ButMr。Gladstonehasotherargumentsagainstpersecution，argumentswhichareofsomuchweight，thattheyaredecisivenotonlyagainstpersecutionbutagainsthiswholetheory。\"TheGovernment，\"hesays，\"isincompetenttoexerciseminuteandconstantsupervisionoverreligiousopinion。\"Andhenceheinfers，that\"aGovernmentexceedsitsprovincewhenitcomestoadaptascaleofpunishmentstovariationsinreligiousopinion，accordingtotheirrespectivedegreesofvariationfromtheestablishedcreed。Todeclineaffordingcountenancetosectsisasingleandsimplerule。Topunishtheirprofessors，accordingtotheirseveralerrors，evenweretherenootherobjection，isoneforwhichtheStatemustassumefunctionswhollyecclesiastical，andforwhichitisnotintrinsicallyfitted。\"
Thisis，inouropinion，quitetrue。ButhowdoesitagreewithMr。Gladstone’stheory？What！theGovernmentincompetenttoexerciseevensuchadegreeofsupervisionoverreligiousopinionasisimpliedbythepunishmentofthemostdeadlyheresy！TheGovernmentincompetenttomeasureeventhegrossestdeviationsfromthestandardoftruth！TheGovernmentnotintrinsicallyqualifiedtojudgeofthecomparativeenormityofanytheologicalerrors！TheGovernmentsoignorantonthesesubjectsthatitiscompelledtoleave，notmerelysubtleheresies，discernibleonlybytheeyeofaCyriloraBucer，butSocinianism，Deism，Mahometanism，Idolatry，Atheism，unpunished！TowhomdoesMr。
GladstoneassigntheofficeofselectingareligionfortheState，fromamonghundredsofreligions，everyoneofwhichlaysclaimtotruth？EventothissameGovernment，whichisnowpronouncedtobesounfitfortheologicalinvestigationsthatitcannotventuretopunishamanforworshippingalumpofstonewithascoreofheadsandhands。Wedonotrememberevertohavefalleninwithamoreextraordinaryinstanceofinconsistency。
WhenMr。GladstonewishestoprovethattheGovernmentoughttoestablishandendowareligion，andtofenceitwithaTestAct，Governmentis_topan_inthemoralworld。Thosewhowouldconfineittosecularendstakealowviewofitsnature。Areligionmustbeattachedtoitsagency;andthisreligionmustbethatoftheconscienceofthegovernor，ornone。ItisfortheGovernortodecidebetweenPapistsandProtestants，JansenistsandMolinists，ArminiansandCalvinists，EpiscopaliansandPresbyterians，SabelliansandTritheists，HomoousiansandHomoiousians，NestoriansandEutychians，MonothelitesandMonophysites，PaedobaptistsandAnabaptists。ItisforhimtorejudgetheActsofNiceandRimini，ofEphesusandChalcedon，ofConstantinopleandSt。JohnLateran，ofTrentandDort。ItisforhimtoarbitratebetweentheGreekandtheLatinprocession，andtodeterminewhetherthatmysteriousfilioqueshallorshallnothaveaplaceinthenationalcreed。Whenhehasmadeuphismind，heistotaxthewholecommunityinordertopaypeopletoteachhisopinion，whateveritmaybe。Heistorelyonhisownjudgment，thoughitmaybeopposedtothatofnine—tenthsofthesociety。Heistoactonhisownjudgment，attheriskofexcitingthemostformidablediscontents。Heistoinflict，perhapsonagreatmajorityofthepopulation，what，whetherwechoosetocallitpersecutionornot，willalwaysbefeltaspersecutionbythosewhosufferit。Heis，onaccountofdifferencesoftentooslightforvulgarcomprehension，todeprivetheStateoftheservicesoftheablestmen。Heistodebaseandenfeeblethecommunitywhichhegoverns，fromanationintoasect。Inourowncountry，forexample，millionsofCatholics，millionsofProtestantDissenters，aretobeexcludedfromallpowerandhonours。Agreathostilefleetisonthesea;butNelsonisnottocommandintheChannelifinthemysteryoftheTrinityheconfoundsthepersons。AninvadingarmyhaslandedinKent;buttheDukeofWellingtonisnottobeattheheadofourforcesifhedividesthesubstance。Andafterallthis，Mr。
Gladstonetellsus，thatitwouldbewrongtoimprisonaJew，aMussulman，oraBuddhist，foraday;becausereallyaGovernmentcannotunderstandthesematters，andoughtnottomeddlewithquestionswhichbelongtotheChurch。Asingulartheologian，indeed，thisGovernment！Solearned，thatitiscompetenttoexcludeGrotiusfromofficeforbeingaSemi—Pelagian，sounlearnedthatitisincompetenttofineaHindoopeasantarupeeforgoingonapilgrimagetoJuggernaut。