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

under the doctrine without it's being necessary to

approve of assent to it.

this is

paper in the Ledger for April 8 th 1772

said then to be circulating in Oxford

no sooner is it done, but the note is changed, then to

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,

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

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 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

swallowing an unsavory & disgusting potion.

1 st

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

[ bear witness. 2 d That there is no merit in believing them 3 dly 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. 4 thly If the believing them at all gave gives

fastning belief paying on them did at all give

merit, just so much as was

is bestowed on consequence of belief of human Sanctions

Laws

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

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 1 st at the time there was a clear quantity of happiness lost in

the affair: 2 nd 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.