Liberty of Conscience Illustrated

Extracts from the "Patriot," May 27th, 1846, after reporting a Lecture in the Congregational Library, London.

"The Rev. J. H. Hinton said: Instead of having anything to correct in the lecture, I can bear my humble testimony to its truth and justice, and the importance of the sentiments that have been presented to us. I beg to move a vote of most cordial thanks to Dr. Massie. "The Rev. Dr. Campbell said: I am sure that there has not been during this season, and I do not believe that there will have been when it is ended, a more cordial vote of thanks than that which we shall present to Dr. Massie. I do not know that for a long time I have been the subject of so much unmixed, undisturbed, grateful complacency as I have been to-night, that I am a Dissenter. Men talk of succession. I am in the succession to-night, and so are you. .. When I think of the fact Dr. Massie has brought forth with so much beauty and conclusiveness, that these twelve men, calling themselves the Dissenting brethren,' are filling England, America, and the world, I cannot but exclaim, How extraordinary the change! Dr. Massie has said some good things about our Sunday-schools, and I do not know that I could prescribe him a better task-or that I could find a better man to accomplish it-than to prepare a book appropriate to Nonconformist Day-schools. Three-fourths of our common school histories are mere rubbish-bad politically, bad religiously, full of untruth, bad principles, and worse reasoning. There is much occasion for a good Nonconformist school-book; and I beg you, Dr. Massie, to betake yourself to that when you go home.

"The Rev. Dr. Jenkyn said: "I rise with pleasure to support the resolution of thanks to Dr. Massie for his excellent account of the painting. I should be glad if some arrangement could be made to introduce this painting into our theological academies, and if Dr. Massie would give us a third and a fourth edition of his lecture. There have been great struggles for civil and religious liberty; but I think there is coming on, in our own age, another struggle, and one which

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will perhaps last longer-that is, a struggle for intellectual libertynamely, that every mind shall be free, and have full liberty to see with its own eyes, and speak with its own lips, and not with the eyes and lips of others. I hope that this lecture will rouse our dormant energy, and that we shall be firmer to our principles, and that all our young people in colleges, seminaries, and Sabbath-schools, will be brought up to the altar of liberty, as Hamilcar brought Hannibal, to swear that they will never make peace with Rome or with popery."

Extract from the "Liverpool Albion," February 21st, 1846.

"The Rev. Dr. Raffles proposed a vote of thanks to Dr. Massie for the zeal and ability he had displayed for their instruction. In the whole course of his life he had never, either from written records or the living voice, seen or heard so much matter, ranging through so long a period of time, compressed within so small a space. He was perfectly astonished at the tact and ability with which his reverend friend had accomplished it.

"The Rev. Wm. Bevan seconded the motion. He was anxious that these lectures, embodying so much of the important history of liberty of conscience, and bringing it into such intimate connexion with themselves, as well as into such relation to the future, should not die upon the ear, but should continue amongst them and those who were to come after them, in order that the great principle elucidated by them might be more fully and permanently put before their minds. He hoped, therefore, that Dr. Raffles would allow him to supplement the resolution by a request that their friend Dr. Massie would employ the reporter's notes in putting his lectures into a printed form.

"Dr. Raffles expressed his cordial concurrence in the suggestion, It had been his intention to propose it himself.

"Dr. Massie was extremely grateful for the kind indulgence which had been extended to him; and if the meeting considered his lectures worthy of the more durable form which it had been proposed to give them, he should be happy to assist in carrying their wishes into effect. Let it not be supposed that he had more pecuniary interest in the painting than any of them. He had not. He had the pleasure, and it was a rare pleasure, of having suggested it and drawn the outline; and he had watched its progress with all the anxiety and foudness of a father. He wished he had many such children."

CONTENTS.

LECTURE ON LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE.

SECTION I.-Explanatory introduction-Liberty of philosophy--

of history-of discussion-Conventicle act-What is liberty of con-

science? Toleration !-Conscientious persecution-in the domestic

circle-Parental Authority-Ecclesiastical liberty-Ministerial autho-

rity-Inspired sanctions-Primitive examples-Mohammed and Christ

-Power of Divine love......

Page 1

SECTION II.-Patronage of Constantine - Dark ages - Monkish

monopoly―Heretics !—Albigenses and Waldenses-Wickliff—Bohe-

mian reformers