Cleo. I have hinted to you several Times, that in the Management of Human Creatures, the Fear of an invincible Cause, which they are all born with, was always to be consulted; and that no Multitudes can ever be govern'd, so as to be made useful to any one Purpose, if those, who attempt to rule over them, should neglect to take Notice of, or but any Ways seem to slight the Principle of that Fear. The worst of Men are often as much influenc'd by it as the best; or else Highwaymen and House-breakers would not swear Fidelity to one another. God is call'd upon as a Witness to the mutual Promises of the greatest Miscreants, that they will persevere in their Crimes and Villanies, and to the last Drop of their Blood be unalterably Wicked. This, you know, has been done in Massacres, the blackest Treasons, and the most horrid Conspiracies; tho' the Persons concern'd in them, perhaps, gave other Names to their Undertakings. By this we may see, what absurd Notions Men may have of the Deity, who undoubtedly believe his Existence: For how flagitious soever Men are, none can be deem'd _Atheists_ but those, who pretend to have absolutely conquer'd, or never been influenced by the Fear of an invisible Cause, that over-rules Human Affairs; and what I say now has been and ever will be true in all Countries, and in all Ages, let the Religion or Worship of the People be what they will. Hor. It is better to have no Religion, than to worship the Devil. Cleo. In what Respect is it better? Hor. It is not so great an Affront to the Deity not to believe his Existence, as it is to believe him to be the most Cruel and the most Malicious Being that can be imagin'd. Cleo. That is a subtle Argument, seldom made Use of but by Unbelievers. Hor. Don't you think, that many Believers have been worse Men, than some _Atheists_? Cleo. As to Morality, there have been good and bad Men of all Sects and all Persuasions; but before we know any Thing of Men's Lives, Nothing can be worse in the Civil Society, than an Atheist, _caeteris paribus_. For it would be ridiculous to say, that it is less safe to trust to a Man's Principle, of whom we have some Reason to hope, that he may be with-held by the Fear of Something, than it is to trust to one who absolutely denies, that he is withheld by the Fear of any Thing. The old _Mexicans_ worship'd _Vitzliputzli_, at the same Time that they own'd his Malice, and execrated his Cruelty; yet it is highly probable, that some of them were deterr'd from Perjury for Fear of being punish'd by _Vitzliputzli;_ who would have been guilty of it, if they had not been afraid of any Thing at all. Hor. Then not to have believed the Existence of that chimerical Monster was Atheism in _Mexico_. Cleo. It certainly was among People that knew of no other invisible Cause.