To the Rev. Mr. Layng, Occasioned by His Sermon on Mutual Benevolence, Preached at the Annual Meeting of the…

Let fools religion in opinion place, And call whim, spleen, and superstition, grace; Put in mock'd Virtue's legal hand a reed, And on her throne, vile idol! rear a creed, While weeping Charity is doom'd to seel The smarting scourge of unrelenting Zeal; And sainted Bigotry, with impious pride, Claims all the sky, and damns the world beside. O! taught of heaven! be thine the better part, With sacred love to touch the kindling heart; Still mild benevolence, like Jesus preach, And spread the truths he liv'd and died to teach; Still build salvation on the Saviour's plan, And God's own glory on good-will to man; So shall good-nature at thy voice refine, And what was moral shall be more—divine! Self-love shall learn to taste of social joy, And public works the miser's hands employ; Folly inform'd, converted Vice shall own, That wisdom, pleasure Virtue gives alone; Deists shall scorn the Christian name no more. And atheists God, as love immense, adore.