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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Untitled Article
nialide airf Ms ragti , and , in tfte end , if feff to lieir tf Wn &iergie £ Will be cdm-Jle ^ fy > ictd n 6 \ & / I OMroi , fife . Editor , I wish to enfconragfc iii fliY&elf and iff others jAl beco ^ Aiftii ^ ^ Onfidciiice in the powcj ^^ bf tnith bttt , " like its eternal Author , it iv < tfkfc thrtfbgfe a lbng course of ^ s ^ and ,-ial ^ otigh ifc the end it shfcft sut >^ 4 e ^^ y ttStig to itself , what , fai the meanti ^ xife , is to become of those who are rendered deaf to its voice and
blind to its attractions ? Are they to be left to be nuisances in this world , and to perish in the next ? As the magistrate ' s power does not extend to tfhe next world , so neither do his rights ; but I think he would be
wanting to his duty , if he did not , in his own jurisdiction , exert himself to the utmost in preventing the mischiefs which an ignorant and licentious contempt of religion , publicly avowed and gloried in , cannot fail to bring on a
community . 4 . Intelligent and well educated persons in the higher ranks of life have , for the most part , habits of thinking and acting sufficiently secular : any successful attempt , therefore , to identify our holy religion with its corruptions , cannot fail to have a very unfavourable
effect On persons of this description ; but it does little with the lower and less instructed classes , on whom the influence of authority and prejudice arid long usage is almost irresistible . I hfcve ; great pleasure in entirely concurring with Mr . Belsham in the percurnng with lvrr . Joeisnam in me
persuasion that the corruptions of Christianity have been a manifest and lamentable cause of infidelity among the higher- ranks : I conceive also that the prediction ' Sir Isaac Newton so often referredyto was founded in reason arid will be verified iri fact . ' To allow
free scope , therefore , to fair and decdttt argument , is , £ h itiy apprehension , the duty of the magistrate ; but I cannot infer froida' ^ Ms that it is right for him id give even negative enc-ourageiftent to sfcnsefeafc , 3 < hm $ ldijs infidewil
lityha the ho ^ W tha * ^ hri ^ iaiiity l tilery be the aootfer irefetoired # to its oritinaV ptiiftjr ; Tfcfe ra ( 6 ^ t ; i % orous exSminatibii of * ft $ ^ mffici& ' i m& the Wofit liberal discusfeioti of it 8 ^ octrihC 8 , cdh ^ ucted on proper ptf ^ ipleB ; mu « t KlSi ^^^^
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understaiidfng J , imprbvei < no mafa ^ he ^ rt - thiy dife : 1 ^ & : ^ : &M ff | f ^ lowest selfishness , and ; theyconduct their victim ^ to ^ t ^ d hM ^ ^ Tlie proseciitibn aMpenalty tvhich several yearB &n £ e % ' ibtotiksmls ^ istetained for setting ^ unfe ^ J ^^ B ^ . son , are thou ^ lrt to 'Eavie ; CT ^ atly } tfe&
sened th 6 ciricuJaticm W * && $ WAj& book among' si ' class of 'tj&aQjk& iiot likely to ihqttire foi * even a cheap copy of Bishop Watsoh ' s reply to it ; * Very lately , a needy publisher , encotiraired
by the political circumstances of the times , and by the supposed increase of ts a liberal miridrity /* thought it jvould answer his purpose to revive this expiring reptile of unbelief . If his trial and condemnation have really advanced the sale of the work , we must either
regard the prosecution ^ as unwise , or lament that more care was not taken to stop the secondary mischief . I ap- < prehend that most of the infidel writings so widely circulated and so generally read in trance about the middle
of the last century , were printed at a distance . The occasional burning of $ copy gave the rest a quicker and mprtf extensive sale . Whether the royal privilege would have been granted to air attack on Christianity , and refused to a defence of it written on Protestant
principles , I have no means of knowing . I believe it is certain that the unfortunate Louis XVI . was disposed to favour the Protestants , and to connive at their meetings for religious worship . I cannot have the satisfaction of
thinking with Mr . Belsham , that " none but readers of the worst character" can be affected by writings of the description now under discussion . On such readers they are likely to have toe unfortunate effect , that of precluding all chance of repentance ; but on intex *
perienced , half-educated youpg m en * hurried aloiiff bjr the impulse * of the passions , ' their influence must b ^ generally anfl fatally peniieiou ^ * In thfe view df th 0 subject the iikte ^ bdsitioh of the ifraglstjr&te seem& Kjirdtyiess ^
tlisite than m jtfeventihg < t $ & pmpp of youth by thfe abaitem # i \ t of olber demoralizing nuisances . $ &m m ^ one doubt that the -astpittv ^ el- ^ fbiiffr ftiJ&SBBrtfip *' of CtiHsiMiity jt ^ fll ^ lpM ^^ pamm w ^^^ mf ^ SB . dxcepteii ^ - ^^ ^ S ^ PP ^ reW
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S 3 S Ok the Right 4 f 4 % e Mag-titrate to punU / i tXn&etti&etfsl
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Sept. 2, 1820, page 538, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2492/page/38/
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