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/ j^l «ii JkccovsTT or RELIGIOUS BELISF iir ^BK VMS oir J0IIW JiY^lft 4v K^IIBB&G...XOW£R Cm»9^ £■*.'■ ^ ■i"";jF'" , ' ffe :^ tivir|BryM»tOR or wet: — 4i- mi ^mim*!^ CASE OF JOHN RYAN. Hoirlang wilMtbe before mankind will have sufHcieftt wisdom 't<» cow^that the certainty of truth and the sstfety of the public, depend lore on the mora] character, uprightness of conduct) and well knoewn VQ^^ and integrity than it does on the religious, of i^pposed irreli- l<»l^heUef of any man whatever? Mankind are to be tested by their eneipl character and conduct^ aild !^t by (heir speculati're notions^ pi«i be hon- spite of public opiju.on| anl pl^ll i^ ""^ ijuise of.religw)^ w®"^^^*^f^o]|f itpti in the eyes of thj^ ||B|#e characteiv anil scch it O30 hard case oriT J^hw Btan, of I, Lower Cana4a, who stands high ts a moral and upright n^n, TagtJ^^i bat/:7ho is supposed to be incompetent to Ull ai]pf ..^f tooi^ i|^4 iecnUdemce, becau#i&, on acconnt of his belief, he i» '"] to hit miM^\i^B^ttom taking an oath — or, in other irords, frot& 'legiltdtsumony vnder oath. He has already been,|Rt «iS«i* ' ^rolihan once on tliit jgrtycdid^ as the following statement |{epeti^m# MCjUKlPi^incial Parliament of LoWttf 4«es8; fccot, hi The, illbate in the House of -iJMerred toUie Standili|r '^tJ»e ^liPM^ or Memoria) here refe ^ih^ Peoph of Lower Camtdif^.^ m$mb$ed, J''^" %l^i a mtin of Lower <^MMiia^ r!a'list,%ithi^'|^ e in tl^ljii|)i«l ;i, U.^C&fl>tfc>. .i ? sions in this city, touching the moral delinquency of one John Bccktord. Irrelevant questions were put to your Memorialist, and thoug-h consci- entiously replied to, the Court declared your Memorialist'H evidence inadmissible, and the culprit set at large. That in the month of August last, William Phillip?, one of the Jus- ticea of the Peace for the District, refused, (in consequence of the be- forementioned rejection) the attestation of your Memorialist. That on the ninth instant, P. X. Persault, one of the District Clerks of the Peace, suffered not your Memorialist to depose relative to the moral turpitude of a youth of this city, and who was not proceeded against. That your Memorialist as Agent to the Montreal Steam Tow Boat Coa)|»any in this city, enjoys a corofortabie situation, the Aonscious result or years of probity and assiduity. Incompetency as a witm^i. wiil not onljr deprive your Memorialist of his present employmfent^ iiot prove a serious obstacle in earnings a subsistence for a numerous 1ktitA\f wholly dependent on your Memorialist. AVherefore your Memorialist earnestly implores restoration of ei|VH-^; rights. And as in duty bound, grateftilly acknowledged. ;' * 5ghn RWf^. Quebec, 24th Dec. 1831. The facts as appeared befbte the CoQunittee,, and their 1*^drt th«>W>* on, are the following, which we copy from the " Canadian <3oitrft!iti** Committee Room, House of Assombly. Present Messrs. Ctiie^l, President, Duval, Morin, and Vijgfeii'* Evidence of John M^em, On the^ltth of July last, I attended the Courts of Q,i:artbr Se^ion in this City, to give evidence in stippoTt o! an indictmeitt aifiaiinst one Jolm Becltf(yr4t for larceny, llav'ing^ b«if^j Kworn, ^BB at the instance of the ]>e^Bdaht9 Council sworn, den»v<^ the Fbi ihre to answer such questions as should theti be put %^ The first question was in tlieicib wing wordki — Of what religion are you ? Tasked to know what he m«{tmt by religion, on it^ieii^lgl'iRtked nM if I btHiv«d la a God ? ,?^ ', , Jo this l^nswered No, not in the (ifcod of the J«w« Ot0lir|jrtiiii»#^ W|« Couit deliberated and decided that I was an iac<^|p||^!^ilt S^ W^^you asked do you lielii^^i&v%/»t«^^'«Ute of >T«ai^>oiiishnients ? : 1^1(1 the lAonth of Augast last, I ^Ikm^^if the Justices of the V^tl^ti ti^ that he should recdve i^ || bh I thoa placed befoifohim. ^. deelejion given in tbt €|tt«ft«[^liMMj|^,4. Hi^d w. Piiiiiips a«^ ktioiM^m^Mimk^^iii^ ,io|is?V' '- ' ' '^^.^^ ■JW*''- d ftidn4itdil tU« truth ^f^ %fiVi vmn n^tfe h || || i||ltiiiu a ^^W^P^WBWiKfc-'-i •ijfciiS^* On the f>th Dec. la;it, F. X. PcrrauU, Esq. one of the Clcrloi of the Peace declined to draw up my deposition as i.s usually done by him, as- iiignins^ the .lamo reason as Mr. Piiillipd. Inf'rrogaL'd. Did W. P. ask you if you believed in a future state of rewards and punishments? Answer. No. February 18th, the Committee reported as follows :— < ornmittoe on Courts of Justice. Present Messrs. Q,uesnel, President ; Panet, Viger, Duval, and Morin. On the Memorial of John Hyan. Your Committee, aflor having ex- amined the Petitioner, on the merits of his petition, and the. circum- stance that gave rise to it, are unanimously of opinion, Uiat tliis House I ciuinot interfere in this particular case. Thut the law of the land, rel- ' ^tive to the oath to be taken by Witness, in Che several Courts of S^s- ' ticA, wm explicit, and in conformity to the said laws, the Petitioner haV- r^ rtffbsed to comply to take the usual oath, and not having demanded \'!fib1»if» the said oath, under any of the forms allowed by l&w, the Peti- I istotv^ eaoDot be admitted} as an evidence. Tho whole humbly submitted. [Signed] I J. A. QUESNELL, President. . !Slr. Neilson-said, that he should, as having presented the petition, if it hftd not ht&A too late in the Session, he would have moved for the re- port to be referred to a Committee of the whole House ; bnt he would jn[«|rose that the consideration of it should be resumed next Session. — ;^ni was not however presaed^ and the nittiter dropped. i \ pti the above we shall offer af^v^ word* \»f way of comnieut First, iip order te brinff the subject fiiirlf before our readers, \ve extract the |m|owin|f from the **■ Quebec Gaaette*' of lanaary 3, IB'^ which gives outline of the debates in the House of Assembly. V Neilson presented a {>et}tion from Jolhn Ryan atating[ that on it Ir^re the Q.uarter Sessions of Q^u^i^bec of a man fordetrandiug tho rieam Tow Boat Company, in which he (Mr. Ryan,) as agent, was the pfmecuU>tf certain irrelevant questions were put to him, after lie hkd ^m sworn, in^ iiseiase^iKuttce of his answers to which, the CoBml-xei^MNBd |oJ|imit his teilAkoony, and the pskoner was discharg^^d; tM pn an- 'w^_ occasion, in \he moftth of August last, having ap(died to^a Ins ' $f the. Peace for a wjarraltt te take up a man for larceny, the ll (iised to talltfcliiK ba^tlM^ be could not obtain a warrant i "^' ilar w:ay on t ^ijjyfell fccember instant, the Clerk of Ibe &|«tally i^^iWHHHK^ oath ; and praying for « vesieralio|t nsthtAi wlMllXnSa^lKlieen deprived. ^^■'■^iW^WwM'0^'W^^^ iniphed a reflection, the i gtf i pl i r JlP^-W-dfeyk of the Peace, wi' ' . Mt w«s sensible of the greaf ^, pistitioner from the inptgr i^iniMr liad placed himself | wiskM the |te#^erwaa a mauef Ifti^foiw rming aft^b^ tinttes to. si 'm employeifti [n nlM ^0 ^tineerel ^cter Tianaer, perfo: '!-M& .... r the 1, as- stttte lent ; nately there wasone4ittle bhmish, notin his chancter,butin ln?< licad. Oil one point the man was cracked in tiie head — there was a point up- on which he was actually insane. He does not believe in a Gnl, or in a future state, and this he avowed in the court. The court could thnrc- fore do no otherwise than rufuse his testimony ; such is the law of the land — those who do not believe in a God of some kind or other, or in a future state, are not admissible as witnesses in any of our courts. Tins is a perfectly free coimtry as to religious opinions ; there can be no ob- jection to his professing any religion or no religion, Atheism, Deism, or MahometanisnSI ; but if he boasts publicly of his atheism, he ought to know, JUid must abide the consequence. But the plain truth is, that in tills particular pairt the man is insane. Mr. Neiison did not want to know any tiling but that the petitioner ptayed for a restoration of civil rights. If any individual in *^*^ thinks himself injured in them, his oul^ recourse was to come t»„^m9 House, and pray for redress. Law objections having been made, jt would be right to refer the petition to the Standing C(munittoe ea Courts of Justice* Mr. Stuart bad by no mean* meaM any ditrespect either to tiiff ItdH^ , orable member or the individnalin qoestioo. He and eveiy 1i*Qiil9^ Ittitfir , Mr. Ryan as a person who was irreproachably correct hi Vs eoate^^i, and in every remtion of life ; andneiwilUistanding any speeqiative opfeti* ions he might entertain, his eiHiseienUouBnes^t was displayed b}^ liii^ very declaration which had hrmigbt this inconvenience upon himiiliii the more so, as it was evidently a|^iest his own manifest intereet^f* that this weoldbe hlgll^#j^rioneto Mbi in his prospects in tifei^^f^l be evidentj'l^it mu^iniie^ss«tSy d^^^ otherwise very nw#"^^'"^ man, with a toily, of ^ »d«aiB^ sltnatien which he with a credit and eapiiE^y that 1^i>d^^t^-0 met with. S.) vegrretted this as much as an^ pf»^ bat it could not be helped. Mr. Neilscm withiittt fuHher|dv«Ftif»ig to the injinrioas con ' to the petjtk^ner, would say ^t he |ii«dr had heardtbe «)tf h eion enti, on his moral charactet^ nor, he believed, had mf9m evir ii^, puted 1^ least reproach to li1&* E^to as the father of m fkmily, % vref 4i^0ted jpatizeb, and an indefiiiid^ie agent f|il^s^ ana up- I 6 rigiit. man, as to liave his "head a little cracked!" And even the wor- thy President of the Committee seemed to think a ^litllc hypocrisy^ would liave suited his turn much better I It is not .so mudi for Mr. Ryan, l)Ut for the people for whom and with whom they should sympathize. One villain, it would seem has escaped punishment already ; and how many more will escape time only will determine. They will no longer need the darkness of the niirht to cover their villiany; — but' in the pre- sence of such honest men as John liyan, — men who are too honest to lie, or even to dissemble to save their reputation, they may go on in open day light, steal, rob, ravish, murder, or set fire to your dwellingfs, and all witii impunity. And why ? Why ! forsooth — it is bocauae that men who are too honei^t to be hypocrites are not to be belived; and no oth^ltt being witnesses to the fact, the culprit or culprits must ** be ac- nuitt«!ii!" Canadians ! what are you about.'' poesi it necessarily follow »piVb#cause a man does not believe, because he has too much good sense i^lwRliwe in the imreiaginary or cruel Gods of the Tews, Christians or Jbmi^t tbat he must be considered an aOtoi atheiat ? In relation to all t^eiiods which are made up ofattributes only, without any substance, iiftllnf^be} but not in relation to tbat which is the cause of life in all liv^ i&j| b^MJigs, wbetberit be animal or vegetable life.' I'hat such a cause iexMifta is as certain as it is certain that the effect is true ; and no man ye;^ wis erer capable of being to mt(eb b^ ftn Atheist at to doubt it. But v^ajtmord do we or any oneelso'kiiow^ ftbout it? Notite[: just nothing at M* it is this, that or the other atrtbute^ tfaerefeitef wMch fanatics at- tain to this principle of life, thftt thos9 who «te tilled Atheists, deny, 4»l«iA which they do not believe i|itifti)i<)t4hoeil^fc6iice of the principle y. The only attribute we iltiefc lo it^^lHii of po|»!er-*-po>»rer to Iwbatever is done-^nothii^ !««?, «n?«l nolfeitginoje. The moral tie ii binds such men to tntth^ to apeak the^rath^ alt oocaaiotif, either Ifcourt or out of court, i» that of jMltlitff} aikd he i^fco wiU not be %^ky this tie, would not be hoatt^ hy all the mumoieftea of a relig- - i^h ; which are but a tnere modtery of the religion of htm who otiiiwaRdeci hisfc d^mf^les to ** swear not «t all."— J5o«£jn J^«?««%«rf#» Yes, accortiing to ^e gospel, Je6tti savs, "SW^EAE NOT A^ ' * !" How Q^1^i>9€< then be Chrislians,' who not oflly ail^w w)^^* di(weftr.tb0«|ielVe«^^UteompeI o^ers to sweaiy^i' to ^^<>' Vtf which is tantamount to swearing, eVten against thek ei|fpi ^»*»*^''' cienee ^ Would it not? he^ better, and even 8aferi,^?l||lE<^ ■'>.r testimony nte'ri against |he tri leave hii ' '" nothin , Th%.^.««-, Unto^ie{fCrY4 ^el aware "j^ pom l^e tftti j^ Thefo^ jEnquifor, mgfl^all L stence 0f a >ii^o^ and honor ? If any tli| _^^*l^acity of tlie witness, ^ .Wppns entirely otit of m %\if^%\%ht, of his testtmc^ny. remarl^^from the Boston inveitti ree ^q^hrer, with remarks ; an4 ^~''' ^Irilh ftirthet comments, as pife fol p> Wiiic^ wa^ copied into the {Written iji^fipom one of te laoonaiste ii l ^jyi > 4j afeiuri'' follies, persecutlsifor ^ i wor- ould One any need pre- 8t to n in ings, that d no eac- bllov ense i or to all ance, llliv- ause man But mg at :s at- deny, iciple ver to ■al tic sither oi be re Jig- - wb0 BOTH SIDES. While relipjionibts urg^e the belief in God as preliminary to correct opinions of other things, and as the only basis on which to erect a mor- al superstructure that will bear investij^ation, or support its advocates in the hour of temptation or trial ; auti-reiigionists deemed the admis- sion of such a dogma unworthy a rational being, calculated to check the spirit of free enquiry, to which alone they look for the discover)' of all the truth which can be made subservient to profit or pleasure. It is difficult to conceive how both can be right, without granting that both may be wrong. There is a God, that is an independent existence, extraneous to man or there is not; such a being exists or does not exist, whether men believe or disbelieve; thus far there can be no disagreement; no one pretends that either affirmative or neorative of this question is dependent on his opinion; the truth rs because it always was thus, or so, he merely professes to have found it ; had he not found it, it would nevertlieless have been the truth. It is of more importance then might be supposed on a curso- ry view, let men decide as they may on this unsettled question^ li^ per- ceive that their decision neither cu ates nor annihilates, but merely re- lates to an antecedent fact. This being so, it would seem that the mere circumstance of belieC pr unbelief can be of little consequence only so far as one or the otbih: state of .nind may have influence on the conduct of life. If it cVkife shewn that those who profess belief in a God cannot be g«od men, be.- cause such belief has a natural tendency to evil, and reference be had to all the facts to establish this tendency ; or if it be shown on the other hand that unbelief tends to immorality and facts be adduced to prove that they are incompatible and irreconcilable, then in either case "will the opponents of the one, or the other, have reason to press the importance of their dogma. But if neither can be done, if there can be found among those who believe and those who doubt, men eminent for the correctness of their lives, immorality will have to be accounted for on sonde other principle than faith or the want of it. And such is the fact. There are good men of all opinions, and no opinions respect* il^bn$eeii things, sufficient to break the association in every dispas^^ (ilQii^te, unprejudiced mind between opinion and goodness ; hence the cti^$$ of error must be sought elsewhere than in speculative theory. ig^|k»ston ilivc in an article relating to the rejection of rlRytn'$ testtmohjf, has some very judicious sentiments. Speaking l^^ilif aicen^piet^cy to give evidence in Canada, on account of his aS. ,^ a fe A r i M . : -. jt'ig aid i— ^ .loii to ill tbe Gods which are made up of a^butes only, i^ Substaaiee he may disbelieve ; but not in relitiQn to l^at me Cause of life in all living beings, whether M<^ animal or iife. That such a cause exists, ts liieiifliHy^ certain Bt is true, and no n>an yet w%d ever ^iip|pd ;|^]^eing so L^a^eist as to doubt it What more dir "we bi^i|g|^ne ©lee it * ;^otUingH«st nothing at all. It is th^paat, ;.ei^||e Iter;::;' ^;^s*u other attribute, therefore, which fanatics attach to this principlo of life, that those who arc called atheists deny, or in which they do not believe^ and not the existence of the principle itself. The only attribute wc n^ach to it is that of power — power to do whatever is done — nothing less and nothing more. The moral tie that binds such men to truth — to speak the truth on all occasions, either in court or out of court, is that of utility, and he who will^ not be bound by this tie, would not be bound by all the mummeries of a religious oath; which arc but a mere mockery of the reli>rion of him who commanded his disciples to "swear not at all." I have said or tried to say, a thousand times what is contained in the above paragraph, always pressing it upon those to whom it was said, that there is no belief in it, but knoudedgef eertaiUf positive knowltdge. The effector consequent, being of necessity depended on, is always ab- solute ; unquestionable proof^ of the cause or antecedent ; and a little coiin investigation will show, that it is indeed only about attributes that men can dispute. I for one am perfectly satisfied that each man should have just such a God as pleases his own taste, if he can imagine such a one and be^ lieve in it, the only reservation I would make is, that he should not have attributes requiring or permitting his devotees so to act, that unhappi- ntss to their fellows must result from their actions ; or ^ey may suit ^lllimselves with attributes, if they will allow him quantum sujfficit of jtultice and impartiality. I trust I shall not soon quarrel with my neigh- bor about his religion, if his equal God requires Kim to do to others as he would wish them to do to him, though I may f&ult his morality,, if his practice is not in accor ^ance with this requisi^on. I have as little apprehension of a rupture with my neighbor on the other hand, for his scepticism ; if his nature; or whatever he pleases to call it leads him to the same just practice, ht> must of necessity have my approbation ; it is as in the oUier case, invciuntarv. If on the con-^ trary it permits him to be unjust, the blame must flill on himsolf ;~'^I liowever see no alternative. If it would not be thought obtrusive f t would recommend to both, that the morality of th^r systems jihould ^ot^ nmell too strong of that which has obtained currency in this our VfmVSi of civilixation and refinement. JSTeW'Yifrk Ftet . 0.: I llave selected the foregoing article partly for 1^ pi ducing some remnrks upon the extract it contaica AfO^A: vestigator, which were crowded out when we iii^dli^d'ji John Ryan*s case. Abner Kneeland, the author of the extract, in eoiiS0qti«iic«i merly being a prominent member of a religious soctety', and tM up,h]u9 own eonvietions, which led him out of the nturrow eonfin^ ta^uusm-^j^Dbor^ lor adhering with inflexible integrity to W| BiSoto l!!!tlil!|.''y*W^ .lift' tbi'^ in opposition to his pecuniai^ i^ib his vi^Uirable head the anathemas aB#1 hUBKin degradation "rora one end of^^^i 'fc- Li w w\ ■ ft?;V Hk'^ ■ --^'r^. ./7^«F^ 55'?t,' 9 Let his brethren, who m the lans;uage of the pious crusadors have iaid to him "stand off, I uin liolier than thou;' let thcin r«^ad this ex tract, and enquire after its int;aniiio[, htihetnask, what is Athci.srn? and ■why is Abner Kneeland an Atheist ? Is it 'locause he disbelieves in a spirit or power in nature ''ihtt.*. is the cause of life m all living^ beings;" certainly not ; for here is his own strong lan-,nja;^'C to show, that no man was ever so much of an Atheist as to douot tlie existence of such a cause or spirit. Then what is it tliat his brethren persecute him for ? Is it because he disbelieves in the authenticity of the Bible ? No — for all sects construe the bible differently, to suit their own prejudices; and of course are unbelievers and heretics with one another. The first Protestant martyr was Agnes Morton, who was ordered in- to the flames by Bishop Shaxton for not believincr that the bread and wine administered at the altar, were the identical flesh and blood of Je- sus Christ. She was led into this heresy by discovering that the bread v/aa liable to decay, and would mould like other bread. But the lan- guage of scriptnre was imperative, according tojthe bishop. He said the words of the Saviour were plain, and could not be misunderstood ; that such a perverse and obstinate disposition ought to meet an examplary punishment, and ordered the flame to the faggot. Such now is about the difference between Abner Kneeland and hii5 brethren. An Atheist is one who rejects the popular creeds and opin- ions of the Church, and Abner Kneeland does not believe as the church believes. He has discovered that the bread and wine administered at the altar are liable to grow mouldy and sour ; or in other words^ that the idol of sectarianism is not " the cause of life in all living beings ;" and therefore he must be thrown into the fire. But as they dare not burn his body, they heat the firey furnace of bigotry and intolerance ''se- ven times hotter than it is wont to be heated," then cast his reputation, iiis good name, and all that is dear in life into it. Such is the character of professing christians, and such will ever be the melancholy consequen- ces of persecution for opinions. The religion of the Bible is a tradi- tional religion, and all traditional religionists will persecute. Its fol- lowers stray away from the living principle within them ; they build up physical and intellectual images, made up of the whimsical effusions of th«# pjm strange conceits — images of something "eitlier in heaven or earti^ ;^— >and then, like Nebuchadnezzar, require all sects and classes, |||Qd UQ^J^nee, to fall <1owti and worship them. All those who refuse to which they have set up; all those whose minds are «rio5gh to make an idol of that which is "the cause of life in 'Wih^l»''are Infidels, Deists, Atiieists, disbelievers in the ex- a ^^V^hen the whole offence, carried out and explained, ^iiriore than a disbelief in the ima^e or idol that sectarianism ' Lted : thus showing, what the history of all former ages has ithe infidels, so called, are the true believers ; that they are ^forming to the law which Moses gave to the children of Is- iding them " to form no image of God, of any thing, either fv^ii earth ;" while Christian professors are not i^l^ in the Hating this law, but of making a breach of t%i|^'pretexfc llfjtterest persecution upon thone who ftdhew to it Iroio ■>&ge their character now ? Has not the march of impi ways been arrested by the fear of unbelief? and do we limit to human knowledge, or abatement in the superstitious^ G^ ? Is not this dread of unbelief the same it ever was f teirmintidfmd implacable foe human to happiness. And "^ vfiij^ Ajfip'h all such per- sons *'shall bo capable of beiuij elected into any office of profit or trust," &c. "and shall fully and freely enjoy every privilege and immu- nity enjoyed by others of their foUovv suhjects," yet it does not per- haps, necessarily follow, that, Free Enquirers are to have this priv- ilecje. In the Constitution of Pennsylvania, Declaration, art. 2d, after de- claring; "'that all men have a natural and unalienable right to worship Almighty God dccording to the dictates of their own conscience and understanding," declares, "nor can any man who acknowledges the be- ing of a God, be justly deprived or abridged of any civil right as a cit- izen, on account of his religious sentiments, or peculiar mode of religi- ous worship :" Sic. Yet, rather inconsistent with the above, in the Plan or Frame of Government, art. 10, « ach member of tlio Lejrislature, before he takes his seat, is made to acknowledge not only his belief in God, "the Cre- ator and Governorof the Universe," but also he must subscribe to the following, "I do acknowledge the scriptures of the Old and New Testa- ment to be given by divine inspiration." This is the only "religious test;" but even here, "each Member" is made to acknowledge what no one knows, or can know to be true, and Virhat reason and common sense show to be false, in any other sense than that every book is given by inspiration ; for "there is a spirit in man. and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth him understanding." Job, xxxii. a. In the Constitution of the Stat/^ of Delaware the same "unalienable right" is recognized ; and, in the Declaration, it says, — %/lrt. 3. "That all persons professing the Christian religion, ought forever to enjoy equal rights and privileges in this state, unless under rolor of religion any man disturb the peace, the happiness, or safety of society." The Constitution of that state, like the present Constitution of the .State of New York, precludes clergymen of any denomination from "holdinof anv civil office in the stale." The Constitution of North Carolina guarantees, art. 19, "That aU men have a natural and unalienable right to worship Almighty God ac- cording to the dictates of their own consicence." Here Sie imibieet ul left without any restrictions whatever. The Constitution of South Carolina, art. 13, says, "The qU of electors shall be, that every free white man, and no othof^ ' acknowledges the being of a God, and believes in a futui wards ant] punishments," &c. &c. (many other qualifiC' be deemed a person qualified to vote," &c. And "no p« eligible to ait in the House of Representatives, unless ho bii^ tcstant religion," &c. What an excellent mode of makj This state aleo excludes clergymen from holding any vil offic0s» of state. Article -3^, aftw tolerating, "nil aersona and reU .'hML I .♦^'ilrt-»- I testant |h per- rofit or iinmu- kot per- ls priv- tcr de- |worship ice and the be- is a cit- )freligi- irame of le takes he Cre- e to the w Testa- mber" is true, and icr sense spirit in tanding." lalienable ion, ought 3SS under safety of on of the ion from That all f God acr subject iA u 13 uokriowledgc that Urtg ts one God," «fcc. says, "The* Ciiristian Protes- tant relinfion .-hall be deemed, and is hereby constituted and declared to' be the cstablibhcd religion of this state." Art. 72. ''No clergyman, of any denomination t-uall be allowed a seat in the legislature." The above extracts arc all taken from a London edition, by the Rev William Jackson, 1783. As to the row Constitution which have been aboi)ted(for .some ofthf; states had no Constitutions at that period) or the revision, amendment. or alterations which liave taken place m the old ones, we have at this moment no means of knowing ; we only know that the change, so far as there has been any, is in favour of the free exercise of religious, or even what may be thought by some, irreligious opinions, and the re- moval of all supposed disability, or disqualification, for the full en joyment of any civil right and privilege on that account. But this question does not, or at least it should not depend on any au- thority constituted by men ; but on the unalienable right of each and every individual of the human race, consequent on his existence, and growing out of the plain simple truth and nature of things. Man eith- er can help his opinions or he cannot. If he cannot, as is evidently the fact, to punish him for holding any opinion whatever, and what is dis- franchizing man, the taking away of any civil right, but a punishment ? It is punishing man either for what is right in itself,or else for what is his misfortune, not his fault. If a man has been so unfortunate, there- fore, as to come to an erroneous conclusion on any given subject,should not that, in itself, be considered a misfortune sufficiently great, with- out taking away any civil privilege on that accouut ? — a civil privilege which as an honest man, he ought to enjoy, and has still a right to enjoy, notwithstanding his supposed mi.^fortune ; why should this privilege also be taken away in addition to what he has already suffered if his conclusion be erroneous. But if his con- clusion should turn out, after all, to be the truth, though he might differ from all the world besides, would it not be hard, would not the publicf on the wholo be the loser, as well as the individual be the sufferer, to punish a man for holding to the truth, and fur having the moral courage to avow it ? ExtriKtofahtter to Mr. Rijan, da{ed ,Vau For/t, June 26f/i 1833. ''I j^y^ 0ympatlu6ed with you, my friend in your privations and per- ;a8 an individual you suffer ; as a constitutnt part of the great '"lip the advancement of a common cause. Believers say that lot to be attained but by suffering in every successive jrience shows that victim afler victim has to be offered the ignorance of nan. Ti you can find any consolation m that your trials siiall prove a public benefit,! hope you jelfofit. We had beiler be conscientious, and truafc I for one however wish that this were the eituatiion fellow feeling as I am susceptible <^, I subscribe .^os Gilbert. .«« 14 i ii The following extract from a late English work w)ll fully corrobor- ate the doctrine contained in the above statements. '* The fundamental error, of imputing guilt to a man on account of his opinions, has shrunk within narrower bounds ; but still it is far from be- ing exterminated. Men have extended their sphere of liberality, tliey have expanded their system of toleration, but it is not yet without limits. There is still a boundary in speculation, beyond which no one is allowed to proceed ; at which innocence terminates and guilt commenceH! ; a boundary not fixed and determinate, but varying with the creed of every parly. ** Although the advanced civilization of the age rejects the palpably absurd application of torture and death, it is not to be concealed, that, amongst a numerous clas.-?, there is an analogous, though less barbarous persecution, of all who depart from received doctrines — the persecution of private antipathy and public odium. They are looked upon as a spe- cies of criminals, and their deviations from established opinions, or, if uny one prefers the pliraso, their speculative errors, are regarded by many with as much horror as flagrant violations of morality. In tlie or- dinary ranks of men, wiiare exploded prejudices often linger for ages, this is scarcely to be wondered at ; but it is painful, and on lirst view un- accountable, to witness the prevalence of the same spirit in the republic of letters :— to see mistakes in speculation pursued with all the warmth of moral indignation and reproach. He who believes an opin- ion on the authority of others — wlio has taken no pains to investigate Its claims to credibility, nor weighed the objections to the evidence on ■which it rests, is lauded for his acquieser.ee, while obliquy from every side is too often heaped on the man who has nnnutely searched into the subject, and been led to the oppo.site conclusion. There are few things more disgusting to an onliohtunod mind than to see a number of men, a mob, wiietber learned or illiterate, who have never scrutinized the foun- dation of their oi)ir.ioiis, assailing with contumely an individual, who, after the labour ot reseurcii and reflection, has adopted different sen- timents from theirs, and pluming themselves on the notion of superior Virtue, because their understandings have been tenacious of preju- tiice. "This conduct is the more remarkable, as on every side we meet with the admission, that belief is not dependent on the will; and yet the same men, by whom this admission is readily made, will a^gue and inveigh on the virtual assumj)tionof the contrary. >, "Tiiis is a dtri!