NOTES. Page 22, line 17, below the christian standard. Persecutors are, in the scripture sense of the term, reprobates, adoxos, below proof. Jesus Christ, by the influence of his holy doctrines and precepts, by his loving spirit or temper, and by the imitation of his perfect example, is not in them. 2 Cor. 13: 5. Yet alas! they have have too too frequently thought themselves the only elect, and have dealt damnation round the land,' on all who have differed from them. Page 23, line 20. modern catholics &c. The catholics of the present day are many of them steady friends to christian liberty, and men of excellent character: indeed a spirit of liberality seems to pervade that body of christians in general, at least those of them who live under the British government. The French catholics seem also to be imbued with no small portion of the benign spirit of charity. Still in the British empire, so long famed for its tolerant laws, the catholics are not suffered to enjoy the same rights and privileges as their fellow subjects. But why are they not? There might be times when policy dictated the propriety of placing them under the restraint of penal laws, and disqualifying statutes; but those times are happily past, to return no more. From the power of the pope, already dwindled into insignificance, a great nation, habituated to government by law, and to prosestant rulers, can have nothing to fear. Why not then abolish those laws which infringe the liberties of our catholic brethren? Why not remove such irritating remembrancers of former animosity, discord, and division? This would be one means of uniting Britons, of all parties, as one family, in the support of their common privileges. It may be said catholics were formerly persecutors: but it must be added, so also were protestants. It is wrong to impute to any party of christians the crimes of former generations, and deprive them of the full exercise of liberty because their forefathers were persecutors. God hath never imputed the sins of the fathers to their children, nor punished them for their crimes, unless the children have first made those crimes their own by continuing in them. It was too common formerly for all parties to persecute, when they had the power. This is not so much to be imputed to the influence of any particular system, as to the ignorance of christian liberty, and the spirit of bigotry and intolerance, which then generally prevailed. Catholics ought no more to be reproached with the conduct of those of their church who persecuted formerly, than protestants with the persecuting temper and conduct of some of the reformers. Different religious parties have too long indulged in cruel invectives against each other, used their influence to preserve invidious distinctions, and to curtail each others liberties. This has been highly detrimental to the common cause of christianity. It is high time they should open their eyes to their common interests, and become guarantees to each other of the rights of conscience. While the catholics of the present day avow the principles of christian liberty, and demean themselves peaceably towards all other parties, let them be restored to the full enjoyment of their rights, both civil and religious. This, justice, sound policy, and the precepts of the gospel equally demand. Page 27, line 9. for the honor of the God of mercy. The Saracen generals usually began their letters to the Caliphs with In the name of the most merciful God, then followed a shocking detail of bloodshed and massacre; wherein did the conduct of christian persecutors, who burnt men alive for the glory of the Father of mercies, differ from that of those ferocious conquerors? Judging from their conduct, it might be supposed, that mahommedans and christians were worshippers of Moloch, not of the God of mercy. Page 31, line 14. Protestants who acknowledged themselves fallible &c. When Queen Mary burned those who could not adopt her religious opinions, if any thing could excuse persecution and murder, which nothing can, some apology might be made for her conduct. She had not only private grounds of resentment against the party she persecuted, she supposed the church to which she belonged to be infallible, and that she could not err while she followed the advice of its ministers. was a weak misguided woman, deluded by superstition. When Queen Elizabeth persecuted and destroyed those who differed from her in She their religious views, the same apology could not be made for her conduct. She was a woman of strong powers and consummate art, she had no private quarrel with those she persecuted, nor did she pretend to infallibility, either in herself, or in the church to which she belonged. Yet Mary, the dupe of a party, has been loaded with infamy, and the intriguing Elizabeth applauded to the skies! Page 32, line 17. when used in a bad sense &c. The word heresy had not originally a bad sense. Among the ancient Greeks it meant no more than the opinions, or system of a particular sect, or party of philosophers. The apostle certainly used the word in a good sense, when he said before King Agrippa that after the straitest sect, ago, literally heresy, of the Jew's religion, he had lived a pharisee. He could not mean to stigmatize the religion of his fathers, nor the sect of the pharisees in particular. αίρεσιν, Page 33, line 10. Religious tests are not necessary to the well being of the community. The test act was first passed in England, in a moment of danger and alarm, in order to preserve the nation from popery and arbitrary |