Page:A review of the state of the question respecting the admission of dissenters to the universities.djvu/6

4 clamour has not been wanting; unworthy motives have been freely ascribed: and while such terms as "sectarian bigotry," "grasping monopoly," "selfishness," and "intolerance," have been largely employed by one party, "rancorous hostility to the church," "indifference to all religion," "scepticism," and "atheism," have been as fully retorted by the other.

Now, though doubtless there may be some persons on both sides fairly amenable to such charges, I would willingly hope that the majority of the educated part of the community, with whom the decision of the points at issue must ultimately rest, are neither bigots on the one hand, nor enemies of all religion, or of our own established form of it, on the other. I am sure that among those who are opposed to this admission of Dissenters, there are very many men of liberal minds, moderate opinions, and calm and considerate judgment. I fully believe that among those who hold a different opinion, there are very many who are both sincere friends of religion, and true sons of the church. To myself it has appeared throughout, that an extreme want of information as to the point in question has been the most remarkable feature of the case: and that what there has been most room to lament is a want of due appreciation of the difficulties of the subject, arising from ignorance respecting it. Ignorance is commonly accompanied by violence. The fiercest partisans are always found among those