prayers in a church, instead of a meeting-house? Would Mr. Locke and Sir Isaac Newton have deserved better of their country, if they had vehemently admired the Athanasian Creed? land the most forward champious Opinions are only dangerous, it may be said, when they shock general prejudice, or militate against a creed enacted by the legislature: every successive administration, in this sense, then, the opinions not excepting any one devoted of Protestant Dissenters in Eng- equally to Toryism and "No land, of Episcopalians in Scotland, Popery," but because Presbyte of Roman Catholics in Ireland, of rianisin nestles and is fondled in Protestants in Canada, are danger. the bosom of government? The ous; in the same sense, the opini- Edinburgh Reviewers need not to ons of the Reformers of popery and be instructed in the recipe for of the first Christians were dan- curing faction. gerous: but what more is meant Let it be granted, nevertheless, by the danger in these cases, than that certain theological creeds the hazard to which the rising in- have a natural congeniality to some dependence of the human mind particular political theories; for inputs spiritual usurpation, or to stance, that Popery inclines to des which even a state may bring potism, that Socinianism leans to. itself, by opposing in certain junc- wards a commonwealth :-still, tures the progress of opinion? government can have no more There is danger in running a right to prohibit and to attach mound across a stream; the banks penalties to the religious system, will probably overflow and the than it has to proscribe the politi neighbouring country be laid un- cal doctrine, by association with der water; but the evil is to be at- which alone it is confessed that it tributed to the mischievous indus. becomes pernicious; but what is try which set itself in opposition the right in this case? Just no thing at all; it being a tyranny beyond any thing ever yet heard of, to convert an opinion in favour of this or that form of government into a crime. to nature. But, it is said, particular religious opinions may have an affini. ty to certain political opinions; and, though innocent in them selves, may become noxious by From one singular expression the con bination. History, how- of the Reviewer's, it may be ga ever, bears us out in saying that thered that his meaning, though a theological creed will, in the indistinctly expressed, is, that pardifferent circumstances of its pro- ticular forms of religion may be fessors, coalesce with widely dif- justly suppressed by the magis ferent political predilections. A trate when united with seditious sect under persecution is invaria- practices: but would it not be sufbly opposed to the Court; its resentments overcoming, in some cases, its natural partialities. Why are the Roman Catholics of Ire. ficient, for every wise and good purpose, to say that seditious prac tices may and ought in every instance to be curbed and put though not for their Socinianists but for their treason. down, in whatever company found, whether with the followers of John Calvin, of Socinus, of the Preten- The suppression of the Romish der or of Sacheverel? In con- Catholics is put as a contingent virnection with Socinianism, the Re- tue in the government——for that viewer makes mention of Repub- sect may be infected with the love lican habits; by which he intends, of despotism. It would be a nowe take for granted, not any par- vel spectacle if a government were ticular mode of dress, not any pre- to busy itself in bunting down cise cut of the hair, not any pecu- this affection. No, no; there is liar compellation with which Soci. no danger to the Roman Catholics nians greet each other, but at- from loving despotism,-unless it tempts to reduce Republican the. be despotism only a good way off. ories to practice on British ground: But this can be nothing else than now we see no reason why the dis- a jeu d'esprit of the Reviewer's, belief of the Trinity should lead who had somehow or other got to a hatred of King, Lords and into his mind the comic idea of a Commons: if the term were not company of commissioners, aptoo quaint, the Unitarians might pointed by the Houses of Lords be fitly called Monarchists, their and Commons, under sanction of constant endeavour being to assert, the Court, to make inquisition afaccording to a favourite phrase ter the love of arbitrary power, with some of the Fathers, the ab- with a view to bring the possessors solute Monarchy of the Deity. to punishment; and who could No fact is known to us that bears not persuade himself to drop it, the writer out in his suspicion of till he had indulged the vision of the likelihood of Socinianism be. Roman Catholics being whipped ing in union with treason: the by their Protestant brethren into public may lay aside all fears on this a sense of liberty. head; some of the Socinians are rich, and wish for no change at all, not even such an one as the Edinburgh Reviewers maintain to be the only preventive of a much worse change; some of them have attained the summit of their ambiti. on, in rising to seats in corporations, up to which they have scrambled, with broken consciences, over the Lord's Table; and we believe a still larger number agree with the Quakers, in deprecating all violence, even as the instrument of reformation. But if, in spite of past history and present appearances, Socinians should become traitors, let them be pun. ished, as the law has provided, We may put a case which will perhaps illustrate our argument on the dangerousness of opinions. We hold, in common with mast of our countrymen, the immorality as well as illegality of bigamy, and think it justly punishable by the civil magistrate. But if another clergyman, following the example of Mr. Madan, should write a book in defence of a plu rality of wives, not otherwise ob. jectionable than in regard of this doctrine; we might lament that such a book should have been written, we might even fear its consequences, but we could not, consistently with our notions of right and our affection for freedom, hold the author deserving of civil conviction, that (altering a little punishment. The writer, might his own statement,) it is quite idle to argue this question in any other way, than as a question of general, imprescriptable, inalien. able right. That we may not, however, however, go further, and put his theory into practice in that case, we should deem him a fit object of the magistrate's care, and should feel satisfaction in his suffering the sentence of the law; but the dismiss the reader with a different criminal would suffer, in law and sentiment towards the reviewer from equity, not as the author of a that which we ourselves feel, which book in favour of a plurality of is, upon the whole, one of high rewives, but as a convicted biga- spect, we shall conclude this article mist. with a further extract from the Review under consideration, in which the merits of the Protestant Dissenters are candidly allowed and liberally extolled. These remarks have scarcely left us room, fourthly, to notice the strange powers which the Reviewer requires government to exercise in some cases, over religious "Last year, Lord Sidmouth sects, under pain of being re- made a light scratch in the epiderputed insane. He allows a go- mis of the Dissenting church. Of vernment to assume that some the extraordinary consequences, classes of society are, from their we were all witnesses; and yet opinions, its enemies; and then there are persons who may think they are, of necessity, to be distin. it possible to revive the execution guished by any mark, religious, of the Test Acts! If there are no physical, or moral, that chances to such extravagant persons, why present itself. What is hereby may not those laws be repealed? intended, we really know not, ex- And never let it be forgotten; cept (what we can scarcely think,) against what species of men they that the holders of certain opini have been enacted-against men ons are to be excommunicated as who have run greater risks, and heretics [the religious mark], with greater unanimity, to prebranded on the forehead or de- serve the free government and prived of an ear [the physical constitution of this country, than mark], and represented as wholly any other set of men whatever. unfit for social faith, complaisance During the reign of Charles II. and charity [the moral mark]. the small remains of liberty were We are inclined to impute to the chiefly preserved and cherished by reviewer rather no meaning than them. They resisted with effect, this: he appears to us betrayed the arbitrary designs of Charles into a want of sense, by a mo- and James II. when their own mentary condescension to intoler. immediate interest, would have ance, with which we have been led them to an unconditional sublong persuaded that the friends of mission. They joined cordially liberty should stand in no other in the Revolution, and exposed relation than that of antagonists: themselves to the resentment of and so far from being persuaded a bigoted princess and an infatuby his reasoning, we rise from the ated people, to secure the succesexamination of it with a renewed sion of the House of Hanover. In two rebellions, the Dissenters, been a right never disputed. But without the exception of a single when this enquirer looked into the individual, showed a steady at world, he would find a history even tachment to the present govern. of the Protestant Church stained ment; and they have, at all with the blood of persecution, times and seasons, (and when and, like the prophet's roll, such praise was by no means due "written therein, lamentation to the Church of England,) proved and mouruing and woe." This themselves the steady friends of progress, or rather decline, of that mild, moderate, and toler- Protestants, from the claim of ant race of kings, by which we religious liberty to the practice of have been governed for the last religious persecution, was well. century." pp. 163, 4. A. Sketch of English Protestant Per. secution.-Letter I. SIR, Jan. 1, 1812. described by an anonymous author, sixty years ago. I quote the following passage from," The Reflector, representing buman affairs, as they are, and may be improved." 8vo. 1750. "Two hundred years ago, it was orthodoxy in Christendom As I perceive that you have in to have no religion, but a blind serted (vol. vi. p. 524.) my letter obedience to the arbitary constitu of May last, at the close of which tions and injunctions of the court I proposed to offer you a Sketch of of Rome, all enquiry being then English Protestant Persecution, I looked upon as heresy or infidelity. shall now proceed to make a few But certain intrepid heroes arose selections from the too ample ma- to demolish this usurped authority, terials, which our history has af- that oppressed and enslaved Europe, forded, on that melancholy sub- by power and craft. The foundation ject. One who should confine his enquiries to the New Testament, battery was the right of enquiry; upon which they erected their would little suspect that Christians and the duty of every man to hear had allowed themselves to assume and examine before he believes or encourage a civil controul over and judges. any man's religious, or even irre. "The Romish clergy appealed to ligious, profession. And while he antiquity for the truth of their heard re-echoed from every anti- doctrine; but were shown that papal community, "the Bible, the false doctrines may be ancient, Bible alone, is the religion of Pro- they pretended, that religious distestants," he might easily conclude putes had long since been decided, that religious liberty, among such after the exactest scrutiny; but Protestants, had furnished no ma. terials for history; on the best a right of determining for another, were answered, that nobody has possible account, because it had what the scripture delivers, as articles of faith; and that whoever As our correspondent's former letter pretends to do it, puts himself in merely proposed the series of communi- the place of the scripture. They cations, which the present Letter commences, we have entitled this article, alleged the scriptures were dark in many places, so that every one Letter I. ED. they retained the old form of speech, that every man should search the scriptures; but with this reserve, that the discoveries and judgments made, must entirely agree with theirs; and that after a free and exact enquiry, all should subscribe articles settled by assemblies of divines, Which amounts to this: You may believe what you find to be right; but nothing is right besides what we believe.' Such liberty of enquiry is a treacherous compliment, that chains down the prisoner, could not discover the true mean- was done with circumspection in ing; and that the generality language, though not in fact; for should be contented with the interpretation of those who understood the originals. It was replied, that all who understood the original languages did not agree in their interpretation, and that what one learned man called right, another cailed wrong. The Catho lics pretended, if all were allowed the liberty of enquiring, numerous erroneous sects must needs be the consequence; but were told, it was better some errors should prevail, than men have no faith. For if the common people, before the Reformation, were ever questioned and tells him he is free." about their religion, they could only answer, they believed what their priests believed; that their priests believed what the church believed; and that the church had the same belief as the pope. But what faith the pope held they knew not. Few of them had ever seen the Bible, or heard it mentioned; insomuch, that many thought the New Testament a dangerous book, compiled by Lu. ther. The arguments of the first Reformers being therefore found unanswerable, the Reformation had the good success which all the world knows. (Reflector, 331-333.) It is observed by Sir Thomas Browne, (Rel. Med. Sect. 4.) that 66 as there were many Reformers, so likewise many reformations; every country proceeding in a particular way and method." In England, according to a remark of the late Bishop Hurd, quoted in your 3d vol. (p. 530.) the Refor. mation advanced under the eye of the magistrate, which that prelate considered as no small advantage. It certainly had the advantage of preserving the English Reformers of the national church, from "During the change, before the inconsistency described by the things were settled, the Reformers anonymous author lately quoted; continued to use the same argu- for I am not aware that they ever ments, which had already procured ventured to declare for the right of them so much advantage; but as private judgment. soon as a few churches were found. Henry the Eighth, the father of ed, so as to dread no disturbing theReformation in England, under power, the reformed began to whose eye it first advanced, though waver in their principles; and with an infant's tottering steps, employed the same kind of argu- certainly designed nothing less ments against others, who separa. than the admission of such a right. ted from them, as the Romish He acknowledged no liberty but clergy had used against the origi- that of indulging his own violent nal Reformers, This, however, passions; and while he displaced |