The British Nation (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1851 edition. Excerpt: ...on the contrary, he gladly goes along with it, taking with him the Divine light, which invests it with new beauty, by teaching him to see God in everything. The practice of Protestant and Roman Catholic countries is, in this respect, exactly opposed, and, as might be expected, the fruits of the two systems are most apparent. In the one there is constant progress and advancement in all the useful arts and sciences, in education, literature, and all that belongs to enlightened and civilized life--in the other, there is a condition of things as nearly stationary as it is in the power of the church to keep them; a jealousy and depreciation of literature and science; a watchful eye to train up the people in old superstitions, and to prevent or crush a spirit of inquiry. To carry on such a system as this, it is absolutely necessary to withhold the word of God. The entrance of that word would give light, and light, except as it emanates from the church, is the very thing they dread. It is seldom that either Protestantism or Popery has absolute and undivided sway in a nation, therefore these effects are variously modified according to circumstances. In our own cotmtry, there is enough of the spirit of Popery to influence a large body of persons, and hinder the perfect and complete diffusion of intellectual and moral truth. In the neighbouring kingdom of France, especially in her capital city, there is enough of the spirit of Protestantism, and, alas also of infidelity, to emancipate the people from superstitious bonds, and to leave an open field for scientific research. But it sometimes happens, that a fairer and closer opportunity of comparing the two systems is afforded by particular towns, where the doctrines of each church hold, ..