Like the first Christians, they must become confessors of the Truth; not obtrusively, boastfully, dogmatically, or harshly; but, “speaking the truth in love,” not be ashamed to avow, if they do not believe all that others profess, and that they abhor the unrighteous principle of judging men by an authoritative creed.  The evil of Bigotry which has been most observed, is its untameable injustice, which converted the law of love into licensed murder or gratuitous hatred.  But I believe a worse evil still has been, the intense reaction of the human mind against Religion for Bigotry’s sake.  To the millions of Europe, bigotry has been a confutation of all pious feeling.  So unlovely has religion been made by it,

  Horribili super aspectu mortalibus instans,

that now, as 2000 years ago, men are lapsing into Atheism or Pantheism; and a totally new “dispensation” is wanted to retrieve the lost reputation of Piety.

Two opposite errors are committed by those who discern that the pretensions of the national religious systems are overstrained and unjustifiable.  One class of persons inveighs warmly, bitterly, rudely against the bigotry of Christians; and know not how deep and holy affections and principles, in spite of narrowness, are cherished in the bosom of the Christian society.  Hence their invective is harsh and unsympathizing; and appears so essentially unjust and so ignorant, as to exasperate and increase the very bigotry which it attacks.  An opposite class know well, and value highly, the moral influences of Christianity, and from an intense dread of harming or losing these, do not dare plainly and publicly to avow their own convictions.  Great numbers of English laymen are entirely assured, that the Old Testament abounds with error, and that the New is not always unimpeachable:  yet they only whisper this; and in the hearing of a clergyman, who is bound by Articles and whom it is indecent to refute, keep a respectful silence.  As for ministers of religion, these, being called perpetually into a practical application of the received doctrine of their church, are of all men least able to inquire into any fundamental errors in that doctrine.  Eminent persons among them will nevertheless aim after and attain a purer truth than that which they find established:  but such a case must always be rare and exceptive.  Only by disusing ministerial service can any one give fair play to doubts concerning the wisdom and truth of that which he is solemnly ministering:  hence that friend of Arnold’s was wise in this world, who advised him to take a curacy in order to settle his doubts concerning the Trinity.—­Nowhere from any body of priests, clergy, or ministers, as an Order, is religious progress to be anticipated, until intellectual creeds are destroyed.  A greater responsibility therefore is laid upon laymen, to be faithful and bold in avowing their convictions.