ABSTRACT
Liberty of thought is in itself a good; but it gives an opening to false liberty. Now by Liberalism the author means false liberty of thought, or the exercise of thought upon matters in which, from the constitution of the human mind, thought cannot be brought to any successful issue, and therefore is out of place. Among such matters are first principles of whatever kind. Liberalism, then, is the mistake of subjecting to human judgment those revealed doctrines which are in their nature beyond and independent of it. The author concludes this notice of Liberalism in Oxford with some propositions, the author earnestly denounced and abjured. There is a right of Private Judgment: that is, there is no existing authority on earth competent to interfere with the liberty of individuals in reasoning and judging for themselves about the Bible and its contents, as they severally please.
