ON THE RELIGION OF NATURE

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The power, that gives with liberal hand
     The blessings man enjoys, while here,
And scatters through a smiling land
     Abundant products of the year;
          That power of nature, ever blessed,
          Bestowed religion with the rest.

Born with ourselves, her early sway
     Inclines the tender mind to take
The path of right, fair virtue's way
     Its own felicity to make.
         This universally extends
         And leads to no mysterious ends.

Religion, such as nature taught,
     With all divine perfection suits;
Had all mankind this system sought
     Sophists would cease their vain disputes,
          And from this source would nations know
          All that can make their heaven below.

This deals not curses on mankind,
     Or dooms them to perpetual grief,
If from its aid-no joys they find,
     It damns them not for unbelief;
          Upon a more exalted plan
          Creatress nature dealt with man-

Joy to the day, when all agree
     On such grand systems to proceed,
From fraud, design, and error free,
     And which to truth and goodness lead:
          Then persecution will retreat
          And man's religion be complete.

1795

© Philip Freneau
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© E-publisher LiterNet, 20.01.2009
The Sun Is but a Morning Star. Anthology of American Literature. Edited by Albena Bakratcheva. Varna: LiterNet, 2008-2010