truly wise, every thing which we know of the religion of Jesus, or of what constitutes wisdom, leads us most firmly to conclude. They appear to us to breathe the harmlessness of the dove united with the wisdom of the serpent. No prosecutions, no punishments, employed against those who object to the evidence of christianity in any manner, or in any degree, appear to Dr. Campbell to be either consistent with the nature of christianity, or favourable to its cause. "A candid answer to their objections," says this great man and true Christian, "is the only check to the adversaries of our religion which is not a great disservice to that religion, and an infringement of the liberty of which this island is the asylum.'

He was aware, however, that there were among us persons of a different way of thinking, persons "showing an inclination for recurring to more forcible methods;" that is, persons calling for, or approving of, prosecutions and punishments, fines and imprisonments, upon those who make public their objections to christianity. He says, "he was both ashamed and grieved at such persons." He remarks, what is indisputably true, that their conduct "betrays a diffidence of christianity;" that is to say, a want of belief in the truth of christianity. Who would go about to punish any man for contending that the three angies of a triangle were not equal to two right angles; however eager he might be for the purity of mathematical opinions, however important he might think the danger arising from the diffusion of mathematical error! The reason is, that having no doubt of the truth of the proposition, that the three angles in question are equal to two right angles, he would make no doubt that other people would see that truth as well as himself.-Whensoever, in matters of truth, of argument, of reason, a man gives up argument, and takes to force, one of two things is certain; either HE thinks the strength of the argument is not on his side; or, HE is a tyrant, who wants to do the work of reason by force; to punish, where argument alone would have performed the business.

Dr. Campbell says, that so far is christianity from having suffered any thing from the objections of those who dissented from it, that it has gained. He says more; he says, in the words immediately following those we have already quoted, "the assaults of infidels, I may venture to prophesy, will never overturn our religion; in effect, they only serve to make it strike its roots the deeper, and stand the firmer ever after." What possible pretext, therefore, can there be for violating, in this case, that liberty which Campbell boasts of as the peculiar

glory of our island; for sacrificing the great law of free discussion, to the love of pains and penalties, in a case where free discussion can never produce any thing but good?

Who among us, in any cause which he has the most at heart, is afraid of contradiction, when he is satisfied that he has reason and utility on his side? Let us appeal to one instance in which The PHILANTHROPIST is not a little concerned. When we heard of persons, persons of talents and reputation, writing and speaking against the Lancasterian plans of education, did we think this a source of danger to the cause of the education of the poor? Very far from it, indeed. We rejoiced in it, as one of the most certain means of bringing the best plans of education into more perfect light, and of aiding the grand cause of instruction. This, we said, will excite atten tion. This will draw men to inquire. This will kindle zeal. As our only desire is, that men should see things as they really are, those who call upon others to look at them, though our antagonists, are our friends. They are our coadjutors; they contribute infallibly to the gaining of our end.-If this was just reasoning in that case; as who will doubt? it is equally just reasoning in regard to every well-founded cause. It is only necessary for the friends of truth to persevere; to hold up the evidence of their cause to the light; and over all opposition from mere argument or discourse, however skilfully managed, their success is infallible.

It is curious that the infidels should demonstrate more confidence in the goodness of their cause, than so many of the friends of religion. What David Hume was afraid of wasnot lest his doctrines should meet with opponents, but lest they should fail in meeting with them. He was far from wishing that men should be deterred by fear of punishment from writing against them. He on the other hand exulted when he heard of an answer, and looked upon it as one of the surest causes of their celebrity and success. And had his doctrines been, as he believed them, true, there could be no doubt that he was well founded in his conclusion.

If we consult experience, we shall find that this deduction. of reason is most wonderful y confirmed by fact. All the more eminent attacks which have been made upon christianity within our memory, have been attended not only with fresh exertions, to render its evidence more clear and cogent, but really have excited anew the spirit of practical christianity; have made men more in earnest about their religion, and more careful to exhibit in their lives the fruits which it is its glory to yield. The publication of the infidel works of Lord

Bolingbroke produced the celebrated productions of Lord Littleton and Mr. West; the works of Mr. Hume produced the admired answers of Campbell, Beattie, Douglas; and lastly, The Age of Reason of Thomas Paine produced the masterly vindications of the Bishop of Llandaff, and of Dr. Paley. Of these important writings, which have done so much more service to christianity in this country, than all the writings of all the infidels have ever done evil, it is not likely that one would have ever existed but for the publication of the doctrines to which they were meant to serve as the antidote.

We do not think that we hazard contradiction, when we say, that in no country in christendom has there (to go back to the æra of the Reformation) been so much of genuine religion as in Great Britain; yet, a greater number of infidel writings have been published in this country, than in any other country of Europe. But what of that? More answers have been written to them; the evidence of christianity is here better understood; and it may be safely affirmed that fewer non-believers have at all times existed in Great Britain, than in any other country of Europe. Fewer non-believers, and more of sincere religion in that country which has most abounded with infidel writers, is a demonstration from fact, than which nothing stronger can be desired, that it is of no benefit to religion, but the contrary, to prosecute infidel writings. It was for centuries remarked, that in Italy, and in Rome itself, where it was least allowed to publish any thing against Christianity, the number of unbelievers was greater than in all the rest of Europe. So that there is also most unbelievers and least of sincere religion, where there is fewest infidel writers.

It is with extreme pain and grief, therefore, that we contemplate the very few instances in this country, in which the spirit of christianity has been so far violated, and its interests misunderstood or betrayed, as to produce a prosecution and punishment, for a libel, as they call it, on christianity. If there are among the clergy who hate the disturbance of their ease, it n ay be more agreeable to them to answer an objector by a prosecution and a dungeon, than by a demonstration of his erior, and by the vigilant guardianship of their flocks. But is there any thing in the religion of Jesus that countenances such a proceeding? Does it appear from any thing ever said or done by him, that he meant his religion to be propagated or upheld by the sword or the dungeon? As perfect wisdom does nothing in vain, the grand and public display of miracles ceased with the apostles; and what was it, from that time forward, which enabled christianity to triumph over all

the wit and argument of Greece and Rome? Punishment was employed against it, not for it. And it has been remarked by a great master in the history of christianity, that so long as it was supported by the pure force of its own evidence and its genuine effects on the lives of its followers, it flourished and spread; the moment political power began to operate in its favour, its progress was arrested, and it counts not another nation among its conquests from that day to the present. The alliance of the church with the state was fatal to the progress of the Gospel. When men began to be rewarded for being christians, and punished for not being so, christianity began to be corrupted. And it was a necessary consequence every insincere and dishonest man was by this discipline rendered a professing christian; and introduced into the bosom of the christian community all the vices which he cherished in bis own. Much did it import christianity that it never should have been rendered any man's temporal interest, to profess himself a christian rather than any thing else.

No man can deny that the argument of the catholic is a good one; that it is in the highest degree inconsistent and shameless in the protestants to rail at the catholic religion for its persecutions, while the persecutions of the protestants are the same in kind, and sometimes not far from the same in degree. In the mind of the catholic, christianity is the church; and whatever is not the church is not christianity. Where the catholic persecutes a non-catholic, he persecutes one whom he is far from deeming a christian. He says, therefore, and he says with truth, You, the protestants, persecute in the same sense in which you pretend to hate the catholics for persecuting. You poison in your dungeons those who dissent from what you deem christianity, just as catholics used to poison in their dungeons those who dissented from what they deemed christianity. If the protestant urge that he persecutes those only who say they are not christians, but the catholic persecutes those also who say they are; the catholic may reply, So then persecution or non-persecution with you depends upon what a man says, not what he does. An infidel may attack christianity in all its forms, and all its parts, and provided he continues to say he is a christian, he is secure. By this mode, the insincere man, who is ready to profess himself to be what he is not, receives protection; the sincere man, who cannot profess himself to be what he is not, is punished by you, and punished for his sincerity. And this is your improvement upon popery!

Some people think they escape the enormities which would

otherwise attach to this species of persecution, and provide an answer to all objections, by saying, that it is permitted to any man to be an infidel, provided he does not publish his infidelity. But this degree of toleration has latterly at least been enjoyed by heretics in catholic countries. In the opinion of the persons who thus answer the objections to the persecution of infidels, is this degree of toleration enough? Would this satisfy them in regard to the different classes of Christians? Ought those who object to the episcopal form of church government; or to the doctrine of infant baptism; or to the doctrine of original sin; or to that of the trinity; to be prosecuted and imprisoned if they publish their opinions? As such a doctrine, if any man were to avow it, would meet in this country with the detestation which it deserves, it is not to be apprehended that any man will avow it; the greatest lover of punishment for opinions, will only demand it upon the head of the nonbeliever. But for what reason? For the love of the thing? For the pleasure of making a fellow-creature suffer torment in a dungeon? We have seen above that it can be for no advantage which accrues to christianity, because christianity is not injured by the publications of those who dissent from it.

But without enlarging upon the enormity of such a sentiment, of which we hope there are few of our readers who will not of themselves feel a proper sense, let us only observe how it stands in point of consistency. The attorney-general, who prosecutes, says, as representative of the church, in her eleventh article: "We are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by faith, and not for our own works or deservings ;" and in the eighteenth, "they also are to be had accursed, that presume to say, that every man shall be saved by the law or sect which he professeth, so that he be diligent to frame his life according to that law, and the light of nature. For Holy Scripture doth set out unto us only the name of Jesus Christ, whereby men must be saved;" also in the first," There is but one living and true God. And in unity of this Godhead there be three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity,-the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost;" and in the eighth, "The three creeds, Nice creed, Athanasius's creed, and that which is commonly called the apos les' creed, ought thoroughly to be received and believed; for they may be proved by most certain warrants of Holy Scripture." Now the creed of Athanasius says, "Whoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith. Which faith except every one keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlast