Calvinism - pagina 31

1

Constitutional Liberties,

895-]

To

submission of mind and opinion."

plicit

673 those

who com-

pare England's glorious revolution with the French Revolu-

Burke answers:

tion,

"Our

revolution and that of France

are just the reverse of each other

and

in

why

asked

in

almost every particular

the whole spirit of the transaction."

he

is

And

on being

an anti-revolutionist, and therefore bitterly

opposed to the French Revolution, he answers: " Because the French Revolution is a turning-upside-down of society, and its system an antichristian doctrine." "We are at war not with a people, but with a system, and that system by its essence is subversive of every government." "The course hitherto of the revolution irresistibly suggests in

memberments of luded youths

social forces the ancient

who

its

wild dis-

myth of the de-

tore asunder their venerable parent,

and

thrust into a boiling caldron the severed limbs, expecting

thence to see him spring whole and rejuvenate."

words

the antithesis

still

is

"We

stated:

rights of Englishmen, not of

men." in Holland favor

Like Burke, we Calvinists

oppose

all

In fewer

are fighting for the

liberty,

violence against orderly processes of nature.

W^e are not Calvinists

favor liberty.

in the

sense that

and

We we

suppose a return to conditions of old could do us any good. Our Calvinism is alive and contains the power of develop-

ment:

Why

since

outgrown

state church; faith.

We

ing that

it

should wc then desire a phase we have long .''

we

Wc propose therefore rather despise

no restoration of the

knowing that

it,

it

hurts the

ask not the church to be school-mistress, knowrobs instruction of

its

ration of former favoritisms, for

it

vigor.

We

wish no resto-

begets envy and bitterness.

We

seek no disruption of Union, for our hope for the future

lies

not

in

provincialism but in Nationalit}'.

constitutional rights and privileges

would .meet

Disregard of its

most vio-

lent opposition from our quarters; an attack against consti-

monarchy would find in us most implacable antagoBut we ask equal rights for all, of whatever class or Freedom of conscience, and of the press, of social

tutional

nism. faith.

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