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Show £6.11] fl LETTER concerningPcrfl'czzz‘fm reformer flgcr, the filzzi/zlcmmce gf' t/Jc Clergy, American B/fl‘apr, (7714' [be State of To/i'ratzb/z 2‘12 Old England and New England compared *1 SIR, IUnderitand from the public papers, that in the debates on the bill for relieving the Dif- fenters in the point of fubfcription to the church articles, fundry reflections were thrown out againi't the people; importing, that they themfelves are of a perfecuting intolerant fpirit,' for that when they had the fuperiority, they perfe- n cuted the church; and (till perfccute it in Alme- rica, where they compel its members to pay taxes for maintaining the Prefbyterian or Independent l worthip, and at the fame time refufe them a to- 5 leration in the full exercife of their religion, by il l the adminif'trations of a biihop. If we look back into hiitory for the character Of [[16 DgZ/T'iituu, &c. 75 another. The firl'r Protel‘tants of the church of England blamed perfecntion in the Romifla church, but praétifed it againft the Par/£12725 : thel‘e found it wrong in the bifhops, but fell into the fame practice both here and in New England-To account for this, we fliould remember, that the doctrine of toleratz'on was not then known, or had not prevailed in the world. Perfecution was therefore not to much the fault of the feet as of the times. It was not in thofe days deemed wrong in izflrljl The general opinion was only, that thofe w/Jo are 2'72 error ought not to perfecute {be truth: but the pqfléflérs (f frat/J were in the right to perfecute error, in order to def'troy it. Thus every feet believing itfelf polTeflZid of all? trail), and that every tenet differing from theirs was error, conceived that when the power was in their hands, perfecution was a duty required ofthem by that God whom they fuppofed to be offended with herefy.-By degrees, more moderate and more modefl fentiments have taken place in the Chrifiian world; and among Proteftants of the prefent feéts in Chriltianity, we {hall find particularly, all difclaim perfecution, none vin- few that have not, in their turns, been perfe- cutors and complainers of perfecution. The primitive Chrif'cians thought perfecution extremely wrong in the Pagans, but praétifed it on one dicate it, and few praétife it.--We fliould then ceafe to reproach each other with what was done by our anceitors, butjudge of the prefent cha- racter of feéts or churches by their przfim‘ condué? only 9". * [The above letter firit appeared in one of the public papers on 71m: 3, 1772, and feems to have been atddretied to the printer. The {pirited writer of the Tram 1mm 10 2/22 yrs/am republiflled it in an appendix to that pamphlet, without, however, naming Dr. Franklin as the author, but exprefling it to be the produt‘tion ‘ of ‘ a gentleman highly refpeéted in the literary world.' 13.] another. . Now " [‘fI‘oleration in religion, though obvious to common under- ‘ Handing, was not however the production of reafon, but 0fcom~ ‘ merce. The advantage of toleration for promoting commerce, L 2 ‘ was |