Every thing must be governed by laws suited to its nature. Matter must be governed by physical laws. Mind must be governed by motives. And moral agents must be governed by moral considerations. We are conscious of moral agency, and can be governed only by a moral government.
Moral happiness depends upon moral order.
Moral order depends upon the harmonious action of all our powers, as individuals and as members of society. No community can perfectly harmonize in all their views and feelings, without perfect knowledge, or, to say the least, the same degree of knowledge on all subjects on which they are called to act. But no community ever existed or will exist, in which every individual possesses exactly the same amount of knowledge, and where they are, therefore, entirely agreed in all their thoughts, views and opinions. But if they are not agreed in opinion, or have not exactly the same amount of knowledge, they will not in every thing harmonize, as it respects their courses of conduct. There must therefore be in every community some standard or rule of duty, to which all the subjects of the community are to conform themselves.