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Oct 1812
Church Declarations. ☞ Confer I. Ch. Maxims as to Doctrine
1o
II. Doctrine
Ch. Maxims.
§.1. Abstract fitness
Power — Benefit
8
The course taken, being
impartial & search made
for, & attention given to
all kinds of considerations,
so in this case, we shall believe
it if its truth appear
most probable, without
need of obligation. p.4
Power — Benefit 9 Sec 15
The almighty determines
to damn me, if I do not believe;
even this would
not suffice to make
what seemed to me an
improbable proposition
appear probable.
Power — Benefit 10
If in not believing what
I cannot believe, there be
any demerit, so it must
be.
Power — Benefit 11
In believing what appears
to be probable, & there is no
merit — merit or demerit
can attach to our doing or
not, those things only
which it is in our power
to do.
12. Benefit
Observe the error in men
who have believed a proposition,
forcing others to
declare their belief of it.
13. Benefit
Looking into the Scriptures.
a ruler takes up
a proposition as true;
his inference is, all others
ought to believe it
Pt Mischief Persecution
14
How absurd this inference,
what monstrous tyranny
will result from
putting it into practice.
Pt Mischief Persecution
15 See Suprà 9
If a proposition appear improbable
to me, scarce
God, one might say, could
make me believe it.
To say I do, is a contradiction
in terms.
All God could do, would
be to punish me.
§.1. Abstract fitness
§.3. Ante Reformation.
16
This the ruling maker
of these creeds has
done, and having composed
them, he says to
his fellow-christians,
believe them, or be punished.
17
Who are they who have
taken this blind, foolish
& tyrannical course?
It is not known.
18.
1. The apostles' creed,
whoever penned it, the
apostles did not.
19
2 Athanasian do.
Not penned by the bloodthirsty
priest, whose
name it bears, as is proved
by Waterland, its defender.
20
3 Nicene Creed.
§.1. Abstract fitness
Pt Mischief Persecution
21
Suppose the composers
ever so respectable,
what the more would
they be entitled to punish
others for disbelief?
§.1. Abstract fitness
Pt Mischief Persecution
22.
If any one had the power
to punish another for
disbelief in any proposition
he may find
in the Gospels, to exercise
such a power would
be the worst thing for
mankind that could
take place.
Pt Mischief Persecution
23
If any such gifted
person came into the
world, an Act of Parlt.
to shut him up in prison
under B. R. discipline
—
pen, ink, & paper and
above all that (on the
supposition) Pandora's
box, the Bible interdicted
would not be ill
bestowed.
§.1. Abstract fitness
24
Absurd and mischievous,
as they appear
absolutely, yet when
applied to the particular
propositions, they
appear are still more so
25
Even
1 if true, many of them
are useless, and thus
purely evil —
Pt Mischief Persecution
26
A man gifted as above,
even if infallible, could
not be justified in using
his talent on such propositions,
& would be
rightly deemed, an
enemy to the Christian
world.
27
If the apostles penned
the creed so named, they
would be malefactors
instead of benefactors
to mankind.
§.1. From verity follows not
duty of credence. 1
§.2. Belief indigenous,
adoptive. 2. 3.
§.3. Of words not understood
adoptive credence
is not a duty. 4.
§.4. Belief depends is not
at the command of will
5. 6. 7.
§.5. — is not matter of
merit or demerit.
10. 11.
§.6. From Belief by A follows
not obligation on B. to
believe. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16
☞ Add conceditur whether of obligation
to to the subject.
§.7. , a power of
imposing any such obligation
would be pure
mischief. 22. 23. 26. 27
§.8. By any such power
a faculty of discovering
religious truth would be
a nuisance.
§.9. Though belief is not
directly compellable, declaration
of do is.. ☞ W
and thence belief itself inwardly
viz. principally adoptive
§.10. Mischief of such
compulsion
§.11. Means of avoiding
these mischiefs including
difference between indigenous
& adoptive
1. Proposition un
or
2. Time consuming
3. Godfather &c subscribe for them
4. & unintelligible
§.12. motions for
Subscription &
Creeds
From declaration of credence
by A. comes adoptive
actual credence by B.
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church of englandism |
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church declaration causes ch. maxims as to doctrine |
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abstract fitness / power - benefit / ante reformation |
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marginal summary sheet |
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recto |
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walter coulson |
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