Morality flows from principle. 道德源于准则。

Let the principles of moral obligation become relaxed, and the practice of morality will not long survive the overthrow. 让阐释道德义务的准则自由自在，那么道德规范的践行将不会长久。

No man can preserve his own morals, no parent can preserve the morals of his children, without the impressions of religious obligation. 没有宗教义务的影响，没有谁能保持自己的道德准则，也没有哪位父母能让自己的孩子保持道德准则。

If you can induce a community to doubt the genuineness and authenticity of the Scriptures; 如果你能引诱一个团体对圣经的真实性和权威性产生怀疑，

to question the reality and obligations of religion; to hesitate, undeciding, whether there be any such thing as virtue or vice; 对宗教义务和现实产生疑问，对是否存在美德或恶行，

whether there be an eternal state of retribution beyond the grave; or whether there exists any such being as God, 对是否有超越死亡的永恒的惩罚，或者是否存在诸如上帝这样的实在踌躇不决的话，

you have broken down the barriers of moral virtue, and hoisted the flood gates of immorality and crime. 那么你就打破了道德上的界限，吊起了拦住不道德和罪恶洪水的闸门。

I need not say that when a people have once done this, they can no longer exist as a tranquil and happy people. 不用我说，当人们一旦这样的话，他们就不再作为内心安宁和快乐人而存在了。

Every bond that holds society together would be ruptured; 将社会连在一起的每一纽带都会断裂，

fraud and treachery would take the place of confidence between man and man; 人与人之间建立起来的信任关系中充斥了欺骗和背叛，

the tribunals of justice would be scenes of bribery and injustice; 法院成了见证贿赂和不公正的场所，

avarice, perjury, ambition, and revenge would walk through the land, 贪婪、偏见、野心和报复堂而皇之地肆虐，

and render it more like the dwelling of savage beasts than the tranquil abode of civilized and Christianized men. 使得这块土地更像是野兽的居所，而不是文明开化和皈依了基督教的人平静安详的聚居之地。