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t | lC evidence of my own senses , I should allow that of other men ' s < enses to be satisfactory . The rejection then must b £ either of the scripture or of my interpretation of it ; and if it appears to me that I cannot reject any part of the scriptures , and retain the Christian history , I shall not long hesitate to reject my interpretation of it , however correct that interpretation may seem when tried by the best canons of criticism . In the same manner , if the question lay between the
evidence of my reason and moral feeling on one side ( evidence which has ( he same divine author as that of my senses ) , and on the other side , my interpretation of the language of scripture ; so far from holding myself bound as a Christian to assort the
latter and reject the former , I should regard it as an act of piety and duty to the author both of my nature , and of the Christian revelation , to abandon my interpretation , however just it seemed , and to preserve entire and undefaced the image of my Maker in
my own moral nature , the law of God written in my heart . If unbelievers abound on the Continent of Europe , one and that a principal cause is , that , finding reason , and , in Catholic countries , sensation , opposed to the received interpretation of
scripture , and considering that interpretation just , they have ceased to be Christians that they might not cease to be men , that is , rational beings confiding- in their senses , and endowed with moral feelings . Upon the whole it seems tome , that there is not a
more extraordinary case in the history of human inconsistency , than that of men , who , distrusting their ° wn rational and moral faculties , can confide in their own interpretation of scripture , which interpretation is it-^ 'Un act of reason . Protestants hav e fljosen to expire at the stake rather foan surrende r the evidence of their
^ sesto the literal interpretation of j ^ Plure , and subscribe to the Cathoft ° ? trine of transubstantiation . If fj ey nad made the same choice rawer than abandon the evidence of
nT 1 understa n « inff and moral pow-5 * they would have earned as well ^ crown of martyrdom . These reeiJi ? re made not from ^ y suspiet « i ' i-I * * on a fair and J ustand «* literal interpretation of the scrip ' - Ure of the New Testament , Cal-
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vinism will be found there ; on the contrary , to my conviction it has been proved again and again , that no such system can be drawn from the sacred writings , without the most gross and palpable misconstruction of their meaning . J . M .
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Mr . B- Flower in Reply to " Candidas , " on Treatment of 4 l Infidels" 299
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Sir , Hackney , May 6 , 1815 . IF your correspondent , Can did us whose letter appears in your last Number , ( p . 220 ) had duly reflected
on the obvious import of his signature , he would not so carelessly have misrepresented my sentiments , nor charged me with holding opinians which I abhor as much , at least , as himself .
Your correspondent has , by way of motto , given us a quotation , which , excellent as it is , has nothing to do with the subject of controversy . The author of the Plea for Unitarian
Dissenters , was recommending the exercise of a charitable judgment amongst the different sects of professing Christians , and cautioning them against the use of names which they all disavowed , and which tended to
misrepresent , and to render odious , those who were sincere inquirers after truth , and firm believers in Christianity . Now , Sir , permit me to ask—Wh y was this quotation brought forward ,
unless to confuse the subject , and to confound the distinction between light and darkness , truth and falsehood , Christianity and infidelity ? In my defence of Christians against unbelievers , I made use of neither of the
" hard words , heretic , schismatic , or blasphemer . " I did indeed frequently use the word " Infidel , " and I should have thought no one could possibly have mistaken its very plain meaning , or have doubted that it described the
man who denied the divide mission of Jesus Christ , and considered him as a fanatic or an impostor . When your correspondent therefore talks about " Dissenters being infidels to the Church of England , Protestants being infidels to the Pope , and Christians inlidels to Mahomet , ' * he only shews how convenient it is for some
writers , by trifling instead of arguing , to mislead the mind of the reader . But it seems I have used the word infidel " invidiously ; " and I frankly confess , that if by the term * invidious * " be meant reprobation , I have no
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), May 2, 1815, page 299, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1760/page/35/
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