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And do you really think that every man who subscribes is guilty of peijury , but the veiy few who understand them literally ? Perjury , perhaps , is too harsh a term ; subscribing that a thing is true , being very different from
swearing to the truth of it . " But you , at least , think us guilty of gross prevarication ; and here remains the difficulty , whether you think the possession of the comforts , and , what some think , the honours of life .
worth such a prevarication or no . This , my dearWakefield , you only can determine . Fecerunt alii et tnulti , et bonL But I own authority is a very bad argument against conscience ; if it was not , I would mention , in particular , your fellow-collegian , Jortin , between whose character and yours
there is , in many respects , a great resemblance . He professes himself a doubter about the Trinity . He had a mind far above worldly views ; yet whether from a desire to be useful in his profession , or any other good ( it certainly was some good ) motive , he subscribed repeatedly , both before and after this profession .
" I do not see why we need scrupulously inquire in what sense the Articles were originally , or are now imposed : if I can make the declaration that I believe them to be true , ( take the word truth as you please , ) I have done enough . This , you will say , is very relaxed morality : but there is
something very like it in St . Paul , when ( though eating of meat offered before to idols is forbidden by all the apostles as a great sin ) he tells his scrupulous converts , whatever they think of the matter , to ask no questions , and that then they may eat with a safe conscience .
" I fear I shock vou ; and I told you at the beginning of this letter , I should only expose myself . I repeat , therefore again , that it is the concern of your own heart . If you cannot persuade yourself to the attempt , God forbid that I should persuade you . As
an honest man you will then make the sacrifice required of those who cannot subscribe , ( and a great onq , indeed , it is , ) and as an honest man you will be rewarded for it . Blessed are ye , when ye suffer for righteousness ? sake . With respect to my esteem , and to my interest , they are always at your ser-
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vice ; I only wi 3 h for opportunities to assist you . ' * ( Mem . I . 377 *—38 a ) These passaged afford no unfair specimen of the manner in which the Powells and Paleys of the Church of England have encouraged the candidates for her honours and emoluments , though otherwise conscientious , to prevaricate in the most solemn
transactions . Mr , Wakefield , in his letter , dated Richmond , Oct . 2 , 1778 , thus replies : " I give my judgment on Powells ' Sermon with much diffidence , it is so
long since I read it , and I have it not by me : all I can recollect of the matter is , that his argument appeared to me then by no means satisfactory ; rather calculated to evade than
determine the debate . However , if at the best every inan subscribe in a different and indecisive sense , there is in my opinion no alternative ; let such articles be abolished ; that subscription is an absurdity and a snare : and , if it exclude any from the Church , will exclude only the deserving . € t
As far as I am able to discern , the unequivocal language of Scripture gives us reason to expect a much more flourishing and extensive reign of Christ than we now see : and if they who are of full age refuse to act
conformably to their superior knowledge , in leaving the first principles of the doctrines of Christy and going on unto perfection , they counteract the designs of God , who raised them up as lights in their generation , and obstruct the furtherance of the universal kingdom of his Son .
" The apostle says , If any man say unto you , This is offered in sacrifice unto tdoli , eat not , i . e . If any man inform you ( or if you think ) that these articles are partly irrational and partly antichristian , subscribe not . Besides ,
had I opportunity I think it might be shewn , that the cases are not parallel ; at least , according to my apprehension , the same argument would have holden good against a renunciation of the errors of the Church of Rome / ' ( Ibid .
381—383 . ) It is not surprising that Dr . Bennet , with talents and a character highly respectable , should have had his reward . He resolved , like Sir Thomas Browne , ( ReL Med . 8 . vi ., ) 4 t in divinity to keep the road and , follow the great wheel erf
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The late Bishop Bennet and Mr . Wakefield . 513
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Sept. 2, 1820, page 513, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2492/page/13/
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