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Untitled Article
I should , also , have been better pleased with this writer , if after speaking of the scriptures in the Biggest terms , and of the absolute necessity of acting from the
motive "" which they prescribe , as the oply one that will be accepted , *' Ke had not endeavoured to coax us , as it were , into the study of them , by assuring us , that if they do > nogood " they cati do no harm . Ideally , Sir , if I werfc not afraid
oTgivinga ludicrous turn to a grave siibject , I should' say , that this little artifice is not unlike that of the quack doctor , who assures us that his pills , besides beino the only specific for all disorders ,
have the remarkable quality of beifig so" perfectly innocent ^ that they may be taken without danger By an infant . One cannot help observing by the way , how widely this opinion diffefsf from that of the dpposersdf tBe Bfble Society , rriany of whom seem to regard the
scriptures as one of those powerful itterficines which m&y either kill df cHre ' and whicn , therefore , cfanriot be safely exhibited , except under the immediate directioii of those regular professors of the art of saving souls , the divinely Appointed clergy of the Established Churcli .
For my o \ fri part , I have no l ^ esitatioYi in saying , that if I had " tiief ii&noUr of Beihff acquainted ' with BV 1 would advise him not to lie " unreasdhal > ly alarmed by the denunciations of : 'A , but honestly ahtfriiarifulty to make that use of
htS understanding for which it was Bestowed on him by Kls benevolent Creator ; fla ^ nely , ( 6 exert it in the diligent acquisition of knowledge , wiiflfx a view to practice ; to make it tfie guide of his life , in his religious and moral conduct , as well as in his merely temporal con-
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cerns ; and in so doing ,, ttfava ^ l mself of ail the assistance Wffrcbt' 6 could derive from the wisdo ^ nS a ^ Vd experience of bthfefs , bdtli tiV conversation and by reading , Srtotilcl bfe cdnfeult me on his choice of books , I would not f $ RVtb refcdrn ^ riiend the cdllectioiy cklled the
srriptures to' his particular atten - tion , as containing , ( with dtber matter of inferior valuie , ) a most valuable treasure of theological , moral and political scietrce ; tart'I would not advisfe ht ' tft \ Vhdlly to submit his understanding lo airy book whatever : becaus ^ arH books ,
without exception , h ^ Vrffg' beferi written by men , wom £ n or children , are liable both to original error arid subsequent cfoTfuptiori j whereas the human rftrhd , Be ? ng the immediate offspring of God , is and must be superiorifi dignity aitd authority to any human
procTiictioti . $ ly principal object , h ^ dwev ^ f , in this iettet ; is to take soirife notice of the irri ^ orta ' rft as ^ ettibn ^ tff this writer , which are * cbhtiinfed ' in the following quotation . ' --- ' * ' Cotiscietice did ndt teatfii the ancfetttSr
that revenge Was a ' criirte '; it'Wttjtcl * riot have taught you so , unless your reason be strpnger a ^ rfd ' rrfote perfectthaB theirs , which yoil will scarcel y affirm it tfelfo It is trUe ydu do know and aticrio ^ fed ^
that rcrV 6 ftg 6 is' a ctira ^; bUt'A&W do you kWwit ? HirdTugh tho ^ very scrifi ture ^ whicH ydii yet think riot of' thfe first rriornerit . Hf n& othtt tfiedtis , through ^ tt 4 otter * tk& # ~ net , coiilli the dhcWery be tfitpdfrj
there id no olh&r tfibral or r $ lty $ tii $ code ukich holds the sdtobedoktrtftt . I was on tl ^ c point of cai tfrig these assertions etiitra&rditttfty } but t cortect irfy § ejf ; t ^ f « t fe > in reality , too cora ' mGnv ft i # * prevailing opinion , that the poor
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^ &S Mr * Sturchj oh the Dialogue on the Study of the Scriptur ^
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), May 2, 1813, page 298, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2428/page/14/
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