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In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government ought to be instructed... No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people. Preface to 1828 Dictionary
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HER'ESY, n. [Gr. to take, to hold; L. haeresis.]
An opinion held in opposition to the
established or commonly received doctrine, and tending to promote a
division or party, as in politics, literature, philosophy, etc.; --
usually, but not necessarily, said in reproach.
New opinions After the study of philosophy began in Greece, and the philosophers, disagreeing amongst themselves, had started many questions . . . because every man took what opinion he pleased, each several opinion was called a heresy; which signified no more than a private opinion, without reference to truth or falsehood. Hobbes. Religious opinion opposed
to the authorized doctrinal standards of any particular church,
especially when tending to promote schism or separation; lack of
orthodox or sound belief; rejection of, or erroneous belief in regard
to, some fundamental religious doctrine or truth;
heterodoxy.
Doubts 'mongst divines, and difference of texts, Deluded people! that do not consider that the greatest heresy in the world is a wicked life. Tillotson. An offense against
Christianity, consisting in a denial of some essential doctrine,
which denial is publicly avowed, and obstinately
maintained.
A second offense is that of heresy, which consists not in a total denial of Christianity, but of some its essential doctrines, publicly and obstinately avowed. Blackstone. * "When I call dueling, and similar aberrations of honor, a moral heresy, I refer to the force of the Greek (?), as signifying a principle or opinion taken up by the will for the will's sake, as a proof or pledge to itself of its own power of self- determination, independent of all other motives." Coleridge. | ||||||||