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There never was a time in the history of Eu- rope. where the policy of England formed a more remarkable contrast, with the spirit that animates the continental Governments than at the present period. It seems to be the object of the fonner to accommodate itself as much as possible to the spirit of the age, and of the latter to oppose it. A t no era indeed, since the Reformation, were the Roman Catholic States so active in arresting the progress of intellect, and in endeavouring to restore the liumall reason to the tyranny ofsuper- stilion. In Fiance, which had always been con- sidered the most enlightened of the kingdoms that adhered to the See of Rome, the influence of the Jesuits and Monks appears now to supersede every other. The Crown itself is obviously sub- ject to this degrading dominion; but tlnyi it practises a voluntary debasement, nnd wears its t chains willingly. Some of the Kings of Englana even long before the Reformation, showed them- selves rather refractory towards the usurped do mination of the See of Home but the. j}ourj»o'.is of the nineteenth century give no reluctantalleg'- ance to the. supremacy of their Italian master. ance to the supremacy of their Italian master. The great, object of their ambition seems to be to raise'un Ecclesiastical despotism on the ruins of science, freedom, commerce, and literature. The system of epuration, as they call it, by which they deprive the institutions of the country of all assis- tance from heretic talent, by dispossessing all Protestant professors, however eminent their qua- lificatious or virtues, is a war not upon adverse theology, but against genius itself-is a persecu- tion of intellect only worthy of the times that consigned Galileo to a dungeon Yet it is said to be intolerance in England not to allow Roman Catholics a full participation in both civil and po- litical privileges. Intolerance, in the true sense of the word, is odious, and unworthy of a Chris- tian people it is equally opposed to the voice of reason and the benignant spirit of the Gospel, but political caution is another thing where it is justified by political danger. In England noman suffers molestation in his religious worship, how- ever absurd it may be, as long as it doos not in- terfere with the peace and the morals of his neigh- bours. The most extravagant theorist in religi- ous matters is, while he conducts himself peacea- bly, not only undisturbed in the enjoyment of his peculiar mode of worship, but his humblest altar is equally protected with the proudest Cathedral by the strong arm of the law, or if any one should dare to violate the sacredness of those rights, the law will award him ample compcnsatiorl, This is not the principle recognized where Jesuits and Mofiks have obtained an unholy ascendancy.—* T^v either opeiily or indirectly persrelite all opinions but those which they dictate to the pas- sive minds that yield them an ignorant obedience. III order to establish an authority, which, like theirs, is founded upon imposition of the darkest character, they every where descry and drive out that knowledge which leads to an infallible de- tection of their pious frauds. All the books that hiiiiiati gi-nitii and erudition ever created they would give to the {lames, as not being capable of co-existing with their assumed authority, without eventually destroying it. And what food would thev give the human mind in their place? They, would condemn it to an eternal communication with fables and legends that would disgrace child- hood, and at which reason revolts. What peo- ple, among whom education had made any pro- gress. con Id, become the dupeS or slicl" wretched machinery of deception as the Holy pigeon of Clovis, and the liquefaction of Saint Januarius's blood ? No community of men, among whom rea- son had received the most moderate exercise, could regard such mummeries with more serious attention than they would bestow upon the leger- demain of a bad juggler or the fooleries of a mountebank. It is, therefore, necessary to the existence of such superstition that it should per- secute it cannot allow opinion to become free, and grow into strength, without foreseeing its own extinction..But a liberal and enlightened system can not only afford to be tolerant hut pro- motes its owncauso by being so. It makes its con- verts not by the power of fire and sword, but by the benefits which if every where diffuses. Thus it is, that while every State in which the Roman Catholic Faith is predominant at the present day, runs a race of malignant rivalry in repressing the energies of the intellect, and setting limits of its operations, this country goes on adding one mental acquisition to another, and continually enlarging the boundaries of knowledge, with the generous hope that they will, iit some time or other, en- circle the whoie human race.

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