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tkal church is necessary to the preservation of religion . Christianity subsisted , it is undeniable , in the greatest purity , and operated with the greatest vigour , for
three hundred years , not only without , but in spite of , the power of the state . An English prelate has acknowledged , that , for the support of vital religion in the profligate reign of Charles II . this country was indebted to the nonconformists . And there is no
where a greater profession of religion than in the United States of America , where an established church is the onl y- kind of church which is not tolerated .
I he English church has in fact become an asylum for heretics . The avowal of unsound opinion ' s is dangerous only out of it . Dissenters of every description are obnoxious to disqualifying
penalties , though a great part of them scarcely dissent from its doctrines ; but no inconvenience attaches to such as profess , and preach , and publish the tenets of
Swedenborg or Priestley , provided they have bound themselves by oaths to defend it ; nay , they may rise to its highest dignities , and fatten on its richest benefices .
The introduction of a bill into Parliament for enabling Catholic and other dissenters to serve their country in this critical period , in a military capacity , throws the government into confusion : but
no danger is apprehended from our ecclesiastical ranks being filled with persoiis ' who are dissenters in every thing but the honesty of avowing their dissent .
Scrupulosity ! exclaims Mr . Clowes . The Articles of the Church of England are a dead
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letter . Nobody now-a-days thinks of believing them . a If your rule of scrupulous conscience was to be generally applied , and all the bishops and clergy were compeled to submit to its au thority , the church would soon be left
destitute of her ministers , since it is my firm belief , that there i * scarcely a single clergyman in the united kingdom , xvho is in all respects perfectl y satisfied as to the exact rectitude of the doctrine , the dis - cipline and worship of the church in which he ministers ?* p . 80 .
It has always appeared to us , that , to become a consistent mi * nister of a church whose faith is rigorously denned by articles and statutes , a man must surrender up the right of religious inquiry , and the very notion of conscience .
And we have an example in our eye which we recommend to the notice of all such as are disposed to become candidates for ecclesiastical bondage . The Polish historians tell us , that after the death of King Stephen Barratori , 1586 , there came ambassadors from the
Cham of Tartary , who was a candidate for the crown . They had instructions to represent to the Diet , that the Cham was a prince of great power who could raise 300 , 0 C 0 horse , whom , if they would chusc for king , he would
employ either in defence of Poland , or to conquer the neighbouring nations , and enlarge its dominions . As to his personal qualities ., he was temperate and s ;> bex , caring for no delicacy , in his eating , and satisfying his hunger with horse-flesh only . That bailiff informed there were differences among them about religion , he gave them assurances
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Clowes Letters . 263
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), May 2, 1807, page 263, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2380/page/39/
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