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    the contrary . ) No , simple prejudice supposes opinion sincere ; at least , if without judgment ; but the master motives of the intolerance which has pervaded the world , and held in chains the mind of man for ages , have not been so innocent as genuine , though mistaken , opinion . They have been selfishness , avarice ,

    and the lust of power , which by artfully managing the passions , hopes , and fears of man , have bound the many slaves at the feet of the few . It is , therefore , a mistake to ascribe to prejudice , actions which had their origin in policy and foresight . Hierarchies could not fail to perceive the diminution and probable downfall of their authority , as the consequence of an increase of knowledge , and the free exercise of rational

    discussion . Therefore , their obvious course was to uphold the reign of ignorance , and place every obstacle in the way of intellectual improvement . For a long time their system was successful , but as the advances of education become too powerful to be positively stemmed , they direct its streams as far as possible into channels of their own formation , and , under the

    specious term " Orthodox , ' endeavour to form the sentiments of men , and their style of thinking , upon models best suited to the continuance of their influence and authority . The term prejudice is , consequently , more applicable to those persons who , without interested motives to serve , suffer themselves and

    their opinions to be thus guided , and are zealots in support of their bondage , —who are willing to believe it impious to hazard a doubt or dare an inquiry into the pretensions of mortal men like themselves . There are millions of such persons ,

    numerically formidable , though contemptible in intellectual strength , and , by blind faith and enthusiasm , they eminently assist the enemies of human kind in prolonging the duration of the most hurtful institutions by custom , and by readiness to appeal to arms in defence of them if necessary : —to fight , in fact , for the blessed privilege of beine slaves , and blind , and ignorant .

    The priests form a kind of converse to Leonidas . He with a handful of brave men fought against countless legions for the dearest blessings of life : —they have placed themselves in a Thermopylae leading to a region which is the heritage of universal man , and desperately oppose the ingress of the rightful heirs of the soil .

    The above remarks will be stigmatised as revolutionary and profane . Be it so . Helvetius , Voltaire , Bolingbroke , and many others , have expressed similar opinions , and that we may not be accused of confining our authority to Heresiarchs , we will mention Howitt , and refer our readers to his history of

    Priestcraft if they wish briefly to learn how much of good has been created in the world b y clerical means And also that we may not be misunderstood , or misrepresented by pre * judice—that we may not be unjustly $ ccu » ed pf libelling indi ^

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    36 ft Cursory Remarks on Prejudice .

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), June 2, 1836, page 368, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2658/page/40/