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    844 Religious Prejudice Overcome*

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    Religious Prejudice Overcome. *

    aged througlh the straggly has sharpened their dt & eerfmient 9 has excited their faculties ., ; tQ ,. wdfchftjlnefcs , till at length a full measure of the peace which they soogbt ihas l > een shed into their bosoms . We have bejfore us an address worthy of the earnest heed of all who cannot lay their hapds on their Bibles cfawl declare that in simplicity and godly sincerity they have formed their religious belief from the word of God alone , put forth by one Htfho , m

    hdf jkigrity-fitst year states stromgly and clearly the truths into ivhich she beg ^ an to exarnine in her sixtieth year . By the principle of piety must She have been prepared , while yet in error for the work which sne has so successfully achieved ; b y this principle was she supported through trie struggle ; and its triumph is now manifest in the intellectual strength as well as in the beautiful spirit hy which her address is characterized . Let sleepy readers of the gospel look at the following extract and be ashamed :

    " I begin with , the writer of St . John ' s Gospel who lived in the IJasft , where a metaphysical and parabolic mode of speech and conversation is oaost cornmon . He adopts the eastern style when writing Ms Gospel a style - \ yliien in our northern part of the world is very liable to be misunderstood ; therefore it cannot be doubted that much error has been imbibed through a misconstruction of phraseology . It is impossible to believe that the beloved disciple when writing the Ihistory of his venerated Master , would suppress any honour which be conceived to be due to his exalted rank and character . How

    can it be doubted ( thought ?) that such a disciple as John was , when stating Iris motive for writing his Gospel , would fail to give us the trutlh , the whole truth , and nothing * but the truth , respecting the person whose history he undertook *} Towards the conclusion of that Gospel tlhe Evangelist writes , 6 And many other things truly did Jesus , in the presence of his disciples , which are not written in this book : but these are written that ye might believe that J ^ sus is the Christ , the Son of God : and that believing , ye might have life through his name . ' This conclusion of St . John ' Gospel is of

    great importance , as it puts us in possession of his opinion of the person rank , and dignity of our blessed Lord , and thereby removes whatever ambiguity may appear in the former part of the Gospel . It is decisive also as it perfectly accords with the account our Lord gave of himself , for he never ascribed to himself any personal rank higher than that of the Son of God . It accords with the instance in the course of his trial when the wicked Jews , who had Ibeen long watching his words , and hoping to find something whereof to accuse him , could yet find no greater accusation than this , Be-9

    cause he made himself the Son of God . ' It accords with the instance when the Jews sought an occasion to stone him under the pretence that he had made himself equal with God , when our Lord himself absolutely disclaims any such assumption . ' Say ye of him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world , ' thou blaspheinest , ' because I said I am the Son oj God ?* ( John x . 36 . ) Herein the disciple and the Master perfectly harmonize . From this fast text it appears also what were the ideas of both the Saviour and St . John respecting the title ' Son of God / It was

    pre-eminently due to omr Lord to entitle him the Son of God , but it was nevertheless giVen tcotliers , and is in fact of general import . Adam was styled the soribr * God : and ' in ' various parts of the Bible all true Christians are entitled sons df God . ' Now are we sons of God , and it doth not yet appear what we shall be , * «& ci I £ arinot here avoid remarking that our Saviour declared his

    relatUm tbI ' the Deity was the same as that of his disciples . ' Touch me not / ^ M hetA 'Maf ^^ IV | dgdalene 5 'lam not yet ascended to my Father ; but ^ o to iri } / dhetAMri "k \\<\ say Unto them , I ascend unto my Father and your Father , andfynfoirip CWdfrtid ' i / tittr God , ' The assurance hereby conveyed is of indeecHbable vaIUepas our blessed Saviour declares that his God and Father is in the same stetise the Ciod and Father of Ms brethren and disc 3 pte & . ~—Pp ~ 23—25 .

    844 Religious Prejudice Overcome*

    844 Religious Prejudice Overcome *

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Dec. 2, 1830, page 844, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/mrp_02121830/page/44/