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Jesus CJiristj the only person appointed t 6 exercise authority over the consciences of men . Whenever civil magistrates , assuraa dominion over the , faith of others , and punish them for their supposed heretical opinions , they arc guilty of a vile usurpation . To invest civil governors with authority to interfere with the con *
science ^ and punish men for their religious sentiments , is to constitute them odious tyrants , and lias a tendency to destroy all liberty . ** Mr . W . goes . an , in th § foliovving sections , to show that
persecution is irrational ^ anti-Christi an , highly injurious to the church , and baneful to Christia - nity ; that it has been disapprove c $ by wise and moderate men , in all ages , and that persecutors are the real heretics , and schismatics . This division of the work is
written with the spirit of Milton , the Strength of Locktv , and the ingenuity of Robinson , Chap . . 5 . Contains an account of the writings of Servetus , the chief of which were against the Trinity and other reputed orthodox notions . His Preface to the
{ 3 ib ! e and specimens of his Notes are here inserted . What he wrote relative to the circulation of the blood is given at length * The passage in jus edition of Ptolemy ' s Geography , which Calvin quoted as the ground of a criminal charge
against him , is fully considered ; and a letter to one of the ministers at , Geneva inserted as aspecjrn&n of his epistolary writings-Fromihesu ^ iTiary of the j 5 r > \ opinions , contained in chap . 6 . it appears he was a Unitarian
Baptist * clrnuxl the- popular n-pti'ori o ? original s $ n differed m " 4-ti'rially' from the reputed orthodox reformers m his yiinvs offchq
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law ^ nd gospel , an < J of J 4 istificai ttpn was singular in his ideas of the Jewish prophecies ^ and show ^ ed himself a ; zealous friend to Christiaiv liberty , In chap . 7 . Mr . W . vindicates Servetus , on the ground of natural right , of reason and
scripture of antiquity ; by the example of Calvin and his associates , by the effects produced by his writings and sufferiog-s , by the countenance his leading doctrine ^ have received from some of the
greatest men since that time ; and shows that his failings did not arise from a vicious principle . < The eighth and last i chapvi& an oration on Servetus , in which ths leading Gircumstances in the preceding hisfory are recapitulated , and placed before the reader in a light that must excite an ahtior-r rence of bigotry , and , -lead-him to cherish the principles of Chris * tian liberty . »
A variety of notes aiee added , in which the cause of religious liberty is pleaded with firmness and zealj and many important subjects are brought forward , ' and briefly considered . Mr . YWs de « sign in ( he notes seein g to be to give his work a more " direct bearing against bigotry and intolerance | ni ' all the forms they assume : consequently he pleads for Catholic emancipation , t \\ h abolition of th # of
test laws ^ spiritual courts ^ &c . and gives the due meed of praise to those n ho have distinguished thejnsvlves as the frjei | d $ of Christian libeialityy amotig whot ? i Mr Wright disJhrgniches th ^ -ce-tebratr ed W- Pen * i- / / ,
JlavjUig n <* w gi ^ en H fa , ittrfu ^ anal ysis of this'iu ^ resting jyvoek , \ ife sl \ ix \\ bog le « nre to recommeiid it to Uu \ noti € e of p . ur , i : e ^ rters * y ? It is the only complete life—that vv $
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Jan. 2, 1807, page 38, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2376/page/38/
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