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Church — Intolerance
Atheism
If you silence Atheists
you must silence the
anti-Atheists at the same
time for another reason, viz.
ans: the gross partiality
and the confessions of
the bishop of the Roman
which it imparts.
Can it It can not be supposed that
an all just God could approve
much less require such terrible
injustice?
Church—Intolerance
Prevent Atheism
How justly odious
soever Atheists
are it is not
pretended that
their conversion
would not be to be
deserved: indeed
the more odious,
the more reason
for wishing they
were otherwise than
what they are.
But ill usage only
is not a favourable
preliminary
to conversion.
People may be
irritated & further
estranged but now
not to be gained
by ill usage.
Obj. Then why
do you treat the
Church men so
roughly?
Answ. People
may be gained
by reason to pursue
their own interest,
& the way
is to shew them
what it is their
interest—good kind
usage opens peoples
way to reason.
But all the
good usage & all
the reason in the
world will never
prevail upon
men who have
an interest in opposition
to that of
the community
& pretences for
maintaining it
to sacrifice it.
Object. 2.
---page break---
Preventg downfal.
Would this be any
such intolerable
calamity?—Is this
a thing result to deprecate?
Oh, no: but the
great grievance lies
behind: the people
would be restored
to prudence: and
those who ought
to be their servants
would no longer
be their masters.
By the downfall
of the Church is
meant the downfal
of Church
power. The privilege faculty
of plaguing
mankind is productive a
source of delight
so exquisite, that
the idea of being
deprived of it is
not to be borne.
The question is lies
between the thousand
and the Million,
how long the
latter shall be plagued
for the benefit
of the former.
Happily the decision
rests with the
thousand and the
Million put together,
which is as well
for
---page break---
for the Million
if they stood alone
to decide it in favour
of their own
interests which their
multitude renders
the same with the
general interest &
with Justice, they
need but two things
resolution to view
the question their interest in its
true light, and more
and perseverance
to act up to it.
The example path to
has already been
set the path has
already been chalked
out in a neighbouring
nation—In
insulation has all
the honour left
to us, and all the
difficulty.
Object. 2. Atheists
are more obstinate
than others—there is
no chance of gaining
them—
Answ. Why so? This
is as much as to
acknowledge they
have reason on their
side—What existence
is there in supposing
that they are
more in the wrong than
other people, & yet
less likely to be brought
set right? They having
no interest to better them.
Thus comes us to the
old supposition: though
nobody
---page break---
The downfal
of oppression—
such is the catastrophe
which
has always been
represented by
the persons interested
in upholding it, or
The wreck of
matter, and the
crush of worlds.
The loss is that
at as the loss of
the rack would
be to the executioner. Such
is the calamity
which all the
powers of
have been employ'd
for so on every
many ages alarm to
deprecate as
second in time
rather than importance
to the
fall.
—That those
who have made
themselves should
be not last, as
their God and
Master ordered
them, but nor
yet upon a level
with the bulk
of their brethren
but not quite so
much as at present
above that
level.
---page break---
That the Church
should be put
not upon a footing
near with
what it was left
by the time of Christ
and his Apostles,
but upon a footing
not quite
so favourable to
the usurpations
of their pretended
successors as
now.
Truth will ultimately has a natural tendency to
prevail in every science:
if not why suffer discussions
in any.
To say that Atheists
will prevail upon a few
is to say that
the cause of Atheism is the cause
of truth.
If in contesting the
arguments of Atheists
they do not do them
full justice, if they
do not state them
in all their force
they disgrace & discredit
by falsehood
& insincerity the
cause of truth.
If Christ had not
kept company with
Publicans & Sinners
how would he have
converted them? If
he had not treated them
with kindness, &
demonstrations of affection
as well as the
thing itself, how
would they have
been his company?
Nobody can have
a power of common
sense or common
honesty who does
not think with
—I am the
standard of all
justice & all truth.
Infallibility is
mine, & it is your
part to bow down
to it.
---page break---
Oh but you have
not yet touched the
bottom of our fears grievances—
Loss of power to us
would be loss of every
thing—Our power is
all we have to trust
to for our liberty.
We are surrounded
by implacable enemies, who want
nothing but to be upon
a level with us to
sink us to oppress
us: Our gentle dominion
is the only
security we have against
their cruel
tyranny insatiable appetites
for tyranny.
This p forces us
to the limits of a
particular country
and brings us to the
book of Numbers.
8 million of Church
of England-men with
St Paul's at their
head of afraid of 70,000
Catholics and
3 or 4,00,000 Protestants
of different denominations
all as much
divided from one another
as from the Church
of England—
The Quakers at least
will hardly be numbered
among the tyrants who are to join in the
confederacy.
---page break---
The Rulers of the</lb>
The Millions inured
to tyranny
by more than 200
years practice,
and defending it
avowedly and upon
principle. Their
enemies, or to speak
justly those whose
enemies they are
protesting against
all dominion, disclaiming
it, and
debarred restrained from the
by every attempt
to assume exercise it tho'
it were in their
power by every
tie which can
bind the Christian
or the man of
Honour.
Such is the obstinacy
of is there in tyranny:
so close the alliance
between insolence
and meanness:
rather than quit
its hold it will
put on the mask
of cowardice.
---page break---
Oh, but you take
no account of proselytes
—of the
swarms of secret
enemies we the Churches even now are
harbouring in our her
bosom—
What then! the
general wish hearts and the
hands of the greater
part of the community
are already
against you, or
was in order to
become so want
for nothing but
liberty to shew
themselves.
This we are to take
upon your word:
and this is what
is come of all your
matchless merits,
and the all the
power which you
have employd
to back them for
these two hundred
years.
We insist upon
power to employ
against the community
—why?
—because the sense
of the community
condemns is against us, and
that so violently
that
that our enjoyment
of the common rights
of man would if
the public sense
were carried into
effect, be treated as
a nuisance not
to be endured.
Of this ghastly hideous
picture of mankind
where is the original
at present to
be found?—In the
breasts of those who
drew it, if any
where.
In their own conduct—
but no where else.
Such is the logic
of tyranny—the
enormity of the oppression
is the
very plea for its
continuance. We
have made mankind
our enemies:
to bereave us of
the power and practice
of doing mischief tormenting
injuring them, would be
to sacrifice us to
their vengeance.
While the Hierarchy
was as yet in full
power.
---page break---
Where, in the example
of what country
do they find a warrant
for their pretended
fears—
In Ireland
17,00,000 Catholics &
6,00,000</sic> Presbyterians
suffering themselves
for these hundred
years to be governed
& plundered by 400,000 Ch. of
England-men.
In all this time
what crime have
they been guilty of
but unless it be the crime of
servitude—a foul
one it is justly stiled indeed
by a wise
antient, nor can
they too soon be too forward
to acquit themselves
of it.
Yet Ireland we are told
is still a wild and lawless country—much short of ages behind Gr Britain in the virtues of justice and moderation.
In France—
24,000,000 of Catholics restore
to almost all their rights
1 or 2 millions of Protestants
—all a compact
and uniform
body, all united in
the same faith—This
too in the days of
arbitrary power—before
the dawn of freedom.
The army open to
them— the National
Assembly itself—&
all before liberty
& equality had so much as set
up their standard.
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