Professional Documents
Culture Documents
IN
BY
3Lonlron
1882
144 THE THEORY OF PERSECUTION. [v
VI.
capital offence.
148 THE THEORY OF PERSECUTION. [vi
reign of terror.
political But in either case it is
"
be, in the language of an Act of William III., writ-
IV.
religious opinion.
Thus the severities exercised against the Jesuits
168 THE THEORY OF PERSECUTION. [vi
religion.
We
have said nothing as yet of the punishment
by law of blasphemy as distinguished from heresy.
Formerly the distinction was only one of jurisdiction
blasphemy being a matter of temporal, heresy of
ecclesiastical, cognisance. In England it is believed
that blasphemy, as a distinct offence, was invented by
the judges of the King's Bench about the time when
the power of the ecclesiastical courts was cut short.
At that time it meant nothing more than the distinct
expression of opinions contrary to the established
ones. The statute of William III. which we have
already cited proclaims by its title the intention of
" "
suppressing blasphemy and profaneness but inde- ;