Why did critics object to Sir William Blackstone’s view of religious dissent?

Critics objected to Sir William Blackstone’s view of religious dissent primarily because he classified it as a crime under the law. While Blackstone’s Commentaries served as a comprehensive and authoritative description of 18th-century English law, his tendency to act as a defender of the existing social and political order drew significant pushback.1

Critics, most notably the philosopher Jeremy Bentham, viewed Blackstone as an "enemy of reformation". By framing dissent as a criminal act, Blackstone was seen as reinforcing the status quo rather than allowing for the legal evolution or reform that critics felt was necessary for a just society. This stance highlighted the tension between Blackstone’s role as a historical expositor of the law and the ambitions of radical reformers who sought to challenge established institutional prejudices.1