Wesley Corpus

And these curses and oaths they pour out wantonly, without any provocation; and desperately, without any remorse. Let those who are acquainted with ancient and modern history say, whether there is or ever was any heathen nation, wherein such a total contempt of God, such horrid ungodli ness, so generally and constantly prevailed ! 22. See then, Englishmen, what is the undoubted charac teristic of our nation; it is ungodliness. True, it was not always so: For many ages we had as much of the fear of God as our neighbours. But in the last age, many who were absolute strangers to this, made so large a profession of it, that the nation in general was surfeited, and, at the Restoration, ran headlong from one extreme to the other. It was then ungodliness broke in upon us as a flood; and when shall its dire waves be stayed ? 23. Countrymen, is ungodliness any honour to our nation? Let men of reason judge. Is this outraging the Greatest and Best of beings, a thing honourable in itself? Surely you cannot think so. Does it gain us any honour in the eyes of other nations? Nay, just the contrary. Some of them abhor the very name of Englishmen, others despise us, on this very account. They look upon us as monsters, hardly worthy to be ranked among human creatures. 24. Ye men of candour, say, does this ungodliness bring any real advantage to our nation? Innumerable advantages we enjoy; but might we not have them without discarding the fear of God? Might we not prosper as well, both by sea and land, if we did not set God at open defiance? if we did not so continually affront him to his face, and dare him to do his worst? If He has not left chance to govern the world, and if he is really stronger than men, will not our affairs go on better if God is our friend, than if he is our enemy? Is God an enemy to be despised? Rather, is there not reason in those words of the old warrior: Non me tua fervida terrent Dicta, ferow; Dii me terrent et Jupiter hostis f* We have had excellent, well-appointed fleets; we have had numerous veteran armies. And what have they done?