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Church Intolerance
Intolerance Church
Conformity
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V. Preserving uniformity
in Worship.
Conformity is in
action and unanimony
what unanimity or rather univocality is in
discourse.
It is in becoming
in bricks and
stones when made
into window-cases arches
and pillars.
It is useful too
even in men, when
learn performing
the Russian exercise.
Of what use is
it in religious
exercise? I want
still to learn.
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Not many generations
ago there started
up in that
part of the Greek
Church which is
under the Russian
Government a set of
Non-conformists
perverse enough to
use take a wrong number
of fingers &
make the sign of
the Cross with: a
civil war was the
consequence.
In what degree
or whether in any
the peace that branch department
of the Greek Church
which remains under
the protection
of the Grand Signore
has been disturbed infected
by with non-conformity
I have not happened
to learn:
one thing is pretty
well known that
it produces no civil
wars there—
Whence the difference.
In Russia
the Government at
that time of day
took upon itself to
settle the matter.
The Turkish government
working the in
this
article of the tation
of all
Christians, leaves
such matters to
settle themselves
as it may happen.
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VI Preventing the Overthrowing
of a Church.
Preventing the enemies
of the Church from overthrowing
it.
1. This a strong hold.
"You would not have
the Church overthrown,
pulled down &c. would
you?"
2. Nonsense and Metaphor
are the strongholds
of those with
whom Reason is at
war who reckon have placed
Reason in the number at the head
of their enemies.
The further the mind
can be led astray from
the field of just clear ideas
from a clear plain view of
the subject, the better
their chance of escaping
the grasp of inquiry.
If you can't
satisfy, perplex. Raise
a cloud in the affections
under favour of
which the weakness of
the reasoning faculty
may be concealed—may
escape.
The idea is that of
a great venerable building, pulled
a Cathedral, pulled down
by a Rabble Mob and the
venerable pastors fathers, in
the distinctive habits of
their orders buried
under the ruins.
Sometimes the
gender is may be changed
from the neuter
to the feminine,
& sometimes not
without advantage.
The Church is then
depicted as a beautiful
and venerable
matron with a
train of beautiful
children, hanging
at her breast, sitting
in her lap or holding
by her robes.
She is surrounded
as before by a
dirty Rabble, some
defiling her throwing
dirt at her, others
endeavouring to strip
her naked, others
trying to pull her
down, that they
may tread her under
foot.
These images each
so affecting in its
way takes in several
descriptions tastes & tempers
& both sexes.
The demolition
scene
is best adapted
to the work upon
the taste the affections
of Architects, Antiquarians
& persons
of Virtue.
The mobbing scene
is best adapted to
the fibres of men
of gallantry and
the fair sex. The
insults heaped upon
a beautiful woman—
the
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In a stile, costume somewhat like that of Charity.
poor children sharing
the fate of their
hapless mother. What Lover,
Husband, Father
Mother, Nurse, can could
behold such a scene
with a dry eye?
Those who prefer
plain common sense to
Jargon, simplicity
to artifice and
plain sense to Jargon
will have leave done with
real buildings &
imaginary women
and consider how
the matters stands
with regard to the
influence of the catastrophe
apprehended
upon the real
intelligible interests of existent
mortals.
The persons concerned
in interest
are either
1. the persons to be whose
exigence requires as if
that they should be
taught and served
—the people at large, or
2. the persons whose
function it is or
is to be to teach
the rest & render them
them service & serve them
in this way.
As to the people
the question as far
as concerns them is
which is best condition
for their liberty
or coercion, the
coercion they are
subjected
The one has more of
the sublime, the other
of the pathetic.
Flesh & blood, especially
where beautiful
is more interesting
than bricks & stones.
But as the metaphor
is more strained
and by that means
brought more to
the ridiculous, the
other will be found
the fittest for the
ordinary stile pitch of
discourse & for
common use. The
other is to be thrown
in, only now &
then with discretion
watching the time
when the passions
are wrought up
to a proper pitch.
Buried in The stone or brick
building is a thing
you may see any
day with your own
eyes — with the eye
of flesh — Mother
and Daughter Churches
function as they such beings
may be to men
skilled in Ecclesiastic
lore can only be
seen in spirit, with
the mind's eye, &
may be of too subtle
a nature to be embraced
by the gross
optics of the unhallowed
vulgar.
subjected to at present
in a thousand
tedious forms, or
the liberty liberties which
would result from
the removal of it.
Which is best for a
man to be remain oppressed
or to be made free.
What is there here
so horrible — what
is there to pull
down to overthrow?
The downfal of oppression
— if nothing
but the idea of downfal
will serve —
such is the catastrophe
to be apprehended
by the people.
2. As to the Clergy.
take away Religious
Coercion, take
away intolerance —
how would they be
affected by it?
Let the intolerant System
be abolished.
What would the consequence
be to them?
That they should lose
any liberty of their
own? Such an event That would
be repugnant to the
very supposition.
The object is to leave
all men free that
they shall be left
free as far as they
are free already —
that they should be
restored to freedom
as far as they stand
debarred of it at present.
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Identifier: | JB/005/046/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 5.
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church of englandism |
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046 |
church intolerance |
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rudiments sheet (brouillon) |
2 |
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recto |
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jeremy bentham |
[[watermarks::l munn [britannia with shield emblem]]] |
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benjamin constant |
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2463 |
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