Excerpt from Anti-National Education: Or the Spirit of the Sectarianism Morally Tested by Means of Certain Speeches and Letters From the Member for Kilmarnock; With an Appendix I beg to avail myself of this preface to make a few general observations important to the following controversy. At the Reformation, freedom of religious Opinion, in that well-known formula, the right of private judgment in the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures, was asserted and vindicated. This freedom it is the height of inconsistency as well ia tolerance for any Protestant at Once to assume and question; and all measures, or opposition to measures, in which that inconsistency and in tolerance appear, must necessarily be unjust. This right of conscientious interpretation has been so freely acted upon by Protestant Christians, as to have produced nearly eighty different and distinct denominations. These sects, or sections-for some of the more high-minded repudiate the term sect when applied to themselves - are distinguished by various kinds and degrees of difference, doctrinal, ritual, discipline], and coeno mical; but one character of these differences is universal, they divide the religious world into a corresponding number of distinct communities. Now, any cause of difference sufficient to produce this segregation, is sufficient to dispose the adherents Of each denomination to Object to their children being placed under the religious tuition of a teacher who, he longing to another denomination, will naturally inculcate the doctrines, rites, discipline, or economy, or all four, of his own sect. It matters not how slight the point of difference may be. The objecting parent must be allowed to be the sole judge of its importance to himself.

To interfere with his conscience or his feelings here, in the arrangements we shall make for him, and which he would not make for himself, is undeniable intolerance and persecution. In the system Of popular education which will, it is thought, he in due time provided by the Nation, it is the first duty of the Legislature, who shall determine the machinery, at least, of that education, to keep steadily in their view that their power does not extend toa control over religious Opinions; and that the laws which they make ought to touch these with the most delicate, and, above all, with'the most impartial hand. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition.

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