We will hope that none of the parties concerned were troubled with any misgivings that they had made a mistake in thus distinguishing this uncompromising champion of truth and liberty, and of private judgment in opposition to all human authority.
Dr. Fleming was now arrived at an age when it might be expected that he would be desirous to rest from his labours. He continued, however, to take his usual active interest in the several spirit-stirring events of the time, and various tracts on questions connected with the interests of ‘truth and liberty’ continued to proceed from his prolific pen, particularly one under the assumed signature of Philotheorus, entitled ‘Religion not the Magistrate's Province;’ occasioned by the application of the Dissenting ministers to Parliament for relief from the obligation of subscription to the doctrinal articles of the Church of England, by which they were still legally bound, though comparatively few of them had complied with it in fact. It contains a just and forcible statement of the argument, as proceeding from one who fully understood and was determined to act upon it; concluding as follows: ‘If the author of this plea is not mistaken, he has given full proof that the civil magistrate has no rightful claim of exercising authority in the province of religion. He has, he trusts, neither written, nor appeared to have written, with any narrow confined party views; or with design either dastardly to suppress or sophistically to disguise truth; or to subserve any ether cause than that of religion. He has no by-ends to serve; he is no sectary; he glories in no name ’
