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Untitled Article
could not discover the true meaning ; and that the generality should be contented with the ini terpretation of those who
understood the originals . It « was replied , that afl who understood the original languages did not agree in their interpretation , and that what one learned man called right ^
another called wrong . The Catholics pretended , if all were allowed the liberty of enquiring , numerous erroneous sects must needs be the consequence ; but were told , it was . better some errors should
prevaii , than men have no faith . For if the common people ^ before the Reformation , were ever questioned about their religion ,, they could only answer , they believed what their priests believed ; that their priests believed what the church believed ; and that the church
had the same belief as the pope . But what faith the pope held tkey knew not . . Few of them bad ever seen the Bible , or heard it mentioned ; insomuch , that many
thought the New Testament a dangerous book , compiled by X » wtker . The arguments of the first Reformers being therefore found unanswerable , the Reformation had
the good success which all the world knotvs . ' * During the change , before things were settled , the Reformers confiaued to use the & * me arguments , which had already procured th <§ m iomutdh aidvantage ; but as
soon as a few churches were foundtd , so a * to dread rio disturbing power , tiie reforined began to wave ? in their princip les ; and ettij ^ l ^ yed tliesame kind of arguments against others , who separated l frQxn them , - as the Romish
clergy had , used against the original ^ RefojrmejFS * This * bvweyer ,
done with circumspection in language , though not ; in factj for they retained the olid form of speedh , that every man should
search t { ie scriptures ; but with this reserve , that the discoveries and judgments made , must entire * ly agree with theirs ; and that -after a free and exact enquiry , all
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should subscribe articles settled by assemblies of divines . Which amounts to this : 6 You may believe what you find to be right ;
but nothing is right besides what we believe . ' Such liberty of enquiry is a treacherous compliment , that chains down the prisoner , aiid tells him he is free /'
( Reflector , 381—333 . ) It is observed by Sir Thomas Browne , ( Rel . Med * Sect . 4 . ) that cc as there were many Reformers , so likewise many refdrmatiofifc ;
every country proceeding in a particular way and method /* Jn England , according to a remark of the late Bishop Hurd , quoted in youT 3 d vol . ( p , 530 . ) the Reformation advanced under the eye of
the magistrate , which that prelate considered as no small advantage * It certainly had the advantage of preserving the English Reformers of the national church , from
the inconsistency described by the anonymous author lately quoted j for I am not aware that they ever ventured to declare for the right of private judgment .
Henry the Eighth , the father of theReformation in England , under whose eye it first advanced , though with an infant's tottering steps , certainly designed nothing less than the admission of such a right . He acknowledged no liberty but that of indulging bis own violent passions ; aind while he displaced
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Sketch of English Protestant Persecution . —Letter / . 3 Q
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Jan. 2, 1812, page 39, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1744/page/39/
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