part of our holiness or our sin.

God has not seen fit to enact special or particular laws for us, to
regulate our conduct in all respects, as here associated with one
another, and owing duties to one another, as neighbors, citizens of
the commonwealth, husbands, wives, and children. He has himself
enacted only _general_ laws for us,--laid down great general
principles, under the authority and light of which, he has left men
to regulate the particulars as they please, by the governments which
they establish.--only not contravening his great general principles
and laws.

He has himself made _all_ the laws which are needful, and all
which can be justly obligatory upon us in respect to _divine
worship_,--such duties as praise, prayer, preaching the gospel, and
observing the sacramental ordinances;--and no human authority may
either repeal these laws or add to them. But in respect to the
duties which we owe to our neighbor, that is, to our fellow-man, in
any relation he holds to us or can ever hold; God has left the most
of these duties to the authoritative decision of human governments.
He has thus made a difference betwixt these two classes of duties.
The reason for this difference seems to be this; namely, man's
wisdom can reach farther in ascertaining what is fit or right
betwixt him and his fellow-man, than in ascertaining what is fit or
right betwixt him and his God: and consequently, man can legislate
in respect to property, and other matters of human right, but not in
respect to prayer, and other matters of the first class of duties.
Moreover, in respect to worship, God is himself one of the parties.
The parties are not man and man, as they are in all social duties;
but they are man and God:--and therefore, it would seem but fit and