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done with regard to Huss; and left him to the fecular arm: as Calvin, queen Elizabeth, and king James I. did to the heretics whom their confiftories and bishops had judged and found guilty of beretical pravity. "But was not the em

peror Sigifmund cruel in putting those two "men to death?" It is not his lenity or cruelty that we examine. I only vindicate myself and the Catholic Church from a flanderous doctrine. He was not more cruel for putting feditious men, one of whom had committed wilful murder, to death, than Proteftant fovereigns who doomed old women to the ftake, for a kind of gibberish about the incarnation. My fentiments on that fubject I have explained.

Jerome of Prague's coming to the council, fhews that it did not violate faith with John Hufs. Neither doth any one accuse the council of violating faith with Jerome. They were, both more obftinate than Mr. Wesley, who ran away from the bailiffs of Georgia, and would not return to them. In this he followed Sancho's maxim: Many go to the market for wool, that come home shorn."

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ARTHUR O'LEARY.

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AN

ESSAY

ON

TOLERATION.

THE INTRODUCTION.

My defign, in the following pages, is—to throw open the gates of civil toleration for all Adam's children, whofe principles are not inconfiftent with the peace of civil fociety, or fubverfive of the rules of morality; to wrench, as far as in my power lies, the poniard so often tinged with human blood, from the hand of perfecution; to fheath the fword, which mifguided zeal has drawn in defence of a gospel which recommends peace and love; to restore to man the indelible charter of his temporal rights, which no earthly power has ever been commiffioned by Heaven to deprive him of, on account of his mental errors; to re-establish the empire of peace, overthrown fo often by religious feuds; and to cement all mortals,

especially

efpecially Chriftians, in the ties of focial harmony, by establishing toleration on its proper grounds,

The hiftory of the calamities occafioned by difference in religious opinions, is a fufficient plea for undertaking the task. But time does not allow me to enter into a detail of those melancholy fcenes, which mifconftrued religion has difplayed. The effects are well known: but it is high time to remove the cause.

The mind fhrinks back at the thoughts. of the cruelties exercifed against the Chriftians by the heathen emperors, for the space of three hundred years. Scarce did the Chriftians begin to breathe, under the first princes who embraced their religion, than they fell out amongst themselves, about the myfteries of the fcriptures. Arianifm, protected by powerful fovereigns, raised, against the defenders of the Trinity, perfecutions as violent as thofe raised. formerly by the heathens. Since that time, at different intervals, error, backed by power, perfecuted truth. And the partifans of truth, forgetful of the moderation which reafon and religion prescribe, committed the fame exceffes with which they upbraided their oppreffors. Sovereigns, blinded by dangerous zeal,- -or guided by barbarous policy,or feduced by

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