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SUBSCRIPTION
The opposition of a few well intentioned but mistaken men has only served had no other effect than to serve as a foil
to others who to intentions equally laudable join add superior wisdom Secreted corrupters of Youth
extort a formal surrender of their judgments to be returned to them debilitated by the foul taint of Servitude. It is presumption, to decide peremptorily on points of that sublime and incomprehensible nature:
it is something more than presumption to force a decision upon others under
the alternative of being deprived of the common rights of subjects. Citizens.
It is a weakness to believe that the welfare of mankind is connected more with their unity
in those points than with their dissention, when it is peaceable: To cry out subversion of the national religion &c as if a child were to cry at not being permitted to kill an Animal at which it had taken disgust. is just as if the Inquisitors Inquest were to cry out complain of the loss of their liberties if the liberty of roasting alive their fellow subjects were taken from them. now the way & the only certain
way to have it peaceable is to have it free.
While the business of subscription is yet to do, then it means nothing but a bare acquiescence
to under the doctrine without it's being necessary to understand it. approve of assent to it. this is paper in the Ledger for April 8th 1772 said then to be circulating in Oxford when it is no sooner is it done, but the note is
changed, then to question enquire is presumption & to depart, apostacy. — [like enticing narciatic
Nuns into convents.] while --- every thing is smooth & pleasant
There are a few considerations, [which are] nothing new in substance, & which yet must be repeated, which so simple
and inclusive, their minds with the ideas of the making their heads giddy by snuffing up the sounds Faith Church Religion. - as the Savages of by snuffing up [an powder] as to furnish an answer by anticipation to whatever has been written. & to whatever shall be written for the
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benefit of the trunk-makers of the next or any future generation, in favor of the propriety
of bringing in penal sanctions temporal securities in aid of the belief of all mysteries, both of such as are there,
where they have been found, and as have been found when there are none. The only method & universal expedient that men have recourse to calm the loathings of Judgment & deaden the pangs of conscience is by turning their thoughts utterly from the subject, [by gasping for all arguments for it & repelling all arguments against it] as men shut their eyes & stop their noses when trying swallowing an unsavory & disgusting potion.
1st and which for this purpose is with all the rest That it signifies nothing whether improving of utility they are believed or no - [The business on those points is not to have this or that opinion, but to have none at all. — Never did the divine Author of our Religion command us to have any opinion about the matter — never did his Apostles recommend — Never did any good come from having any — having has come as the Blood of Myriads can [testify bear witness.
2d That there is no merit in believing them
3dly That if they are true they will be believed of themselves If they would prevail upon themselves to abstain from indiction, not a prayer nor a voice not would be lifted up by the Lusty without Doors — [these are no Sacheverel times - nothing but a little political Sacheverelism upon occasion which if not turned too far has it's use.] They much mistake — The eagerness of the Lusty to bear their yoke by no means corresponds to theirs to keep it on them.
4thly If the believing them at all gave gives fastning belief paying on them did at all give any merit, just so much as was is bestowed on consequence of belief
of human Sanctions Laws would give gives none.
It owns that Rev'd Divine [Remains] with all his high opinion of the self-sufficiency Grace of God, does not think it [strong enough] to be trusted without a good stout Penal Statue or two to back it. The only way sure method for people to keep themselves from disbelieving, is to think nothing about the matter: to
fill their heads with tremendous Ideas of the -------------
& this is the method by 99 out of 100 of those who pass for believers: but those who have the same
kind of opinion of the aftermath, as that which on the negative side is called disbelief are not to those who
disbelieve as one to 100
When Elizabeth came to the Throne, & Catholics were no longer to make fires of that sort of Fuel
they were most fond of, that very circumstance, exclusive of the restraints to which they were subjected in
their Turn, caused them a very sensible workpractise: It was doubtless an encroachment on their liberty & their rights & yet I believe this will not now be thought a
[conclusion] reason why that amusement should not have been put a stop to. against a stop's being put to that amusement To a wolf, who should
have a Lamb snatched out of his mouth, no doubt it would be a cruel disappointment: and yet, this
I believe, has never been thought of, at least in a Society of Lambs, as conclusive against the not taking
every measure that can be thought of for that purpose — The reason is are, (in the former case) (for I have no other) That
The Patient felt more anguish, than the agent did satisfaction by the action, even at the time: & therefore came 1st at the
time there was a clear quantity of happiness lost in the affair: 2nd that the Agent must in the as well as the party
of the patient, must in the course of
things at the long run be exposed find himself to fire - a superior unhappiness by the consequences of giving one indulgence to such a passion.
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Identifier: | JB/096/296/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 96.
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subscription |
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jeremy bentham |
[[watermarks::j honig & zoonen [lion with vryheyt motif]]] |
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