196 History of Literature, from the earliest Periods: [March 1) 
boos Come 
' ‘Though the doctrines of an establishéd 
éhureh may be true; and its commarids 
‘reasonable, yet) if aman believes the 
one and obeys the other, because en- 
joined by the civil powers his belief 
arises out of the willof men, not from the 
grace of God; and his obedience is 
merely civil, not religious. 
XIV. 
If it be contended that government 
ought to provide for the public support 
ef religion, it does not follow that uni- 
formity is necessary. 
\ Xv. 
» Were it conceded that a particylar 
mode of faith and worship is necessary, 
it does not follow that it-ought to be 
maintained by excluding persons of other 
pe a from public trusts. It would 
be‘sullicient that it were supported by a 
general fund. 
XVI sy 
The property of the church is the rea 
property of those who at present possess 
1¢,‘and the reversionary property of every 
family in the kingdom: a stronger bara 
tier than tests and jealous policy. - 
XVII. 
Scotland affords a refutation of the 
adage “ No bishop, no king,” and the 
rights of any members of a community 
ought net to be taken away as security’ 
against hypothetical dangers, 
, XVIED. 
No: man should be regarded as cri- 
minal -for adopting religious opinions, 
which force themselves upon his convic- 
tions. by the strengtli of their own evi- 
derice. 
bub. 
Religious opinions can never be detri- 
mental to society; if they are true, they 
ought to be propagated, that they may 
be universally adopted; and if false, that 
they may be confuted. d 
> eae 
When no civil duty is: violated, no 
civil punishnient or privation can -be 
justly inflicted. When religious. otions 
become personally injurious to.others, it 
is then only that they- become cognizable 
by the civil magistrate, 
Sais EX 
Persecution, or intolerance, is founded 
on a principle Ly which men arrogate to 
themselves the faculty of knowing otlier 
men’s Opinions, and of foresceing all the 
consequences which must. or will. flow 
from them. j 
; Common SENSS, 
Joo. 1810, ; ‘ r 
For the Monthly Magdzine. "+ 
The ursrony of LivERaTuRE, from the 
curliest perion till the DEsrRUCTION — 
of the ROMAN EMPIRE. © 
O trace the various gradations of 
excellence, to behold one period 
adding its own discoveries to the expes 
rience of another, and to observe the 
progress of each successive age in wis- 
dom and science, is a disquisition in 
the highest degree useful and entertains 
ing to a@ liberal mind. Even apartial 
investigation into the progress of im- 
provement, is, to aman of business, an 
agreeable relaxation ; to him who is not 
confined for subsistence to any  parti+ 
cular profession, it is a. pleasant, if not a 
necessary, source of employment; to: the 
phi'osopher it affords matter of wonder 
and admiration, and lays a foundation 
for the most interesting discoveries. 
An enquiry into the rise and progress 
of literature, with which the arts: and 
Sciences are intimately connected, is, 
perhaps, the most interesting that can 
be offered to our notice. We can cous 
template man at first rude and unre 
strained; afterwards obliged by neces+ 
sity to submit to laws, and cultivate the 
arts of social life; while bis advance- 
ment in science and the liberal. arts, 
kept pace’with his proficiency. in virtue 
and cultivation.. This, we know, lias 
ever: been the case in the original fore 
mation of states and empires. It is also: 
gratifying to observe, from what small 
beginnings, and by what slow gradations, 
the most polished nations have arisen 
from the greatest depths of ignorance 
and barbarity, to the atmost heights of 
tearning and politeness, There are ree 
volutions in the literary as well as in the 
political, world, an enquiry into which 
would atford equai pleasure to the curious 
or inquisitive observer. The decay of 
learning and knowledge is generally rapid 
in proportion to its advancement: hence 
nations succeed each other in literaryemie 
nence, as well’as in political’ superiority. 
However necessary, useful, and enter« 
taining, the disquisition may be into 
which I am about to enter, it has been 
very httle touched upon, for a very ob-: 
vious reason, The nature of the under- 
taking appears to present innumerable 
obstacles to its success. The difficulty 
of obtaining materials for a work of thig 
kind, and of arranging them when ob- 
tained, deters the more wealthy writers; 
while poor ones have the additional dis= 
advantages to combat—of want. of time, 
and wat of money. “It is a painful 
; consideration,” 
