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have resolved to offend the one party as little as could possibly consist with pleasing the other , and keeping your conscience between both ; though you durst never say expressly that your notion of the Trinity is necessary to salvation , &c Yet you convey your charity with such a secret hand , < Scc . "
Truly sir , I think this is but an observance of the rule of the great apostle i Cor . x . 32 , 33 . Give none offence neither to the Jews nor to the Gentiles , nor to the church of God ; neither to the zealous Athanasians , nor to the Arians , nor to the pious Christians of any party whatsoever . As there are some seasons wherein that advice of the apostle is necessary , Rom . xiv . 22 . Hast ihou faith ? have it to thyself before God : So there are some seasons also wherein a
parallei advice is as proper , Hast thou charity ? have it to thyself before God , But I hope these seasons are growing to an end . Surely sir , you know so well the present temper of many Christians , that it Is necessary for any man , that would attempt to enlarge their charity , that he should make it appear first that he
himself is sound in the faith , according to their judgment of things . Till this is done ^ wha ^ frtfefhe shall say upon the principles antl duties of love will be vain and insignipfatftr ? fer they imagine that the authof nUtWHetd of charity for himself , and tfc ^ efo ^ e l ^ bespeaks it . Now since I am welT&ftis'fi&i in the general doctrine
that true and proper godhead is ascribed to our Lord Jesus Christ and the holy spirit in many places of scripture , 1 was willing first to make that appear with such strength and evidence as I could in a few plain pages , and set what I think is truth in the most convincing light , though I am doubtful of the common schemes of explication . And I thought
it enough in that book to lay down some principles and foundations of charity , without drawing out the inferences at large . The 247 th page of my book expresses the same sentiments with the 11 st and 22 nd propositions , even though your notions of communion in or with godhead may not arise so high as mine do
If I have in any expressions betrayed an uncharitable spirit , I hope the world will forgive what I myself do not approve , and will understand those words in a sense no more severe than what I -had when I wrote them , which I shall shew immediately . And as 1 hope I
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have been enabled to do something is that book towards the establishment of the truth , so if I can find that the world will bear it , I trust God wilLena * ble me to do some further service in the propagation of charity in due time . I have some dissertations of that kind by
me at present , but I would willingly delay and manage my publication of them in such a manner that they might have the best influence upon those pious souls whose charity is too narrow . And I pray God to direct and guide my thoughts and determinations for this purpose . In
the pursuit of this design if I should ever have occasion to cite some pages of yours hereafter , as received in a private letter from an unknown hand , I persuade myself that you will be pleased to see it used in so happy a design : but I can determine nothing yet .
And now sir , I have spoken my sentiments of charity with so much freedom , give me leave also to add , that if our JLord Jesus Christ be the true God , or has the fulness of the godhead dwelling bodily in him , so as to make one complex person or principle of action and passion , as I verily believe he has , then I do not think it a matter of small
importance whether we believe his godhead or no . Though my charity can ex * tend itself towards persons -who are honest , humble and sincere in their search , and pray earnestly for divine assistance , even to such persons as you describe in the end of your letter , yet I think they ought to have a most solemn awe upon
their own spirits , lest they should degrade that glorious person from his one ^ ness with the Father in true godhead , whom so many ages of Christians have believed to be truely one with God , according to his own expression , / and the Father arc one . And in my opinionJ : he glory of his mediation , the
alUsufficience of his atonemenr , the Almighty prevalence of his intercession , his power to send the holy spir it , and to govern the known and unknown worlds depend upon his divinity , or the union of the man Jesus to the eternal godhead , con *
scituting one person or one complex principle of action . It awakens therefore , a sort of religious horror , when some persons seem to take pleasure in a contemptuous debasing of the character ol our blessed Lord , and roundly assert that Christ is but a mere creature , and that he is called God only for the , s » n * J reason that aflgpis or magistrates arc
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% 54 Original Letter of Dr . Watts' * s to Mr * Siogdon *
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), May 2, 1809, page 254, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1736/page/8/
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