On this page
-
Text (2)
-
Untitled Article
-
Untitled Article
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
-
-
Transcript
-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
Untitled Article
church in this point , he goes on to appeal to the charge brought against Jesus , by the unbelieving Jews , his enemies . c < He said that God was his father , making himself equal with God /' ( John v . 18 ) , " that is / ' says our expositor , " God of God ^ because the Son of God / 7 I congratulate the Bishop , Sir , upon his infidel allies : with such a cause in hand , he is not to be severely blamed for pressing into his sendee avowed calumniators and false witnesses * In the next edition of his book , I expect to find the mysteries of the church confirmed by the decisions and scriptural expositions of another infidel , who has , together with all his associates and disciples , as rank a hatred to rational religion as the Bishop , and whom therefore he may hug to his bosom as cordially as the apostate Julian
and the perjured Jews : I mean , the notorious author of the ** Age of Reason : " a book from which a good churchman * like our author , might derive many lessons on the sublime incomprehensibleness of Christian mysteries , the danger and wickedness of exercising carnal reason in matters of religion , and the binding indispensable necessity of implicit faith in the
church , and entire confidence in the church ' s keeper , the * priest . Christ , according to the Nicene fathers , is , Light of Ligllt . " The scriptures-proof of this proposition is dexterously made by the Bishop a proof of Christ ' s divinity ; for , says he , " Jesus said , / am the Light of the World ( John viii . 12 , ) St . John says , God is Light . " I have sometimes wondered that John
Baptist ' s disciples never deified their master . Had I been a cotemporary with them , I could have helped them to a proof * as convincing as this of our author ' s , of his being not only God , but a great God . Take it as follows : —God is Lights Jesus called John a u burning and shining light : " it follows , therefore , that he was , in the Nicene style , " Light of Light ^ God of God , very God of very God !" If the Bishop ' s proofs of the Nicene doctrine amused me much more , Sir , did those which he advances in support of the Athanasian . The creed of St » Athanasius ( honour to his memory !) is as easy to him as Propria quo ? maribus to a
boy at school , and as intelligible as hocus pociis to a conjurer . Every part of it he advocates , not excepting even the horrid damnatory clauses ; and he endeavours to bring the sacred writers ( honest and benevolent men ! they little thought of
being subpoenaed as witnesses in such a cause ) to depose to this murderous manifesto , this atrocious libsl on the character of the Father of all mankind . Sir , if I am ever in danger of Jlpsing my temper , it is when I think of this execrable string of absurdities and lies framed into instruments of cruelty . I have
Untitled Article
4
Untitled Article
Bp . Burgess ' s ** Principles" € 39
-
-
Citation
-
Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Dec. 2, 1806, page 639, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1731/page/23/
-