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and say tliat there is no . good man who would not be a proselytist if lie could ; and that , so far is it from being * a fact that truth , has generally made its way without the aid of human exertion , I scarcely know of a single important instance where its success has been obtained without the
expense of great labour , persevering * exertion , and numerous and costly sacrifices . As to religion , what should we have been without the proselytizing- spirit of the Reformers ? As to civil liberty , what should we have been if our forefathers had renounced all desire of proselytism ? Milton and Locke , Price and Priestley , Howard and Clarkson , in every age they , whose thoughts and deeds and hopes were high above ordinary mortality , have been all proselytists ; indeed we have had vehement proselytists against proselytism . Let us not be scared from the pursuit of what
is good , hecause it may have been exhibited in an offensive garb , and been called by an ug'ly name . Any spirit when it acts only for mere party purposes , for mere selfish ends , is an evil spirit , and ought to he exorcised : but the spirit which prompts si man to communicate the good lie enjoys , or thinks that he enjoys , to those who have it not , is a blessed spirit ; and far from us
be the wish that tins spirit should ever be driven from the heart of man ! It may indeed be perverted , it may be abused , it may display itself foolishly and may act unjustly . Correct it then , guide it , controui it , enlighten it ; hut do not destroy it . It you would , then go and destroy every thing that'is perverted and abused , and where and what should we be ? " Pp .
19—21 . This subject is continued , and an objection is well met and repelled : /¦ iC Here perhaps a word may be interposed to this intent . When you say that you possess important religious truth , and are desirous of communicatino' the
knowledge of it to others , may you not be mistaken ? Certainly : and that is a reason why I should act under a sense of my fallibility , and avoid all uncharitableness and harsh judgement : but it is no reason , why I should refrain from all active exertion , and do nothing for that which in my conscience F believe to be true . The free
communication of thought is necessary to the discovery of truth , and equally necessary to its prevalence in the world are the union and cordial co-operation of its friends . Let a sincere and conscientious believer in
the Divine Unity and its kindred doctrines be asked for what he would be ready to sacrifice his principles , what price he would set upon them ? ask the question , my brethren , and learn wisdom from the answer . If then a man feels that the faith which . he has imbibed has any way contributed to render him wiser , better , or hap-
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pier * he is a selfish and sordid heino- < Jevoictof all generous sympathy , who ' would confine this blessing to himself . What is good to him maybe good to others . Why should it not ? If it may be , then it is his dutv as far as he can to see that it slxall \ z This I am sure is the dictate of true wisdom andhumanity . What would now have been the state of the civilized and of the Christian world , if the maxim had been
generally adopted , that because we may err in what we do , therefore we should da nothing ?—Wretched would have been our condition , and dark and despairing our prospects . I verily believe that a maxim more absurd and foolish and pernicious , ( pardon the expressions , hut I must call things by their right names : we have had enough of the other practice , ) a maxim more allied to all that is barbarous in
ignorance and cruel in oppression could not have been invented than this ; c Stand stilt , because you may be led into a wrong path . ' If I have betrayed any undue warmth , it has proceeded from my wish to put to eternal silence and confusion this
wretched apology for the want of that which is the greatest auxiliary to human happiness , and without which we can never enter properly equipped into the glorious combat of knowledge , truth and virtue , against ignorance , error and vice . Pp .
24—26 . The suitableness of Unitarianism as a moral system to the hearts of all and particularly to the poor , is insisted on with great force of argument and beauty of language . Mr . M . successfully contends that the best way of establishing truth is to explode error .
u They who are the strongest objectors to the plans of this Society are the loudest in their complaints respecting- the preralence of superstition and fanaticism : hut what means do they propose for weakening their power and narrowing their dominion Ridicule ? Feeble instrument , impotent weapon ! The inculcation of a sublime and
perfect morality ? But what has . this to do with false opinion ? To an impure system of morality ynu may fairly and logically oppose a pure one ; but it is the grossest violation of common sense to expect to he able to put down error without setting- up truth , or to think of arriving at the same termination after having set off m
opposite directions . To false doctrine oppose that which is true . When the foundation is of sand , look not to raise a strong and durable building-: but first take ajva > this sandy foundation , and supply its « plac ^ by one of rock , and then you may l * * noble and lofty structure against whicli 11 floods may beat and the winds may raffe
vain . i , " That I may not be misunde rstood
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44 £ Review * - *—Madges Sermon *
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1815, page 442, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1762/page/42/
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