Page:The Parochial System (Wilberforce, 1838).djvu/151

 formed countries. Wherever Church property has been confiscated, there the people have ceased to give to the Church, let the doctrines of Rome maintain ever so firmly their credit and authority. Sacrilege not only absorbs the offerings of devout men of old, but prevents those of devout men in future.

Let us not be deterred then, by any fear of obloquy, or by respect for any name however venerable, from opposing with our whole power and influence measures so hateful to the God of truth and equity, and so fatal to the very object which they are intended to promote. If we keep silence when they are proposed and maintained, then do we no doubt bring upon ourselves a portion of that awful responsibility which belongs chiefly to their authors. And whoever manfully avows his deep and settled abhorrence of them, will commonly be surprised to find how many there are who feel with him, but who from hopelessness, the desire of peace, or the dread of odium, have withheld their sentiments till called forth by sympathy. To offer such an occasion, by which men are determined and encouraged to act on their conscientious judgment, is no trifling mode of employing our influence for the Church. But should the event be otherwise; should we be deemed narrow-minded and illiberal, and should our protest be unavailing, we shall have done what we could; we shall at least have discharged our own consciences of the