefore divided moral obligation, into duties which respect man as an individual, and duties which respect him as a member of society: a division which is highly proper, because it includes every thing our duty to God, to ourselves, and to our fellow-creatures. A man may transgress the laws of Heaven, and the duty he owes himself, without violating the law of social obligation. Thus secret blasphemy, or a private act of drunkenness, or any other hidden vice, can be no breach of human laws; but are clearly violations of the divine law, and a transgression of our duty as rational beings. Hence the vices of an individual as such, can never become the objects of legal cognizance. To his Creator and himself To GoD and his own conscience, man is alone responsible for all his secret offences. Nor have human tribunals any right to arraign his actions, unless they are exhibited to the view of others. It is this circumstance of publicity alone, that gives them a criminal complexion in the eye of human laws, and is the true reason why persons thus guilty become answerable at the |