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REVIEW.
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Art . I . —Letters to the Editors of the Christian Observer , in Reply to their Observations on a Pamphlet , entitled , Qi A Few Putin Answers to the Question , Why do you receive the Testimony of Baron Sweden horg T' By the Rev . J . Clowes , M . A . Rector of St . John ' s Church , Manchester , and late Fellow of Trinity College ,, Cambrid ge * 8 vo . pp . 146 . Evans . 1806 .
The Church of England is truly c a cage of unclean birds . " There Is no heresy , however foul , but may be found in it . One of its beneficed clergy lately preached a sermon before a clerical assembly , which has since been published , to shew that a favourite portion of
its scriptures is a bungling forgery ; that the story of the miraculous conception is an obscene fable ; that the doctrine of the Trinity is an impious absurdity ; and that the notion of the atonement is a Pagan conceit . Another of them * the rector of a parish of
the second town in England , now comes forward to assert , that JEinanuel Swedenborg was a true prophet , and that , in rejecting him , the church called
Christian , ceases to be a Christian church , and must needs be corrupt and decayed in every vital principle of her constitution . " p . 123 . Yet this church has established no less than nine and thirty articles of belief , 4 t for the avoid
ing of diversifies of opinions , and for the stablisliing consent touching true religion 3 " and these
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gentlemen have sworn , in the presence of Almighty God , ' '• willingly and ex animo , " to u acknowledge all and every article to be agreeable to the word of God ;" and continue to receive annuall y
out of the revenues of the church , considerable salaries , under the character of honest believers ; and this too , as the Rector of St . John's , Manchester-, declares , to avoid the imputation and the evil of schism !
The writings of heterodox church-men , though disgusting in one point of view , as instances of barefaced dishonesty , are pleasing ( to us , at least ) in another ; for they must surely open men ' s eyes to see the true nature of national
churches , which , while they are grievous burdens upon their industry , and oppressive fetters on their consciences , fail , nevertheless , of answering the onl y end for which their institution can be
justified , that is , the securing of uniformity of faith . It will not be pretended by any man ac ~ quaiuted with ecclesiastical history , that a territorial and poli-
Review.
REVIEW .
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" still pleas e d to praise , yet not afraid to blame . " Pope
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), May 2, 1807, page 262, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2380/page/38/
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