Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (4th ed, 1770, vol IV).djvu/62

50 les to exterminate or detroy them. The legilature hath indeed thought it proper, that the civil magi hould again interpoe, with regard to one pecies of herey, very prevalent in modern times: for by tatute 9 & 10 W. III. c. 32. if any peron educated in the chritian religion, or profeing the ame, hall by writing, printing, teaching, or advied peaking, deny any one of the perons in the holy trinity to be God, or maintain that there are more Gods than one, he hall undergo the ame penalties and incapacities, which were jut now mentioned to be inflicted on apotacy by the ame tatute. And thus much for the crime of herey.

III. pecies of offences againt religion are thoe which affect the etablihed church. And thee are either poitive, or negative. Poitive, as by reviling it's ordinances: or negative, by non-conformity to it's worhip. Of both of thee in their order.

1. firt, of the offence of reviling the ordinances of the church. This is a crime of a much groer nature than the other of mere non-conformity; ince it carries with it the utmot indecency, arrogance, and ingratitude: indecency, by etting up private judgment in virulent and factious oppoition to public authority; arrogance, by treating with contempt and rudenes what has at leat a better chance to be right, than the ingular notions of any particular man; and ingratitude, by denying that indulgence and unditurbed liberty of concience to the members of the national church, which the retainers to every petty conventicle enjoy. However it is provided by tatutes 1 Edw. VI. c. 1. and 1 Eliz. c. 1. that whoever reviles the acrament of the lord's upper hall be punihed by fine and imprionment: and by the tatute 1 Eliz. c. 2. if any miniter hall peak any thing in derogation of the book of common prayer, he hall be imprioned ix months, and forfeit a year's value of his benefice; and for the econd offence he hall be deprived. And if any peron whatoever hall in plays, ongs, or other open words, peak any thing in derogation, depraving, or Rh