Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1823-09-30

vocates OF those prosecutions for .r, onnious u,or
points OF i'''h.-(tiear, hear) Then, as he had
SAID on former occasion, what an absurd ard i'm
lnora mode did the law pro, idle for estimating ths
credit OF man faith hefore his TESTIMONY was legal
\ iy admissible When the question was nut to a |
witness, 10 you believe in future state ?"-irl
he were CONSCIENTIOUS man, entc, tanning seriously
s"ch an opinion, ms answer must be in the negative
and the law sai.h he should not he heard bu if he
were -" immoral man, and disresarded truth, and
SAID, do believe IN future state" although m
h's co.sc'ence he disheeved it, ,hen his evidence
was admissible, and his hypocrisy aud r,sehood Sc
cu eel him crediLiiity Now, there vonLi he some |
sen,e Ia The law Il il declined ea,pting the hypocrisy
OF tue individual, or ms fear of the worlds hostility
or prejudice, and let in other evidence TO establish
from previous knowledge of the individual whether
or not he ought To be admitted as witness but AS
s'o"d It was absurd aud ridiculous. For his par,
ne u'nN believed ~ the possibility Of a man's being |
very honest Tor all the social pu, poses and essential
opls"''ons OF the community in which he lived, and
sun no, asserting toih belief of future state He
"'t admitted that Religion povve riu obligation
n" ne denied Ia be the only obie alton i, was In
TACT, one which was superadded the general force
W a'o ~, ,"pressions-i was libel upon human
| lure 10 say otherwise-(Hear.) Tiiloston was Of
| 'ha op'nion IN the following quotation from his
WORKS - As for the OF those restraints which
1n'.s'any lays upon us, they much both for
"u private anu pubic advantage, that, setting aside
'h considerations Of religion, and the rewards and
pun'shnIents OF another hfe they are really GOOD for
us ana IL God had not laid them upon us, we ough,
w renson, IN order 10 temporal beue III am, all
vantage, To have laid them upon ourselves If ,heIe
| were no ION, know men would not have such
""u iurcibe obiigatIons these duties lint
lEet, say, though there were no religion. il were
gooh Tor men, Ia Older TO temporal ends TO their
"e"'" ana quiet, aud reputation, and saiet, and, in
J -; 10 tne private and public prosperity Of man
nhu' 'hat men should be temperate, and clase and
Jns' aud Peaceabie, and charitable, and kind and
So'g'ng 10 one another, rather than the contrary
90 ,n regon does not create those restraints arb,-
n"y' nut requires those riings of us which our rea-
sou, and "a regard TO our advantage which the nc
| eess'y ana conveniency Of the things themselves
without any consideration OF religion wonld in mos
o. lis passa for A.
pose OF showing, and from great authorities in ,he
ohuch that the obligation Of religion was not alone
o"s'uered as The influential test OF moral truth and
| iat "a man might he very scepricai upon ,o, 'r;na
points, aud yet very positive in the conroI or n,nr.
",r,osS1ns distinct hon religious faith for in
STANCE, there was Mr.. Owen, "a great benefnt ,or IN
society, and yet man not believing Judging from,
some opis'ons of his) in u future state Would any
niaI, win me demonstrating experience of The con.
vary before hts eyes, say that Mr. Owen was less s1s
eepoie oil moral feeling because he was incre,Ions
| upon matters of relgion' Would any man. nre-
| enu"g 70 honour or candour, say that MIR. Owes
ai'er lie spent III improving the con,,ioa Of bs,s
hau minu less pure, heart less sincere or a le,s
uI'cuon oil tne restraint and conuoul OF moral rec
a.uoo, shAn u he were more ,n,bued with the pre-
cepts oil religious Obligation ?-(Hear0 Wby then
was such man (Ior so by the law he wss\ 10 he .x
| Guided from the pale of legal credibili,yZvbv W..
"nsnd ne ne promulgated hrs opinions, 10 he liable to
spenu h's days 'mn:uIed IN prison With respcc,
to the exception provided accordng IN his Uonn,a
Die Friend (Nlr. Wiberforce,) for treating such snI,
WIN ie.i,y ana r'badry, he (alr. Ricardo) must
confess that he thought IL a very singular reserv,
| lion tor what was ii, hut 10 say-ss You n,ny Dis
cusS' II you please, in the most solemu most serious
ana therefore most influential manner anv ,o,;. az
rcnSi1n you please hut the moment YOU discuss II
w'ih ieviy OF ribalry-that is in such a manner ne
10 Dc sure to offend The common sense Of mankinJ
"hG therefore deprive you Of really acuu inc any se
T'ous proseiytes, then The law takes copnzanc, M
your conduct, and makes your mbeciIir9 pen.l."-
Ni|Ifi neaf) Was not This glArins inconsistency
ne law SLOWED the greater owl, the scrious and
substantial principle OF discussion and !, dcno,nc
ca The lesser, which; after admitting the first il ouob,
20 nave tolerated and yet his Hopourabie Friend
tm' N''heriorce) had, by his n, gumen, ins,6sd
ana supported 80 singular = course There was ons
passage OF iiIs Petition which was very forc,hle and
10 "h'ca he called the attention OF ms Hon Friend
WAS thus SO the revileT of Christianity anpa.rs ~,
y"n ftt'noneis 10 he the least formidable of ms en-
"les because us scoiis Can rarely fail of arous NC
"s"'us MN rnohc opinion, than hch nothing more
- """o" I'D cereal ms snd. Between freedom of
discussion and absolute persecution there il M nc
csn''e me"'"n'. When This subject last be-
lore The House he thought he had heard il ,ynycd
'p't ihe religion which Ought 10 be established IN a
STATE was not that which the majority said tbev bel;ev
| e", but that whose doctrines were true He lad
heard an observation like that fail from very res
Peciabie quarter IL was very difficult 10 areue with
any nody entertaining snch opinion for where
! 800 - %! "n,ch such an argument could be
"ied !-(fieaT) There was not In polem;cs ne IN
hsuohOhs' one uherrlng criterion To which the com
mos credence OF msnknd bowed Who then was
" usa'H .s upon Tie huih-who was author wed TO
say, My opinion is right yours is wronp ," Iftbfs
we're ippnsa'be, how was the 10 he ,le cded p
| 9Hear )-how, for instance, in such conp,rv ,s
Ireland, Try the question of the truth of ,vI,, n,,L
10 oe me religion Vi the State, agains, The opinions of
the majority of the people ?-(Hear hearN Uow
Womb, upon that test the stability Of the p otes,an,
religion III ireland be secured? Or # il were secur
Ell mere merely because the minority ,ough, the
| rue iehgI"", Inc same reason, and the same duty
would authorize The extension of the princple 10 IN
un az" why not supplant Mahom ansn, 10 esrab-
| Hs Inc docTInes OF the Reformation, In,o ,b;s
woe neid du The Gentemen enter who en,la, ked i'm
such iauciiul notions. lie begged 10 he understood
20 h ~ 2ne" ihIs question from beginning end
as me lTiend oi Tree discussion he knew The deIica-
cy OF The subject, and anxIous 10 euarJ himself
against ueIHg supposed To- entertain oppiops obnox
ious to The bulk VI mankind he repeated ,ha, he an
co"'enueu Tor The general right Of self opinion and
Tor Tie un1cttered liberty Of discussion and ho,o
mat while dong so, he should not have, rs his Him
riiend tAr Hume bad last night certain opinions
nSeu upon him which, he did not entertain and which
" was qu'le UNNECESSARY for him TO countenancp in
| supporting the line of argument which the suhieo,
SUGGESTED 10 Din, AMI which his reason approyed-
| (flear.)
Mr.. HORACE TWisS commended ,ha, the Hon
Members who supported tins Petition were erroneous
| "ne" they supposed that that law was severe and
a'oIiTaTy against which they protested on the con-
Tary, he was pTepsredto show thar the law ORIGINATED
~ I'VE best iiule Of the Constitutions and was thai
| "V'cn 'he great Lord SOmeTs had suggested TO that
consii"iIOnal sovereign, King William. The Hon
| 'S' 1eunsu "e1!Iema" then quoted The Address
| OF Tue House OF Commons thai Monarch in The
| year 1867, and his Mnjest,'s Answer ,yhicb in
3Ded'ehcr to- the desire OF The House, recommended
He "dopt'o" OF additional measures Tor the suppras
So o. P1oia"e aud immoral writings, and for putting
do"H publications which had a tendency ia suLv.r,
| or d'sp.rnge the CHRISTIAN religion
Mr. w. SMITH argued The impossibilty of estab
"e"pS aelte test oi opinion for the pena guidance oC
soc'e!. What IN England they tIInppIt moral and
rs, ''go' not he equally so considered IN India -
| ihe burning of Hndoo widows might Il le6 ,o HE
"ecIs'on, c0nsgn TO the same flames the English