( 192 )
¬that, without departing from the best interpre- tations of Scripture, might give a fair latitude to conscientious men, who, whilst they reverenced the Established Church and in general embraced its doctrines, could not honestly swear to an implicit belief in matters so deep that the human mind could not fathom them. ¬The excellent old man seemed to feel the force of this, yet such is the dominion of pre- judice over the most enlightened understand- ings, that he made only this reply — " We have done every thing to open our arms to all chris- tians who would subscribe our Articles — We have held out in one hand large ecclesiastical preferments, and mortifying exclusions in the other, yet the former have been rejected and the latter patiently end u red. — I ought however to do justice to numbers who have consented to be- come priests with benefices, by swearing in the end to what before they had utterly denied." — He raised his voice at the conclusion of this sentence as if an irresistible demonstration had ¬been ¬
