The Sun.
London, England, 1822-11-09 00:00:00

Ftht-TII:;SUN.

DEFENCE OF BISHOP BURNET AND THE BISHOP

_
OF WINCHESTER.
( Continued from THE,StIN of the 2d inst.)
Whereas the Socinian, however he may differ
from our own persuasion, to follow up the train
of his own thoughts, must be moral, and his spe.:
culations are breathing the air of mystery, but
only professing to stand upon the strength of
natural reason, are not adapted to the taste of
the vulgar, who have no relish for dry argu-
gument and controversial disputations, and are
therefore never so likely to follow him in crowds,
any more than they did the philosophers of old.
But besides their influence upon the multitude,
the unfavourable impressions which they make
by their representation of religion, are enough
to throw discredit upon its tendency, and while
it beguiles the people, disgusts the philosopher,
or,at least such a philosopher as the man of rea-
son,only would be at this period of enlightened
Christianity, and who can just see far enough to
be puzzled with common objections, ,but not so
far as to see clearly where the fallacy lies ; and
this notwithstanding all the help so amply al-
:forded him by the great lights which have arisen
'in succession upon the Church. The fact is,
such a Ihil6Sopher, as he calls himself, is more
delighted with detecting errors in the enthusiasts
who so wantonly and rashly expose themselves,
than with following the faith, though in such ex-
cellent company, and riots and revels in subtleties
of his own invention, and struck out by his ou n
powers of logic, than in any the most luminous
and striking arguments of others, however inge-
nious or learned, in favour of the truth. But as
the common people have no taste nor talent for
logic, nor even for zmy train of reflection at all,
they are not likely to enter into the spirit of his
reasonings, nor can they, be persuaded, even if
they are convinced, by mere abstract specula-
tion, without the least enthusiasm or appeal to
the passions, to set them on the side of truth,
unlesS they are stimulated by means which are
meant to restrain them by-:the spirit of persecu,
tion, which will often of itself be sufficient to give
credit to martyrs, .n:hatever may be the. altar
upon which their blood is" shed, who May bear
no other recommendatiOn than a countenance of
sorrow and of:suffering, more especially 'if it can
by any artifice beinade to assume the countenance
of suffering innocence with patience almost di-
vine ; a spectacle, 'aS'the ancients said, of delight
and admiration even to the Gods themselves.

So fully aware have these Reverend Expound-
ers been of the great advantage of persecution,l
and so firmly convinced that the blood of the
martyr is the most prolific seed of their church, that
they have thrown themselves into the way of injury,
and even personal affronts, on purpose to excite
the commisseration of the populace, and create'
an integest in their favour which is so natural to-
wards them that suffer if they appear to be" fol-
lowers of that which is good." If they can but
seem to suffer for righteousness sake, happy are
they, and because in this age of toleration they
cannot provoke the wrath which in less enlighten-
ed times, when doubt was reckoned impiety, and
blasphemy the least - exclamation against the
Church, anathematise the Heretic, and so, made
the heresy often the more current with the peo-
ple, who in those ages of intolerance, when the
punishment went so far beyond its just limits, in
their•horror of the offender's scourge, but lost all
sight of the offence ! Now, I say that the spirit
of the times, aware of this cruel and unchristian
impolicy, no longer controls with the iron rod of
punishment, and rather overlooks the wander-
ings of the feeble mind in tile simplicityof heart; ,
these Reverend Expounders are obliged to raise 11
every little obstruction in their course, or every
trifling occurrence which may thwart tem, and
which others not so elevated in their own opi-
nion would pass by uuheeded, into a persecution
for the sake of truth, and often place to the same
account the insults and injuries which they have
brought upon themselves, and boasted they- were
bearing the Cross of Christ, while they were
merely suffering under the natural conse-
quences of their own rashness. What an up-
roar has been made on all these occa-
sions lately, as if the church itself - were
in danger, because some of their venerable ex-
pounders have happened to be excluded by Mini-
sters who have objected to contrary doctrines
issuing from the same pulpit. As much outcry has
been raised up as in the days of fire and faggot,and
" shame, shame," has been vociferhted in the midst
of the very temple, as if the excluded expounder
were a martyr to the good cause, and had as much
right to enter at will into the Rector's freehold
as the Rector himself ; but such tongues in every
age will cry against the rectorship of judgment :
and then an assertion of a simple right is made the
popular outcry of persecution for conscience sake.
The same indecent vociferations have been hurled
by this indignant party against a highly distin-
guished Prelate, one of the most ingenious cham-
pions of the Church, and therefore a fit object of
attack for its greatest enemies, who call him such
names as would disgrace even the commonest
hypocrite among themselves—a shufiler, a jug-
gler, and a liar,—a friend to simony, a presump-
tuous preacher, a Papist,—nay, a very Pope in
the Church, an Anti-roman and Antichrist him-
self. All these soft and delicate expressions, so
becoming a Minister of the Gospel, are applied to
the Bishop, merely because he has tho,ught proper
to comply with the Canons of his Church, which
commanded him to examine candidates for orders,
and to assist them in the examinations ; and, not
to take them by surprise, has very kindly trans-
, mitted them certain questions upon the articles
which they are to answer, which are no digres-
sion from those articles, much less an innovation
upon them, but keep the candidates as closely to
the main subject, with as much help to his under-
standing as he could possibly desire. And I have
been told that whenever any doubt or difficulty
arises upon any part of the question, the Bishop
condescends to listen with all Christian for-
bearance to the scruples of the Catechumens,
and endeavours to place in a clear light any
part which
,may seem to their imperfect vision
to be thrown too much into the shade.—
Great, however, is the cry of Diana of Ephesus !
" The genuine sons of the Church are literally
turned out of doors—by the arbitrary rod of