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frliicW seemed In tKe smallest degree to ^ Pi * p ^^^^ ^^**^ V ^ w ?^^ ?^ ' ^^ ip ^ ticulaj * vIc ^ s of reyel ^ tibo , it wasscarcely published before he considered himself < rt > Bg « 4 to refute it ,, fn this species of warfare ^ His activity Was iticeis&ftt , 4 i $ fceJ $ & » tteistes , Jfeys , Arians , Quakers , Metho 4 ists ,
EmscoDaHans , and Catholics , all had occasion to resist him . He has written books against tzth of these sects , and I should take up a considerable time if f mentioned but theirtitles . ^ " < . His sincetfityjii these controversies i&
Evident , £ rdj »; his belief t ^ hiat ^ by studying the Scriptures , he was * able to foretel approaclurig event $ . Pnipliest ^ wlio are not convinced , prophesy things of distant 4 atc > that they may not be provexsL deceivers during their life ; but P& $ sfc % considered his ; predictions certain - - ¦ In
tj $ Q ~ ftfef publfeiied an address to the Jews , M , v $ *^ W ffct ^ el ?* ftcan the Revelations of Daniel ^ d ^ of ^ ^ 110 , their sbeedy re-esj : abli $ fciaent in Palestine , tne re-union of the different tribes , amd the foundation of the reign of glory .
Besides the ; calculation of Yeara ^ which brings the epoch to the beginning of the iiinetc ^ iith century , the symptoms - of dils 1 g ^ eat evejnt'wter ^ 'to be ,, the destruction i ( 9 f tttc Pagal |> bw ^ pF the Turkish crtipire , artd of the kingdoms of Europe . Tte ¦ # i « 9 a ( di motorcKy , said he , which
appeared stb firmly ; established , is just fallen ; and ' the others will soon follow . The Fopb is dethroned and banished ; the Titrk maintains his dominion but by the compassion of his neighbours .- —• Priestley lived" t 6 see part of these appa « rent symptoms vanish . Gentlemen , I should have concealed
frofr * you circumstances oFso extraordinary a nature , if our cufpgics were Bet historical , and designed to exhibit defects 39 well as excellencies , according to the rule laid down by the first and most illustrious of our predecessors . Is there not ; fcowcVer , some utility in shewing , by examples , how far the best
minds may be hurried away , when they go beyond the limits J > re « c * ibed by Providence to- bur understanding ? the aberrations of this ^ reat genius ate a niorc effectual warning than i ^ i « deep afliktiort ^ fbr what generous man woul < jfett w | lIiS ^{ f $ 0 ? evc ^ I © PcWSr safari irjg $ than -fti » , 0 iayt ^^ t ^ ot vxo - claiming trotK , and ofixnng useful ? It was not exactly hi * theology which
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drew on Priestley his ttusibrtunes ( rfc England every ' one is at liKerty to prornulgate his own dogmas ) 5 but it was a system of politics too nearly connected with that theology ; I iheaa the pplhict
of the Bissenters , which generally im * plyasystemof opposition . j : Jin France , Protestants were consider ed republicaris , from the nature of thefc religion . They were so only ii \ consequence of oppression , ¦ It i » the Catho ^ lies ,, in Ireland , who are believed to be > republicans , while the Protestants , who
keep them In subjection ^ are royalists because the kin ^ iy on their side ^ r This natural opposition is more -violent . in England than elsewhere , the reason o £ which is , that Disseoter ^ are there tole ^ rated in a certain degree , and in a cer * tain degree only . They are kept from ; honours and pubHc employments ; they are strictly compelled to pay * tithes for the support of a religion from which
they depart ; and their children are not admitted into the national Uniyeraities ; - yet they axe sutfered to remain numerous and wealthy . , ; they meet together , they converse , they publish their w ^ rte * ingsr they possess ail the means of heightcaing their jxsentxneftk . Priestley , for thirty years , was the most eloquent , the
most courageous , I may say , the ^ nost obstinate represented of their complaints ^ in which character he composed twei ^^ r volumes , and ia which character he wrote against those famous , letters ot Edmund BurVc which predicted so fear * fully , and * o tr ^ ly , tne miseries that were soon ta follorwr the French
Revolution . Apparently the ; object of Priestley ' s answer wa $ xKit well un < terstpod ; here ; for it procured him the titles of Citizen of France ^ and a Member of the Conveotlpn ^ -titles which at thajt tin ^ e seemed inappropriate to so ardent' a defender - *> f reyelatjtoa and of universal
tolcrance . The fir ^ t , however , he always applied to himself , but avoided using the second , under the pretext of being too little acqyuainted . with our language Without attempting . to decide on their principle , it is but just to-say that the political wntings rricsuey to
o * ,, an extroardinary moderation ia the language , unite a « p | less extraordinary loyalty in tbc sffntimcntsv ¦ t ^ ei makes no claims fof tUe 1 ? ro | cii ^ ttj ; Disseaaters , which he does not make S ^ jwlty * ^ and ieven wi ^ la more earne ^ t&e ^ for jhe Gatholits , who arc stiU greyer sufferers ; no C&-' . . ¦ ' ¦ » ¦
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Mtiibgp on fir . Priesitef * S 3 ?
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), June 2, 1806, page 331, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1725/page/51/
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