★ Keep up to date with the latest news - subscribe to the Transcribe Bentham newsletter; Find a new page to transcribe in our list of Untranscribed Manuscripts
23 Feby. 1813
Church
II. Doctrine
Ch. 6. Allective direction — Evils
§.1. Abstract ftness
Part Subscription or Creeds?
1
Question — which
worst? Creeds or subscriptions
p.1
2
Objector. — Per J. B. both
being fit to be abrogated,
why enquire which is
worst?
3
Answer. Consolatory
to know that in the
purest, yet most reformable
of the two
established churches
the least pernicious
alone of the two manufactories
of immorality
still has place. p.1.
4
Creeds more destructive
to intelligence
and probity, than subscriptions.
p.2
5
Subscription the
act of the moment,
it leaves room if erroneous,
for self correction,
if arrising
from weakness, for
repentance. &c. p.2
6
By invention of a
creed, error or weakness
is confirmed.
A worse devil invented
creeds than cannons.
p.2
7
The state of mind of
the minister, than do
of the flock: a congregant
may be silent
secus the pastor. p.2
8
Church of England
service befouled by
three creeds p.3
9
Three different accounts
of religious opinions
p.3.
10
Are these all complete
and correct, then 2 of
the 3 are useless, and
ought to be cast out at
any rate, of these two
the effect can only be to
present a different sense
from the 3rd. & thus instil error. p.3.
§.1. Abstract ftness
Part Subscription or Creeds?
11
If one be inconsistent
with another, there
must be error, & that
endeavoured to be
perpetuated. p.5
12
Does every one include
what the others do
not? thus though
correct, they are not
each complete. p.4
13.
If so, & they are not
intelligible, here use
is at an end, if intelligible,
cast out the
superfluous of each
to avoid imposing
useless labour, & to
avoid imputed diversity
and consequent
error. p.4
14
What matters it
by what man
such a creed was
drawn up? Have
we not his sources of
inference? and the
same faculties, & are
the not more, & better
exercised? p.5
15
To the confusion from
the above sources, add
do from the 39 articles.
In the subscriptions
belief is thought
impossible per P.
but add to this impossibility
the additional
impossibility
of believing
creeds self contradictory,
as well as contradictory
of the subscription.
p.6.
16.
In one respect only
does the evil of creeds
fall short of that in
case of subscriptions
In case of the creed
under English Church
the antiquity of the
names they are dressed
up with, (however groundlessly)
present a demand
for adoption without
the enquiry necessary
to form indigenous belief.
p.7
§.1. Abstract fitness
Part Subscription or Creeds
17
By subscription,
examination seems
called for, and presupposed.
Though
the text be ancient,
the interpretation
is confessed by modern,
and to shew himself
free from modern
errors, is a man required
to subscribe.
p.7.
18
This seems not disputable,
but, yet
the evils of creeds
is on the whole the
greatest. Though
old, the text is older.
Do they add any useful,
intelligible, &
true matter to the
original? Or — do they
not add difficulty
to difficulty p.8
19.
Add to this, the continual
repetition of
self deceit or insincerity,
while subscription
is begun and
ended in as moment.
p.8
20
Where the declaration
is informal —
p.9
21
The mischief differs
only in degree p.9
22
The transgression
of insincerity is greatest
where the greatest
attention has
been applied. In case
of creeds, this evil is
at its maximum
in case of informal
declaration, assent
will be most frequently
implied.
The less necessary
the implication, the
less strong the hold
which is shewn to
have been taken of
the subject. p.9.
|
Identifier: | JB/006/184/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 6.
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
1813-02-23 |
1-22 |
||
|
006 |
church of englandism |
||
|
184 |
church |
||
|
001 |
abstract fitness / subscription or creeds |
||
|
marginal summary sheet |
1 |
||
|
recto |
e1 |
||
|
walter coulson |
<…> co |
||
|
a. levy |
|||
|
2917 |
|||