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Untitled Article
they have taken possession of the papal dominions . Tbe pope is ^ not * -however , dethroned ; nor rs it certain that his temporal pow « r will be taken from him . It is evident , however , that his existence ,
or the mode of Iiis existence , depends entirely on the wjjl of the sovereign of the , French . We can hardly flatter oursejves with the hopes , that tbe tipie is come , when the Christian may sing the triumphant song in the Revelations . Jvluch remains to be done before that
glorious event can take place . Yet this act of the French portends some change in'the papal dominionr , a farther weakening of the temporal power of the pope , and-with it a still greater diminution of his spiritual influence . Should it be to reduce them to the same state under the
French empe ^ 0 r , that the archbishop of Canterbury is in , under the legislature ~ of . England , it will be a great advantage to humanity ; and we shall hope , that , ¦ with the fall of the spiritual power of this old usurper , the juggle of
saintworship , and the mummery of the wafergod > and the cheat of confession , and the other shocking profanations of the ChTistian re igion , will be abolished , and the sole worship of the God and Father of Jesus Christ be established over the whole earth .
This destruction of the papal power , and the restoration of religious liberty are objects of far greater consequence fhan the generality of people apprehend them to be . The degraded state of J » Vance , Spain , Italy , and a very great
part of Germany , was a grcat detriment to hurhanity . France has in a great degree freed itself from the oppres s ive yoke . JShe still retains her papal archbishops &nd bishops atid priests : but their influence is feeble , and the true word of Cod has currency in that realm . An
opening is made for scriptural worship and scriptural truth , and a Protestant minister may not only appear in public , but receive marks of public honour . What a glorious change is this from the state hi which that kingdom was when Protestant ministers hid themselves in
holes and caverns ; when they and their hearers" were subjected to fines and imprisonments , to . scourgings , to the galleys , to the racks ! Protestants do ~ - wot think enough of this change ; npr tfan they tell what future good it may produc& : f B « t Spain and Portugal were still under the yoke of intolerance . ' The Vurmies of France have taken complete
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possession of Portugal , and they are said to be . in such fqr ^ e hi Sp ^ in , that whjiu ever has been determined with respect to that kingdom in the cabinet of France will probably be accomplished without difficulty . Our accounts from Portugal are very imperfect , yet from them we learn jthat the people have made little or no efforts to resist the invaders Indeed what
motive could . . they . possibly have to risk their lives and fortunes in the conflict ? The effect of the invasion was almost evident , and if the sovereign- and the court are gone , if a few of the landed proprietors are removed , yet still the
great bulk of the people remains , and of that bulk , after all , a nation consists . They will and may inquire , wjiat pains those who have quitted the country took to improve their native soil , to facilitate the true intercourse between man and
man , to raise the human mind , by degrees , to those truths . of which it . is capable . If , © n inquiry , it should appear that the court was bigoted * that the popi-h religion in all its horrors was established on a permanent footing , if
no one dared utter sentiments in opposition to the established faith , if the people living in a happy soil and fine climate , were brutalized beyond smy other in Europe , then the arrival of a new set of men in the country can
hardly do it more injury than those who have quitted it . Those who are come will , doubtless be repaid for their trouble , and they will exact a certain portion of
the wealth of the country . It does hot appear that their march has been attended with cruelty , nor are they described in siicb colours as the English are by the inhabitants of Buenos-Ayres , Lima , and Peru . Nebuchadnezzar
formerly served a hard service , we arc told , and Egypt ; was the reward of his labours . Portugal seems to be a boott to the new conqueror , and the wealth of its churches and monasteries ha * been seized , and the lands of the patriarchy archbishops , and bishops , a very great proportion of the country , have -been very highly assessed towards the paynient and , clothing of the invading armies .
Thus , in Portugal , that all-devourfog influence of an intolerant' churcli $ weakened and brought low / jNoitfnjJp can the priest convey to the lti $ fiititify !> the humble iriquirer who reads 8 » . bible : Religious liberty itf altfswty to » degree established , and the Jiuti ^ 'n *** *
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1 GO State of Public Jffairs .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), March 2, 1808, page 160, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2390/page/40/
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