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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 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 any out subversion of the national religion &c as if a child were to cry at not being permitted to 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. that is paper in the Ledger for April 8th 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
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
benefit of the bank-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 those rest That it signifies nothing whether improving of ability 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
4thly believing
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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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096 |
legislation |
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296 |
subscription |
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001 |
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text sheet |
1 |
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recto |
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jeremy bentham |
[[watermarks::j honig & zoonen [lion with vryheyt motif]]] |
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cc1 |
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31300 |
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