Buch 
Anecdotes of the life of Richard Watson, bishop of Landaff : written by himself at different intervals, and revised in 1814 / published by his son, Richard Watson
Entstehung
Seite
256
JPEG-Download
 

256

example of a whole people (the exceptions are not worthy of no-tice) divesting themselves of the prejudices of birth and education,in civil and religious concerns, and adopting the principles of phi-losophy and good sense.

I speak only of the general outline of their constitution ; pid-dling objections may be made to particular parts, and experiencewill point out the necessity of reconsidering many things. Butnotwithstanding all the ridicule which apostate Whigs have at-tempted to throw on the rights of man, such rights are foundedin nature; they exist antecedent to and independent of civil so-ciety ; and the French constitution is the only one in the worldwhich has deliberately asserted these rights, and supported themin their full extent.

In England we want not a fundamental revolution, but wecertainly want a reform both in the civil and ecclesiastical part ofour constitution ; mens minds, however, I think, are not yet gene-rally prepared for admitting its necessity. A reformer of Lutherstemper and talents would, in five years, persuade the people tocompel the parliament to abolish tithes, to extinguish pluralities,to enforce residence, to confine episcopacy to the overseeing ofdioceses, to expunge the Atlianasian Creed from our Liturgy , tofree Dissenters from test acts, and the ministers of the Establish-ment from subscription to human articles of faith. These, andother matters respecting the Church, ought to be done. I wantnot courage to attempt doing what I think ought to be done, andI am not held back by considerations of personal interest; but mytemper is peaceable, I dislike contention, and trust that the stillvoice of reason will at length be heard.