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the minds of men against one another , incite each mnu to divine the private opinions of ijis neighbour , to deduce mischievous consequences from them and thence to prove that he ought to incur disabilities and be fettered with
restrictions . This , if true with respect to political , was more peculiarly so with regard to religious opinions ; and from the mischievous principle which he had described flowed every species of party zeal , every system of political intolerance , every extravagance of religious hate .
20 . Character of the Church of England , ( May 8 , 17890 The noble Lord had praised the moderation of the church . To this , however , there were some exceptions . In the reign of Charles tbe Second , her fortitude had been greater than
her moderation ; in that of James the Second , her servility had been greater than either ^ under King William , and still more under Queen Mary , * so little had the clergy been distinguished for moderation , that they frequently disturbed the nation bv their affected
alarms for the safety of the church ; and he never apprehended persecution to be so near , as when those who were actually possessed of power cried out , that they were in danger : thus justifying the truth of the wellknown remark , " Omnia formidant
formidanturque tyranni . " Since the accession of the House of Brunswick , that auspicious sera in the history of the constitution , the church had merited every praise , because it had not been indulged in either its whims or
its imaginary apprehensions . Since that time , it had flourished and improved ; but how ? By toleration and moderate behaviour . And how had these been produced ? By the members of the Established Church
being- forced to hear the arguments of the Dissenters : by their being obliged to oppose argument to argument , instead of imposing silence by the strong hand of power ; by that modest confidence in the truth of their own
tenets , and charity for those of others , which the collision of opinions in open and liberal discussion among men living under the same government , and equally protected by it , never failed to produce . Moderation , there-* Qu . Queen d * nt ?
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fore , and indulgence to other sects were equally conducive to the lumpinesh of mankind , and the s ? ifi * tv of the church ; and for that moderation find liberality of sentiment by which
the Church had flourished durin « - j- } two last reigns and the present , was she indebted to those very Dissenters from whom she thought herself in danger .
< 21 . Test Act . ( May 8 , 1789 . ) With regard to the Test Act , lie thought that the best argument which could be used in its favour was , that if it had but little good effect , it had also little bad . In his opinion , it was altogether inadequate to the end
which it had in view . The purport of it was to protect the Established Church by excluding from office every man who did not declare himself well-affected to that Church . But a professed enemy to the hierarchy might go to the communion table and
afterwards sa }^ , that in complying with a form enjoined by law , he had not changed his opinion , nor , as he conceived , incurred any religious obligation whatever . There were many men not of the Established Church , to whose services their countrv had
a claim . Ought any such man to be examined before he came into office , touching his private opinions ? Was it not sufficient that he did his duty as a good citizen ? Might he net say , without incurring any disability , " am not a friend to the Church of England , but I am a friend to the
constitution , and on religious subjects must be permitted to think and act as I please ?" Ought their country to be deprived of the benefit which she might derive from the talents of such men , and his Majesty prevented from
dispensing the favours of the crown , except to one description of his subjects ? But whom did the test exclude ? The irreligious man , the man of profligate principles , or the man of no principle at all ? Quite the contrary ; to such men the road to power was open ; the test excluded only the man of tender
conscience ; the man who thought religion so distinct from all temporal affairs , that he held it improper to profess any religious opinion whatever for the sake of a civil office . Was a tender conscience inconsistent wit " the character of an Jionest man ? ^ r
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< 3 Og Charles James Fox *
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Oct. 2, 1815, page 608, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1765/page/8/
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