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    think that as the Church of Jerusalem , Alexandria , Antfock and Rome have erred , so also the Church of England hath erred not only in their living and manner of ceremonies , but also in matters of faith ! And I take my

    leave pf the reader with freely expressing a general wish , that we may all of us ki our respective stations become more disposed to provoke one another unto love and g ° o& $ works , and less disposed to backbite and devour one

    another for our opinions , that Christianity may have its root in our hearts rather than in our heads—that it may shew forth its fruit in the purity and integrity of our lives , rather than in the vehemence and subtilty of our

    disputes ; in a word , that the time may at length come , when every individual in the Church and out of the Church , Trinitarian and Unitarian , may love his own heresy less than gospel c / ia « rity ! " J . EVANS .

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    a people disposed to lay aside the aniipostties of rival ^ ects and paxties ^ l ^ discard all selfish views and interests , and to unite in promoting the saicne pious and benevolent design if $ w little past experience justifies the ex ^ pectation , of such a , slate of &ijig& needs not be said . The only instance

    m the world bearing any resemblance to it , is in the New England States , of North America , where tithes are directed by law to be paid to some minister of religion , and it is left to the party who pays them to say to whom . This regulation appears to have been one of the original articles of the constitution of those colonies at

    their first settlement , and it is an example not at all likely to find imitators amid the complex interests of the old world . But Mr . Belsham , aware , perhaps , that his scheme is rather Utopian , proceeds to argue the question on the ground of experience . He maintains , that the interference of Government

    with the concerns of religion has , in fact , done more good than harm , notwithstanding various strong objections that may be urged against it ; and with his usual candour he has stated the principal of them very fairly * He has , however , an answer to all

    objections ; which is this—that the Christian religion owes its present existence in the world , under Providence , to the > roteetion of the civil power * Hence le argues , that as Christianity is God * a > est gift to man , and its preservation from age to . age an ample compensation for all the calamities to which it

    has incidentally : given rise , wq should be contented to take the evil with the good—the latter being greatly predominant . The proof of the foregoing position Mr . Belsham rests entirely on the circumstances which have resulted

    from the rise and progress of the Mahometan power . ** In the beginning of the 7 th century , ** says he , ** a mighty power arose , which in a veiy short time overwhelmed , and almost annihilated , the profession of Christianity in many of those regions where it once flourished the most ; so t&jit at

    this fay tjie Christiai > religion i |> th ^ se territories has either fi

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    A Dissenter ' s Remarks on Mr . Belsfoamts Tieree Sermons . 655

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    Liverpool , Sir , August 21 , 1820 . MR . BELSHAM ' s Three Sermons , entitled " Christianity Pleading for the Patronage of the Civil Power , but Protesting against the Aid

    of Penal Laws , " are , no doubt , eloquent and ingenious . Yet I think few , who are Dissenters upon principle , will be led by the perusal of them to agree with him as to the expediency of civil establishments of religion , or to desire the interference of

    Government further , than in protecting their persons and worship from insult and violence . For though there might be no great objection to an establishment so liberal and comprehensive as that which he has proposed , it is to little purpose to argue that such a scheme would be beneficial or desirable * unless

    there were some probability of reading U ; awl this no one , acquainted with human nature and the actual state of the world , will suppose to be the We , In considering this question it is not what might be done , but what is likely to be done , that ought to influence the decision The adoption of a scheme like th&t which Mr . Belsham , recomm ends pre-supposes a government ipajMy intent on promoting piety to God and good-will amongst . wen , m < $ >

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Nov. 2, 1820, page 655, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2494/page/27/