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SUBSCRIPTION.
In a writer on a religious subject, tis an high offence even to be silent on their
abstruse subjects points The Clergy are not dissatisfied only with those that plainly oppose them, but are
enraged also even at those that omitt zealously to advance them. Molyneux to Luke 3.521 For tho' the Book shews noReligious writing call the Edw. That freedom of thought as you or I, perhaps might expect; yet it shews enough to incence his own herd against him, for there is little of Mystery, or enthusiastic in it, if yet the Author is a Clergyman.
Every Mystery which is <add>greater stress is laid more insisted on than either its authenticity or it's practical influence demands</add> to which too much importance is given, frightens a number of men out of the
Pale of the Religion, and makes a multitude of infidels — In France, where the number religion is of
that kind which abounds is over-run in mysteries -ous doctrines of the most questionable in their authenticity, & the most frivolous
in their nature, & men abound who exercise their thoughts in secret with vigor exasperated by the sense of restraint not to be incredulous is to be a driveller — In England, the proportion of unbelievers
to thinking men is much less - in Geneva perhaps least of all. Not the real Number
of the real genuine Mysteries -ous truths will accommodate itself to our notions of the utility of entertaining
them, but to repeat what cannot be too often inculcated, it is one thing for a propisition
to be true, & another for it's being necessary for us to concern ourselves about it —
the dwelling upon a mystery tho' true, from whence no practical consequences the true are deducible may as we see weaken a Religion, & the passing it by are
noticed through time, can be productive of so bad consequences.
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What Rattles are to Children, these Doctrines, sound without sense even by their own confession,
are to men, who have put off with the sprightliness have not put off either the impatience or the frowardness
of children. childhood. Happy the world, human kind if content with trying with them their fill themselves, they
would come to force thrust them by main force into the hands of others, who either chase them of another
herd, or beg to be excused from meddling with such them any at all.
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Identifier: | JB/096/294/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 96.
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jeremy bentham |
[[watermarks::gr [crown motif] [britannia with shield motif]]] |
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