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gospel , and attacking with carnal W £ a fons their deluded brethren , have had the mortification of seeing , that they clung still more closely to their errors . A different conduct would have long ago made a material change . If the protestants , instead of persecuting their
catholic brethren in Ireland , and provoking them to madness , had held out to them the right hand of fellowship , had shewn -uv their $ pwn conduct the good fruits of religion , had made the scriptures their guide , and appealed tq them alone , Ireland at this time , would not see popery the predominant religion , but 'would have renounced falsehood for
truth . But do protestants differ so much from papists , that any one reflecting man should think it a matter of importance , to which sect he belongs ? If one side says " Our pope is infallible ; ' * if the other side says A teacher , who teaches
aught against our articles dr creeds or confessions shall be published ;* " there roust be a very great difference indeed in the opinions taught by these parties , lor a person to give credit to either . Christ ' s yoke is easy and his burden is light ; but the chains and fetters of
these traditional and unscriptural Christians are galling , and not to be borne , however gilded over by fashion and popular opinion . The petition ot the Irish catholics for liberty of conscience has been rejected : but the debate upon it has ddne-great good * The enemies to liberty of
conscience and freedom of religion , have been completely driven out of the field of argument . Kevcr were more miserable subterfuges heard . The advocates for religious toleration carried every thing before them , as far as argument
and eloquence could avail in both houses : but numbers preyailect . On counting votes they were tin a minority . Yet every friend to religion must rejoice , that even among ike bishops one voice was heard in favour of true Christian
principles . The bishop of Norwich ha « done himself immortal honour . His speech has been read with general approbation all over the united kingdom . IJEe stood upon the true ground of
Christian charity and love , that the friends of true religion must be friends to religious liberty , and that it was to betray the ca * use of truth , to suppose that any exil could arise by extei . iing liberty of conscience to all . Great will be the effect of tfois speech . every wjiere , du £
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particularly in his own diocese , where he is generally beloved * and wbich he kept totally free \ from utc yell of *• No popery /* when it Was lately raised for such base and sinister purposes . The discussion , we-say , has-done good , but it will not be seen for ^ spme time . The question was tafen up on a very
narrow grourid , the relief of the catholics in Ireland : but are they the only persons , whose case calls otrt for relief ? An enlightened statesman , who ' is also a venerable presbyter of the church of England * * haHfeen the question hi its true light , and with a truly patriotic and at the same time a truly Christian spirit , he wishes to see our code of laws freed
entirely # f $ pm all the intolerant statutes with whicfi it is disgraced . / Jie has since our last , published an excellent pamphlet , in which he recommends <« a more extebded discussion * m favour of liberty of conscience , ** and ? lie -wishes it to be carried on with that temperance
and moderation , that air men may sec , the expediency and propriety of the measure . He has begun this measure in concert with several gentlemen and clergymen of the cfturch of England , only one dissenter having been permitted to sign the paper . He jtfrstly considers , «« that on this principle alone .
can protestants mstify- their * separation from the church of Rome ; on this alone can Christianity accomplish the gracious purpose of its divine author , can become the religion of the "world , and the source of continual improvement in virtue and happiness to all mankind . '* The true Christian views these
efforts with pleasure ; lie rejoice ! to see the attempts made by men to disentangle themselves from error . The grand point however is to teach men to be Christians , that is , to acknowledge Christ as their lord ; and he who be » - lkves this true doctrine , must hold up his hand against every infringement of the right of conscience .
What is it indeed that the church of E ** g land » . man and jthe papist are con-r tending about ? Why should they slight each other so much I Are they not bot ^ equally intolerant ? and do they not in the same cr ^ ecUhold out to eternal perdition those of a different faith ? ^ Noi >?
says the church of England-man boldly , * ' No ! I do not believe so . " " Look at the Athanasian creed , we say , * ' * Wlrfcfr is ordered to be said or sung in ypur churches * . ' * " But 1 never read it / ' hfc
re-? Mr , WyvilU
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340 State of Public Affairs .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), June 2, 1808, page 340, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2393/page/48/
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