A Vindication of the Religious Opinions of the Higher Classes in This Country; In Letters to W. Wilberforce Upon His Practical View of the Prevailing ... of the Arraigned [Signing Himself Objector]. - Tapa blanda

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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1831. Excerpt: ... LETTER VII. CHAP. IV. § 2. 8vo. edit. p. 144. Prevailing inadequate Conceptions of practical Christianity--Further Effects of Religion degraded into a set of Statutes. Sir, Having assumed, like a true partisan officer, that our resistance to the exactions of your party, in the name of religion, is treasonable resistance to Religion herself, you naturally enough proceed to proclaim our disaffection, accusing us of " robbing her of her best energies, and degrading her into a set of statutes, which we look upon as abridging our natural liberty," (p. 145). You have made an argument for us as usual! Three out of the six pleas, however, we would beg to decline as not ours, did we not thereby afford you a seeming advantage. Of the three last, one, of relaxation in practice, I have already explained in my last Letter; the other two are simple truisms, which neither of us would wish to deny until something is attempted to be founded upon them by the other. When you talk of dishonest shifts, you of course suppose insincerity, and insincerity I am not defending. I have a right to my interpretation of Scripture, as well as you have to yours. We may differ, but it does not follow that I therefore am wrong or you right. Look at the sect called Quakers. They interpret literally many injunctions in which you allow greater latitude. Who is right? How is the thing to be decided? You must say both are right, provided only both are sincere! If a Quaker were to write a book against you, putting into your mouth such arguments as you have assigned to us, and call it "dishonest shifts," should you allow yourself to be fairly dealt with? The most important enactments are defined and positive, but they generally apply directly, only to principals. Reason, however, bids us inc...