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policy * to the feelings and the wishes of every individual in a Christian state , if minist ^ s of the gospel of peace were liable to be dragged from the performance of their duties , duties of incalculable importance to human happiness , and to be forced into the abhorred and villainous trade of human
butchery i It is . sufficiently cruel and disgraceful to Christendom , that we , who ars not so much withdrawn from worldly affairs , nor so peculiarly devoted to the promotion of the dearest
interests of mankind , should be torn from our homes and useful occupations , to endure every species of hardship at the command of petty despots , to fool away our lives in furthering the mad schemes of wicked ambition , and
commit the heinous crime of murdering our fellow-creatures , who , unoffending and unoffended , are in like manner compelled to murder us for the gratification of incarnate devils sent upon earth to scourge mankind . Does consistency require the Christian
minister to participate in these horrible crimes , lest by availing himself of exemption from the tyrant ' s general conscription , he should appear to . admit the right of magisterial interference in matters of religion ? If , indeed , he is an advocate for war , I shall not trouble
myself with attempting to reconcile his inconsistencies . Again : the office of church-warden—by what ^ rule of policy can a Dissenting Minister , or any Dissenter , be called upon to
undertake the management of church revenues and regulations , except upon Mr . B . ' s principle , ( p . 36 , ) that the peace of the whole requires the minority to submit to the majority , and when tjxe majority dispenses with the service , whuat more can be said ? The
objection to serving the oflace of overseer of the poor is not so strong , yet the peculiar duties of ministers may , without any sacrifice , of principle , be urged , not so much in a religiou ^ as in a political point of yiew , j ^ n ^ if the question were .. tried . lij- it& pf 9 jper cxir terion , and ttie decision ipade ; by the
leijitumtfe sovereign pp ^ ye ? ip matters of policy ^ , the people—the vptps ) w *> uJ 4 be unanimpus , and ministers b ^ e q $ ~ eropted without endangering religious liberty , and . without exposing $ tie present Dissenter to the charge of iac 0 n sistency .
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Mr , B . theft | nxice ^^ to , consider and answer ^ m ^ m tfce , o ^ tio ^ which may be ma ^ dta tQ hi § plaia of patronage- * \ r . To the first , his ^ ep ly ( p . 35 ) is merely , that he sees Aft 9 bji ec ;^ p to public encouragement pj | % j ^ l * g ion so excellent . Who does ? L ^ t the
magistrate respect virtue , a $ ^ l . einploy ability without regard to speculative opinions ; let him not , in the spirit of exclusive bigotry , deprive his country of the assistance of its most valuable citizens , merely ' because by daring tto t hink for themselves they differ from the herd ; let him not behead a More , burn a Ridley or Latimer , or banish
from Court a Feneloh ; let him not promote the time-serving renegade or the canting slave to the highest offices in Church arid State ; let Mm not scare away blushing modesty and insulted religion by converting the palace
into a seraglio ; let him discountenance and disgrace the bad , whilst he patronizes and honours the good ; let him stand forth a conspicuous example of the true Christian . It is enough ; Christianity asks not , she dreads , she
deprecates , any other patronage . To the second he replies , ( p . 36 , ) that if , it be the sense of the majority that there should be a favoured Establishment , the minority must yield , in order to maintain peace and good government * Yes , and when the majority
determine uppn going to war or any other iniquity . But are the minority to approve , as well as obey ? Does it not rather become an imperative duty on every dissentient individual to exert himself in propagating more enlightened notions , and endeavouring to
convert the majority ? And ought not Mr . B now to befound labouring with the minority ? ^ To ; $ *; third > rejpMf * , ( p 37 , ) that , thej-e are many truths . which do not excite attention , prQjjprtional to ttypv importance , m 4 , » f e * j therefore , t 0 ; i . OSPW ^ f : PV * | W ^ ^ ^ W ^ ^^ ffl ^ ffi ^ 5 feft , fl J * m -ftflind . to u ^ ere ^ tipg ? £ w > vpim&w wto * &mymj > , « w » ^ tV ^ ik ^ m ^^^ apathx ahd negje ^ t ui ( the ^ ulttitude ? What , « fp th ^ MiAM ^ If- ' the age o ^^ miracl ^ , $ tM rwved
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458 Remarks on Mr . Beteham \* Three Sermons .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Aug. 2, 1820, page 458, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2491/page/14/
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