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of the Jews 5 but the PharLsees by theif * traditions made the latter of no effect , and Protestants by a lazy acquiescence in the traditions of . Luther and-Calvin , and similar unauthorised frames of doctrines , have set op a rule of faith ,
contrary to that of the scriptures . To the scriptures then let every man turn ; and let his faith be guided by what he finds there , not by prescribed rules or articles of faith fr 6 m any human authority . The pope has recourse now to prayers . He does riot speak in thunder . The same feature ' s of deceit are visinle
in his fallen as in his prosperous state . He pretends now to cill himself the minister of peace , and he still asserts that he held the place of God upon earth . Impious assertion ! whence did he derive his power , htft from the worst
of arts : and if he held the place of God , his God must have been a beinglike the Moloch of the ancients , net the God of peace , the God of our Saviour Christ . The manifesto of this pretended holiness denominates him the head of
religion—the universaL paster—the comhion father of all the faithful—the representative of God—the vicar of Christ . It rirote ts in the strongest terms against the usurpation of his states , declares it
to be unjust , void , null , and of no effect , reasons with the French emperor on the gift of the patrimony of the church , and at last submits the whole -with a spiiit of patience and resignation to the decrees of Providence . Such is
the state ^ of this once so much dreaded and awful power . Whatever else we may think of the iVench Revolution , it has had the good effect of lowering the papal see , and we could almost flutter
© ur ^ elves , that the time is coming for its destruction . We fear however , that it will revive ; and that the body of cardinals will not be kept separate from each other , so as to prevent the election of another father of delusion and lies .
Another paper on the same day has set forth in strong , though we fear too true colours , the badness of the temporal government of the Pope , so that no lover of liberty can lament its destruction . No less than two thousand
assassinations were committed annually during the reign of the last pope , and these were seldom punished , because the pardons brought in a revenue to his val $ t fie chambre . And how deficient the pope ' s temporal government must be in $ } ie ordinary affairs of life , must be evi-
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dent from a tax being laid nof upon £ rfe land , but on its produce : so that the head of the church is the great corn * factor , raising of falling the price of corri at his own pleasure . The politician wilt therefore rejoice at the destruction of his temporal and the Christian at the
total annihilation of his spiritual power . But is the influence of superstition likely soon * to come to an end ? A great commotion has taken place in Spain- — -its inhabitants are in arms to fight in defence o £ their liberty and independence :
but has religious liberty gained ground amongst them ? or are their minds suf- » ficiently enlightened to receive the pure truths of the gospel ? What shall we think of them , when the manifestos oi their juntas and the letters of their
generals are full of impious allusions ; and the glory of their successes is at r tributed to the vile abominations , winch are the objects of their ridiculous and childish worship ? We may judge into what a state of degradation the nation
must be fallen , when every member of the junta of one province is obliged to subscribe to the belief of an absurdity , which however long it may have been established , ought at this period to b&
regarded with contempt . We have seen indeed in our own country , that an aged clergyman has been treated with the utmost severity for declaring his belief , that Mary , the mother of Jesus , produce ed him to the world in lawful and
honourable wedlock , like other women . The Bishops of London and Lincoln , and Sir William Sc ^ ott , joined in this act ; but not one of the three combated the able arguments , which the venerable ^ pastor produced ! and , though the clergyman is punished' , the nation is at Ii »
berty to believe as it pleases , and to tako the side of the two bishops and the knight , or that of the single clergyman ? they may do more , they may weigh the arguments which that clergyman ad * vanced , and according to their validity establish their faith .
Not so in Spain . The conception of Jesus must be spoken of in a very dif * ferent manner . The Spaniards would not be content with the declarations o £ the bishops of London an 4 Lincoln , and Sir William Scott , but would deprive them of their posts , and confine them in an Inquisition for a declaration of their faith . Mr . Stone asserts , that Jesus was born in the common way of generation : for this the bishops of I » on ^
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512 State of TUblic Affairs .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Sept. 2, 1808, page 512, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2396/page/56/
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