Ancient and Modern Celebrated Freethinkers: Reprinted From an English Work, Entitled "Half-Hours With The Freethinkers."Bradlaugh, Charles
Religion
Ancient and Modern Celebrated Freethinkers: Reprinted From an English Work, Entitled "Half-Hours With The Freethinkers."
Bradlaugh, Charles
Rationalists -- Biography
likelihood that I should be tolerated in the New Connexion unless I
could allow my mind to be enslaved, and feeling that I should be obliged
sooner or later to break loose from Methodistical restraint, and speak
and act with freedom, I thought of visiting Mr. Turner, the Unitarian
minister of Newcastle, and seeking an interview with him. I had
heard something to the effect that Unitarians were great lovers of
freedom--that they did not bind their ministers and members by any human
creeds, but left them at liberty to investigate the whole system of
Christianity thoroughly, and to judge as to what were its doctrines
and duties for themselves, and to preach what they believe to be true
without restraint and persecution, and I thought if this was the case,
they must be a very happy people. But from other things which I had
heard respecting them, I was led to regard them with something
of horror--to look, on them as persons who trifled with Scripture
authority, as persons who had rushed from the extremes of false
orthodoxy into the extremes of Infidelity. I was in consequence
prevented from visiting Mr. Turner, and I remained in comparative
ignorance of the Unitarian body, in ignorance both of their principles
and of their character, still shut up in the dungeons of orthodox
slavery."
"The dungeons of orthodox slavery" did not long contain Mr. Barker; for
he afterwards became better acquainted with the Unitarians, and formed
one of their most energetic preachers. But Unitarianism, appearing to
him at first true in its doctrine and free in its advocacy, shortly
became insufficient for the cravings of his mind; and, at length, he
found himself outside all the churches. The Bible, which at one period
of his life seemed to him a perfect revelation from "God" now appeared
only the production of erring and half-informed men; and having a
thorough knowledge of its contents, he resolved to employ the remainder
of his life in confuting the false notions of its "divine authority."
America presenting a congenial residence, he resolved to visit that
country and purchase some land, upon which he might occupy his leisure
from lecturing and writing. Having settled in the country, he considered
something should be said on the Bible. Accordingly, in November, 1852,
a Bible Convention was held at Salem, Ohio, Mr. Barker being appointed
President, he extract the following from his speech, as illustrating the
uncertainty of the Bible translations, the character of the translators,
and the nature of the manuscripts from which the translations are
made:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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