"
Mr. Barton admitted the use and necessity of an establishment,
notwithstanding the errors which must at first mix with it, and the
inert supineness it must afterwards introduce; but he saw little danger
in schism, and doubted if it could indeed be counted a sin. He enlarged
on those texts which permitted Christian liberty, and laid it down as a
fundamental rule for the only difference allowable in a state, that one
church should be approved and all the rest tolerated. The approved
church should be that which had most members, and it should afford
public maintenance and greater encouragement to its pastors; but all
opinions might be promulgated with equal freedom, and every person left
at liberty to interpret Scripture as he pleased, and to serve God in his
own way.
Dr. Beaumont conceived the adoption of this plan would give occasion to
much talk about religion, but would ripen none of its fruits. The
attention of most men would be too much engrossed by temporal pursuits
to exercise this privilege of choice, till sickness or calamity urged
them to think of a future world.
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