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denied the doctrine of Providence and a future state, if they did not publish their formal doubts or denials of the existence of a Deity. Yet he argued, that it was beyond contradiction, that those nations maintained an excellent government, distributing public and private justice, and abounding in all knowledge and virtue, infinitely above those who have been, in modern times, the purgers, corruptors or executioners of books!

The Roman Emperors, he states, were tyrants; and none but tyrants would imitate their conduct, or think of quoting them as examples.

He remarks, in respect to the primitive Christians, that they observed no uniformity in regard to this subject. At first they encouraged the reading of all the heathen writers, but prohibited those which were heretical among themselves; afterwards they contended for the propriety of confuting the books of heretics, and suppressing the heathen works, even if they did not relate to religion; as he mentions a Carthagenian council, about A. D. 400, when even the bishops were prohibited from reading the works of the heathen writers. He shows, that had that infamous and barbarous resolution been thoroughly executed, as it was, to a considerable degree, to what a depth of meanness it would have reduced the world, depriving it of so many inimitable historians, orators, philosophers, and poets; the repositories of inestimable treasures, consisting of warlike and heroic deeds, the best and wisest rules of government, the most perfect rules and examples of eloquence and politeness, and such divine lectures of wisdom and virtue, that the loss of CICERO's works alone, or those of Livy, could not be repaired by all the fathers of the church. He proceeds to show, that where, in process of time, the clergy were exalted even above the chief magistrate himself, they burnt and destroyed every thing

which did not favour their power or superstition; and laid a restraint upon reading, as well as upon writing, without excepting the very BIBLE. Nor did they stop in their course till the inquisition reduced this abominable practice to the perfection of an art, by expurgatory indexes and licensing. He then shows, that all the consequences of such tyranny had been produced in England, such as depriving men of their natural liberty, stifling their parts, introducing of ignorance, engrossing all advantages to one party, and the like; and that all these objections had been made by the Presbyterians against the prelates before the civil wars; but now, finding themselves in the bishop's pulpits, and possessed of their power, they exer. cised the same authority, and even with more intolerable rigour and severity. Then, after having given the history of the origin, progress, and mischief of licensing, he proves, that if we regard the reasons usually alleged, to prohibit the publishing of any books besides, on the subjects he first excepted, such as the fear of wresting, or mistaking their meaning, then we must be prohibited from reading the Bible, the Fathers, or almost any other sort of books. He then, in the second place, shows that the ends proposed by licensing the press, could not by that means be attained. In the third place he contends, that no man is fit to be a licenser, nor in any one single faculty, unless he is universally learned, or a better scholar than all the authors whose labours he is to licence; and that admitting these things to be possible, which he did. not grant, he would neither find strength nor time enough to peruse all books; and should he use deputies, he was most likely to have ingorant, lazy, and mercenary fellows. He then points out the various discouragements which follow to all literature, and any new discoveries which is the pretence, in popish countries, and even to the not re

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printing of the ancient authors in any language, and comes to the conclusion, that licensing is both unjust in itself, and dishonourable to a free government. He exposes this practice with all the felicity of language, by a number of different representations. "A man," says he, "may be an heretic in the truth; and if he believes only because his pastor says so, or the Assembly' so determines, without knowing any other reason, though his belief be true, yet the very truth he holds becomes his heresy. There is not any burden that some would gladlier put off to another, than the charge and care of their religion. Who knows not that there be some Protestants who live in as arrant implicit faith as any lay papist of Loretto? A wealthy man, addicted to his pleasures and his profits, finds religion to be a traffic so entangled, and of so many piddling accounts, that of all mysteries he cannot bear to keep a stock going upon that trade; what does he therefore, but resolves to give over toiling, and to find out some factor, to whose care and credit he may commit the whole management of his religious affairs, and that he must be some divine of note and estimation! To him he adheres, resigns the whole warehouse of his religion, with all the locks and keys, into his custody,' and indeed makes the very person of that man his religion, esteem his associating with him a sufficient evidence 4 and commendation of his own piety; so that a man may his religion is now no more within himself, but is be come a dividual moveable, and goes and comes near him as that good man frequents the house. He entertains him, gives him gifts, feasts him, lodges him; his religion comes home at night, prays, is liberally supped, and sumptuously laid to sleep; rises, and is saluted, and (after the mamlsy, or some well-spiced beverage, and better breakfasted than he whose morning appetite would

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have gladly fed on green figs between Bethany and Jerusalem,) his religion walks abroad at eight, and leaves his kind entertainer in the shop, trading all day without his religion!

"Nor much better will the consequence be among the clergy themselves. It is no new thing, never heard of before, for a parochial minister who has his reward, and - is at his Hercules Pillars in a warm benefice, to be easily inclinable (if he has nothing else to rouse up his studies) to finish his circuit in an English concordance, and a Topic folio. The gatherings and sayings of a sober graduateship, a harmony, and a Catina, treading the constant round of certain common doctrinal heads, attended with their uses, motives, marks, and means; out of which, as out of an alphabet, or scl fa mi, by forming and transforming, joining and disjoining variously, a little bookcraft, and two hours' meditation, he might furnish him. self unspeakably to the performance of more than a weekly charge of sermoning; not to reckon up the infinite helps of interlinearies, breviaries, cynopses, and other loitering gear. But, as for the multitude of sermons already printed on every text that is not difficult, he need never fear penury of pulpit provision; yet if his rear and flanks be not inspected, if his back-door be not secured by the rigid Licenser, but that a bold book may now and then issue forth, and give an assault to some of his old collections in their trenches, it will concern him to keep waking, to stand in watch, to set good guard and centinels about his received opinions, to walk round and counter-round with his fellow-inspectors, fearing lest any of his flock be seduced, who also then would be better instructed, better exercised and disciplined: and God send that the fear of this diligence, which must then be used, do not make us effect the laziness of a licensing church."

The following burst of noble eloquence is perhaps unrivalled in sublimity of thought and adaptedness of words: "Methinks I see in my mind a noble and puissant nation rousing herself like a strong man after sleep, and shaking her invincible locks: methinks I see her as an eagle mewing her mighty youth, and kindling her undazzled eyes at the full mid-day beam; purging and unsealing her long-abused sight at the fountain itself of heavenly radiance; while the whole noise of timorous and flocking birds, with those also that love the twilight, flutter about amazed at what she means*, and in their envious gabble would prognosticate a year of sects and schisms."

This most energetic appeal, and most poignant satire, produced no effect upon a contracted, presbyterian gov. ernment. That they remained inexorably determined to put chains and locks upon the printing presses, appeared from the following circumstance. The arguments used by MILTON, induced one MABAL, a licenser, to offer his reasons against licensing, and at his own request he was permitted to give up the office !†

*It is amusing to read the remarks of Symmons on this passage. He says, "the passage should have ended with 'means.' The imagery is spoilt and broken by the concluding words, 'sects and schisms.'" Yes, it might have been more elegant; but then his object in writing it would have been lost he meant, that "the birds who loved the twilight" should take a hint, that they could not bear that light of truth which led men off from the established church.

+The following history, from a note in the 4th vol. of Blackstone's Commentaries, p. 152, (eleventh edition,) shows that Corruption is a monster that will not die easily, when there are paid servants of the state to nourish it, and cherish it, and keep it alive.-"The art of printing, soon after its introduction, was looked upon (as well in England as in other countries) as merely a matter of state, and subject to the coercion of the crown. It was therefore regulated with us by the king's proclamation, prohibitions, charters of privilege, and of license, and finally, by the decrees of the

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