f.
Modern civilized communities are believed capable of existing without
an official religion; the citizens being free to form themselves into
self-governed religious bodies, as various as the prevailing modes of
religious belief. It may be long ere this goal be fully reached; but
even the upholders of the present state religions admit that, supposing
these were not in existence, nobody would now propose to institute them.

* * * * *

The foregoing remarks may appear somewhat desultory, as well as too
brief for the extent of the theme. They must be accepted, however, as an
introduction to a more limited topic, which presupposes in some measure
the general principle of toleration by the state of all forms of
religious opinion. Whether with or without established religions,
perfect freedom of dissent is now demanded, and, with some hankering
reservations, pretty generally conceded. Individuals are allowed to
congregate into religious societies, on the most various and opposite
creeds.

So far good. Yet there remains a difficulty. Long before the age of
toleration, when each state had an established religion, the people in
general formed their habits of religious observance in connection with
the State Church--its doctrines, its ritual, its buildings, and its
sacred places. When disruption took place, the separatists formed
themselves into societies on the original model, merely dropping the
matters of disagreement. Fixity of creed and of ritual was still
enacted; the only remedy for dissatisfaction on either subject was to
swarm afresh, and set up a new variety of doctrine or of ritual, to
which a rigid adherence was still expected as a condition of membership.

By this costly and troublesome process, Churches have been multiplied
according to the changes of view among sections of the community. A
certain energy of conviction has always been necessary to such a result.
Equally great changes of opinion occur among members of the older Church
communities, without inducing them to break with these; so that nominal
membership ceases to be a mark of real adhesion to the articles of
belief.

* * * * *

[EVILS OF PENAL RESTRAINT ON DISCUSSION.]

These few commonplaces are meant to introduce the enquiry--now a
pressing one--whether, and how far, fixed creeds are desirable or
expedient in religious bodies generally; no difference being made
between state Church