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2 Church Form
2
Ought to be
—1. Inoffensive
1. A form of Divine service ought to be
as comprehensive inoffensive as possible with regard in respect of
to the persons whom it leaves or renders capable
of joining in it. If it could be made
If offensive it is so
either to such a degree
as to occasion secession,
or not. In the first case
it occasions a degree of
consciousness which to persons
of tender consciences may be
and doubtless frequently is
very considerable. In the
other case it operates on
the effect of it is to exclude as
effectually would could be
done by a law or
sentence to that purpose
so as to include every human being, so much
the better: and the more it excludes, the worse
adapted it is to its purpose. . The reasons
for this are evident enough.
1 In the first place the faculty of joining in
it of partaking of the instruction it conveys,
is by the supposition a benefit: and a benefit this like any other
of any kind which does <add>is not lessened by participation is the greater the greater the
number of persons who are admitted to enjoy
it.
2. In the next place since as all must are to contribute
to the expence burthen, there is as much reason on that ground why
one should partake of the benefit as another:
nor ought any one to be debarred from it, unless
the including admitting him would either be the means
of exd excluding others or render it the power of incompetent
to the proposed design.
If a man be excluded from prevented of prevented from taking
his share of the religious instruction (exercised) provided by the
establishment, one of two things must follow. Either If he remains
altogether deprived of that advantage, he remains exposed by the
supposition to a proportionable risk of being a mischievous in this
world and miserable in the next. If he undertakes on his own bottom
to provide himself with the assistance in question, the exclusion from the establishment
operates as a
fine upon him to the amount
of what he it will cost him
to preserve the benefit elsewhere; with this
circumstance to distinguish it
from the common case of the
punishment so called, that it is a fine not threatened merely but levied, not accidental but nec repeated and periodical.
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3 Form Church
3
2. chis of co
2. it ought be avoid
which appear liable
expressing every thing
to give offence.
containing a decision
upon controverted
points.
For these reasons
2. It ought to be cleared stand clear of all expressions
which import a decision declaration of opinion upon controverted
points that upon points that seem liable
to become, much more upon such as already
have been made subjects of controversy: more
as a especially upon such as are of a purely
speculative nature: of such a nature that
no opinion either on one side of the controversy
or the other appears calculated to
have any influence on practice.
4
3 — it ought to
disclaim the assuming
the assent
without exception
of all who join
in it.
3. As a farther means to the same end,
It ought to be accompanied by a declaration
that the by the act of joining in it no man
is to be understood to bestow an unqualified
assent to every position that it contains or
that may appear to him to be deducible from
it.
5
In particular
4 Therefore it
ought not to contain
any creed.
6
5 at least to have
the joining in the
creed free
4. In particular for the same reasons no
creed of any kind ought to be admitted to
form a part of it.
If a creed were to be admitted into it, ought
not to be pronounced by the congregation as their
act but only read to them by the Minister, in the
way
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