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the fabric of elevated reason . Persecu - tion and cruelty alone can retard the progress of the holy faith . Christianity is a xock of imperishable strength and durability , against which the surges of unbelief may dash and foam , but the rock is destined to be coeval with time , and remains unmoved and immoviable . " —P . 365 .
We quote these passages , because &he writer not only avows himself a Christian , but also expresses great anxiety for the prevalence of rational Christianity . In the following remark , he strikes at a palpable inconsistency in the sentiments and conduct of some of otir zealous religionists : " It is worthy of attention that the reason which some very patrons of missions assign for punishing Unbelievers , for the dispersion of their tracts , is an argument against their own missionary system . They complain that the minds of the poor are unprepared to investigate . Are not the uncivilized Heathens much more so ?"—P . 47 .
We say , with this author , lc It is extraordinary that many Christians bend at the mention of Christ ' s name , but not when terms to express the great Goo are used /'—P . 50 . The author exposes the hypocrisy of some of the advocates of national religious estahlishmerits : " The excuse often alleged for national religious establishments is , that the opinion of the majority should be treated at
least with respect by those who are in the minority . This proposition as applied to the subject , is either true or untrue . If true , why has Protestantism been established in Ireland ? If untrue , there is an end to this view of the subject . "—p . 54 . He takes notice of one of Mr . Belsham ' s arguments in favour of a national establishment of Christianity : " I have heard the Rev . Mr . Hclsham , m one of his discourses , state , as an argument in favour of religious establishments , the fact , that iu those places in which the Christian religion has been unpr otected by the civil power , as in A ^ a , such faith has degenerated , until it bas been utterly extinguished . Hut he omitted to add , that such degeneracy has » r i 8 ui from the active protection afforded ° J the body politic to another profession a religion substituted in the place of the K ^ uine faith . WP fi 7
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The maxim and the question in the following passage are obviously just ai * d pertinent : cc Any law which binds men to a particular form of marriage hostile to their consciences , is a legal prohibition of marriage . What necessity is there to force religions opinions into a civil contract ?" ^^ MT if tJ
There is sound theology in the reraark , " The works of art are as much the productions of the Deity as the works of nature . " —P . 99 . We fully agree with the author in the observation ( to descend to a lower subject , )
" It is rather singular that amidst the refinements of this literary age , the letters ' u * and c v * are still confounded together in dictionaries , to the -great anno yauce of readers , and in opposition to the facility of alphabetical reference , "P . 103 .
Mr . Benthatn ' s faith is , we apprehend , sufficiently comprehensive to admit the following aphorism : c € The grand object of the creation Is , doubtless , to do the greatest possible good to the greatest possible number . "P . 131 .
The author ' s estimate of what are called " historical novels /* is by no means peculiar : " The historical novels lately published , I am so presumptuous as to think ,
have not the useful tendency so generally ascribed to them . They distort facts for the purpose of ingenious and inviting embellishment , and they therefore distract and confound the attention of the young- reader in the consideration and recollection of historical subjects . "—P .
164 . The author ' s politics are free , bjut moderate . He is a reformer , but not a revolutionist , though he ma , kes more excuses than we can luring qurselvpa to approve for public abuses . He
writes in warm praise of Sir Francis Burdett , especially on account of the Baronet ' s having moderated his toae as a reformer . In one sentence our author puts in a striking form one of the intelligible doctrines of the Political Economists .
* Restrictions upon commercial importation are in general very unwise . By enriching aur cwtomers toe enrich our ~ selves . "—P . 195 .
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Review *—Thvmas ' s Tliought-Book * 367
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VO 1 - xxi . 3 a
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), June 2, 1826, page 357, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2549/page/41/
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