Hor. But why should I wonder at the _Mexicans_? There are Christians enough, of whom, to judge from their Sentiments and Behaviour, it is hard to determine, which it is they are more afraid of, God or the Devil. Cleo. I don't question, but among the Vulgar, more Persons have been deterr'd from doing Evil, by what they had heard of the Torments of Hell, than have been made virtuous by what had been told them of the Joys of Heaven, tho' both had been represented to them as equally infinite and unutterable. Hor. But to return to my Question. When I ask'd what Occasion there was for Divines in an Army, I was not ignorant of the Necessity there is of having Religion and Priests of some Sort or other, to humour as well as awe the Multitude; but I wanted to know the Mystery, and be let into the Secret, by which the Doctrine of Peace is made serviceable to the carrying on of War; for that Preachers of the Gospel have not only exhorted Men to Battle, but likewise that they have done it effectually; and that Soldiers have been inspired with Courage, and made to fight with Obstinacy by their Sermons, the History of almost every Country can witness. Cleo. A little Accuracy will set us to Rights. That what you say has been, and is often done by Sermons and Preachers, both Protestant and Popish, is certainly true. But I deny, that ever it was once done by a Preacher of the Gospel. Hor. I don't understand your Distinction. Are not all Christian Divines call'd Preachers, as well as Ministers of the Gospel? Cleo. But many People are call'd, what, strictly speaking, they are not. The Reason I have for what I say is, that there is Nothing contain'd in the Gospel, that can have the least Tendency to promote or justify War or Discord, Foreign or Domestic, Publick or Private; nor is there any the least Expression to be found in it, from which it is possible to excite or set People on to quarrel with, do Hurt to, or any ways offend one another, on any Account whatever. Hor. But this encreases the mystery, and makes the facts less intelligible. Cleo. I will unfold it to you. As all Priests have ever maintain'd, that they were the Interpreters of the will of the deity they pretended to serve, and had an undoubted Right of construing and explaining the Doctrine and the Meaning of the Religion they taught and presided over: As, I say, all priests have ever maintain'd this, so the Christian Clergy, as soon as they took it in their Heads to be priests likewise, claim'd the same Privilege; and finding several things, which they had a Mind to, denied them in the Gospel; and that many Conveniencies, which all other Priests had ever, not only been fond of, but likewise enjoy'd, were in express words forbid, and absolutely prohibited in the _New Testament_, they had recourse to the _Old_, and providently took Care from thence to supply the Deficiency of the _New_.