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222 SUBJECTS. POLITICAL AND COMMERCIAL unwelcome Truth (unwelcome I mean at its: firfl: Appearance) ought to be fiich an one, whole Competency of Fortunejoinecl to a natutural Independency of Spirit, places him in that happy Situation, as to be equally indifferent to the Smiles, or Frowns either of the Great, or the Vulgar? LASTLY, fome Perfons perhaps may wonder, that, being myfelf a Clergyman, I have laid nothing about the Perfecution which the Church of England daily fulTers in America, by being denied thofe Rights which every other Sect of Chriflians f0 amply enjoys. I own I have hi» therto omitted to make Mention of that Cir» cumflance, not thro' Inadvertence, but by Defign; as being unwilling to embarrafs my gene» ral Plan with what might be deemed by fome Readers to be foreign to the Subject: And therefore I fhall be very fl‘lOl‘t in whatI have to add at prefent. THAT each religious Perfualion ought to have a full Toleration from the State to worfhip Almighty God, according to the Diétates of their own Conlciences, is to me f0 clear a Cafe, that I {hail not attempt to make itclearer; and nothing but the maintaining fome monfl‘rous Opinion inconfifient with the Safety of Society, ---and that not barely in Theory and Speculai tion, but by 0pm Practice and oat-ward Aé‘tions, --I fay, nothing but the moweflv maintaining of 22; fuch dangcmm Principles can jul'tify the Magif. trate in abridging any Set of Men of thefe their natural Rights. It is all‘o equally evident, that the Church of Engimzd doth not, cannot fall under the Ceniure of holding Opinions inconfifient with the Safety ofthe State, and the Good of Mankind,«-~evcn her Enemies theml'elves being judges: And yet the Church of England alone doth not enjoy a Toleration in that full Extent, which is granted to the Members of every Other Denomination. What then can be. the Caufe of putting fo injurious a Dif'tinétion between the Church of Ezzgimzd, and other Churches in this Refpeét? The Realbn is plain. The Americans have taken it into their Heads to believe, that an Epifcopate would operate as .m,‘ fome further Tie upon them, not to break loofe from thofe Obligations which they owe to the Mother-Country -, and that this is to be ufed as an Engine, under the Maltrue of Religion, to rivet thofe Chains, which they imagined we are forging for them. Let therefore the MotherCountry herfelt‘refign up all Claim of Authority over them, as well Ecclefiaftical as Civil, let her declare Nofllz-zlmerz'm to be independent of Great-Britain in every Refpe5t whatever -,--- let her do this, I lay, and then all their l'ears will vaniih away, and their l'anics be at an End 2 And then, a Bifhop, who has no more Connections with England either in Church or State, than fuch. |
