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Presbyterians , that declaim most loudly against the usurpations of Popery , who call upoa the Catholics to lead their Bibles , to despise their priests , and to
extricate themselves from the trammels of their church ; haw dare they , in the face of common shame aud common consistency , to turn upon their brethren , and to attempt to place " the yoke of bondage" upon their necks ! When I witness such an attempt , I blush for the weakness or the wickedness of man ; but T will neither be a partaker in the shame
nor in the crime . So truly do I detest all human interference in matters of conscience , and so awful have been its effects in the world , that were you this moment to lay before me a human creed , every word of which I believed , I would not subscribe- it , lest 1 should thereby sanction the interference of man with the sole prerogative of the Redeemer .
Indeed , what are all such attempts , but a manifestation of the impious vanity of man , pretending " to be wise above what is written , " and to reveal the will of God more clearly than it has been revealed by the spirit of truth . Sir , I will subscribe no creed but the Bible ; I will account
for my views of it to no human tribunal but my congregation ; and when this world and Us evil passions shall have passed away , I pray to Him " who alone can fceep me from falling , " that £ may not be altogether unprepared to answer for my faith to the great Head of the Church .
I admit that this body has the potcer to pass any declaration which it pleases , atid to demand any submission of its members which it pleases ; but I deny that it has any Scripture warrant for doing 80 . And if , Moderator , you should persevere , what will be the consequeuce ? You may make hypocrites of the weak , and the crafty , and the worldly ; you
may make martyrs of the firm , the upright , and the sincere ; but every child who hears me must know , that you cannot change the conviction of a single mind or alter the feeling of a single heart . Suppose you pass your declaration , and I refuse my assent or signature , which as an honest man I must refuse , you will probably say unto me ,
"We can no longer give you the right hand of fellowship ; " but , if I subscribe your creed , though you know I do not believe it , then you will receive me as a brother in the Lord . How revolting then is this project to every virtuous feeling of the human heart ! You will spurn the hand which is pure as the mountain snow , whilst you clasp , with
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the grasp of friendship , that which is black with the stains of perjury ? Woe be unto the Presbyterian church , If ever that day shall come in which falsehood aud dissimulation shall be bonds of union , whilst truth and sincerity shall be cast out of her counsels I And for what is all this tyranny to be exercised , this disgrace to be incurred , this wound to be inflicted on religion ? Why , that we may not be liable to the accusation of having a " diversity of opinions amongst us" ! That is to say , we do differ and we know that we shall
continue to differ , but we will hold out false colours to the world , we will cast dust into the eyes of the multitude , and try to make them , believe that " there is peace , when there is no peace , " This may seem very fair in the eyes of some , but to me it appears to be rank Jesuitism and hypocrisy . Yet this alone can be the " unity" for which many are such strenuous advocates . I do not think so
meanly of their understandings as to believe that they aim at any other kind of uniformity . Uniformity of Faith ! Oh , that such a phrase had never been heard by the cars of man , that such a vain idea bad never flitted across his imagination ! What dungeons has it crowded ! \ Vhat tortures has it inflicted ! what oceans of innocent blood has it shed ! what teats of widows and of orphans has it caused to ascend in sad memorial before
Heaven I Leaving its mightier horrors , what havoc of integrity has it produced in the ordinary walks of life ! what lips has it sealed against the utterance of truth or opened to the utterance of falsehood ! what private and political oppressions has it sanctioned 1 what barriers has it opposed to the progress of religion and the emancipation of a world !
Uniformity of Faith ! Why two of us can scarcely agree respecting the most ordinary occurrence of life . On the subjects of literature and philosophy , manufactures and commerce , government and laws , there is an endless diversity of opinions . And can we , then , possibly expect to be exactly of one mind on " the high and deep things pertaining' to
salvation" ? So long as human nature is constituted as it fc , varying in dispositions and talents , subject to all the influences of education , society , and interest , a vast diversity of relfefoira ffetiets must necessarily prevail . ' $ othing less than the immediate irit ^ bsiwiwi of Heaven could prodttce perfect tmiformlty . And when we consider that such' Uniformity never has been attain ^ it would lie a libel on the Deity to snpposr that it is
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Inidlig'mde . S ^^ ^ nod Ulster . 775
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Oct. 2, 1827, page 775, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1801/page/63/
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