more glaring bare-faced nonfenfe than to fay, "That the very fupport of a free "conftitution requires the Extinction of "the Prefs;" that is, the Extinction of the ONLY Means of knowing what we are as Men and Chriftians; what our natures are capable of; what is our juft happiness, and how we ought to be treated by our governors; that is, by those whom we have entrusted with the management of our interefts and concerns!

I hope it will never be this nation's misfortune to fall into the hands of an administration that do not from their fouls abhor any thing that has but the remotest tendency towards the erection of a new and arbitrary jurifdiction over the prefs:

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prefs or can otherwife look upon any attempt that way, than as the greatest impiety, the cruellcft, the wickedeft, the moft irreligious thing that can be imagined. Would it not be facrilegiously robbing God of the only worship he delights in, "the worship of the heart and understanding?" Can there be Religion or Virtue without Reason, Thought, and Choice? Or can Reafon, Thinking, Knowledge, and Choice, fubfift without the only conceivable means of making men wife and and understanding, rational, and virtuous ? What is the kingdom of CHRIST? doth not our Saviour delight in calling it Light, and a Kingdom of Light? And what did he come to destroy but the kingdom of darkness?

⚫ darkness? And can there be a kingdom of light, without the liberty, the unconftrained liberty, of diffufing light and knowledge? What is the Reformation, or what does it mean, but the Liberty, the abfolute and perfect Liberty of correcting and refuting errors, and of undeceiving mankind? What is it that we call PROTESTANTISM, but a refolution ftedfaftly and undauntedly to oppofe all encroachments upon rational Liberty, the Liberty of the judgment and understanding; and to maintain it as our most valuable treasure, our greatest and nobleft privilege, in comparifon of which, all other rights are mean and trifling, and hardly deferve the name of bleffings and advantages? A free Proteftant

Country, without the Liberty of the Prefs, is a contradiction in terms; it is free flavery, or inchained Liberty. Light and Darkness are not more oppofite than Liberty and the Deprivation of the means of being rational.

Who, that loves mankind, is not forry that any thing is ever published tending to confound men's understanding, mislead their judgments, or deprave their morals? But is there any more likely method for fenfe to prevail against absurdities, than leaving her at full lis berty to paint them in their native colours? Can truth be better armed against error than with the mighty blade of uncontrouled Reafon? Or virtue more furely triumph over immorality, than by

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the vigorous execution of the truly wholesome laws purposely framed for her fupport?

I hate all calumny and defamation, as I hate the corruption of heart, from which alone it can proceed; and do with the utmost zeal deteft those prophaners of Liberty, who pretending to be friends to it, have recourfe to fuch black dia bolical methods. But I take the laws already in force amongst us to be a more than fufficient prefervative (at least as far as human prudence is able to pro vide) against all the abufive overt-acts I am now expreffing my abhorrence of: and as fuch we have reafon to esteem them very valuable fecurities of our Liberties and reputations.

But because