14. If, on the contrary, you join with that godless crew, and strengthen their hands in their wickedness, must not you, in all reason, be accounted, (like them) _a public enemy of mankind_? And indeed such must every one appear, in the eye of unprejudiced reason, who opposes directly or indirectly, the _reformation_ of mankind. By _reformation_ I mean, the bringing them back (not to this or that system of _opinions_, or to this or that sett of _rites_ and ceremonies, how decent and significant soever: but) to the calm love of God and one another, to an uniform practice of justice, mercy and truth. With what colour can you lay any claim to humanity, to benevolence, to public spirit, if you can once open your mouth, or stir one finger, against such a _reformation_ as this? * ’Tis a poor excuse to say, “O, but the people are brought into several erroneous _opinions_.” It matters not a straw, whether they are or no; (I speak of such opinions as do not touch the foundation) it is scarce worth while to spend ten words about it. Whether they embrace this _religious opinion_ or that, is no more concern to me, than whether they embrace this or that system of _astronomy_. Are they brought to holy _tempers_ and holy _lives_? This is mine, and should be your enquiry: since on this, both social and personal happiness depend; happiness, temporal and eternal. Are they brought to the love of God and the love of their neighbour? Pure religion and undefiled is this. How long then will you _darken counsel, by words without knowledge_? The plain religion now propagated is LOVE. And can you oppose this, without being _an enemy to mankind_? 15. No; nor without being an _enemy to your king and country_: especially at such a time as this. For however men of no thought may not see and regard it, or hectoring cowards may brave it out, it is evident to every man of calm reflection, that our nation stands on the very brink of destruction. And why are we thus, but because _the cry of our wickedness is gone up to heaven_? Because we have so exceedingly, abundantly, beyond measure, _corrupted our ways before the Lord_. And because to all our other abominations we have added, the open fighting against God; the not only rejecting, but even denying, yea, blaspheming his last offers of mercy; the hindering others who were desirous to close therewith; the despitefully using his messengers, and the variously troubling and oppressing those who did accept of his grace, break off their sins, and turn to him with their whole heart.