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superficial believer in Christianity not to recollect the awful doom denounced by him who " cannot lie , " against unbelievers in general . Who is to decide on this great point ?—Our Lord , our Saviour , our final Judge , or Candidus ?*
Although I hope your correspondent has in one instance at least profited by the hint I gave him of the expediency of now arid then consulting a dictionary , he has given himself unnecessary trouble on the present
occasion . 1 do reprobate infidel opinions in the full meaning * of the terms he has quoted from Dr . Johnson ; and as long as I consider the gospel as the greatest and best gift of God to the world , and as without it I must , in such a state as the present , be classed with those who ** are of all
* The following * remarks , tlie author of which will not be suspected of bigotry or fanaticism , deserve the serious attention of Candidus , and of any others who may like him have u no doubt , " of the safe state of those who reject Christianity . " The serious and impartial inquirer , after due attention to the preper evidence will see ample reason to admit the divine
mission and character of Jesus Christ , who by his doctrine and his miracles , and especially by his resurrection from the dead , has brought life and immortality to light ; who hath instructed us in the practice of virtue , and left us an example that we should follow his steps : and wliose second
a ppearance we are taught to expect at the destined , but unknown period in the revolution of ases , to raise the dead , to ¦ % o 7 7 judge the world , to reward every one according- to his works . The virtuous inquirer will readily admit lne sufficiency of the scriptures , and will ^ gard the writing's of the apostles and evan gelists as containing a faithful and
^ edible account of the Christian doctrine - > as petent , if studied with di % en < ce and Mention , to supply him with all needful '"formation upon the most important subjects , and able to make him wise unto 11
Ovat ion . Uelsh ani ' s Serious Caution against Popul ar Errors : in a Discourse addressed to 7 young persons who attend the Unitan worship at the Gravel-Pit Meeting hackney , p . 33 .
" these remarks be just , and I know ot how any one who credits what our ^ lour arid the sacred wri ters have defo » cm tlle subject can refute them , it ^ owg of course , that infidels , in general , l ^ *? ** * 4 * iausf ¦ impartial , or virtuous
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men the most miserable / ' I shall as a Christian , who considers consistency as one of the best proofs of integrity , continue to " reprobate , " to " pass a condemnatory sentence ' on the opinions of those men who despise the author of Christianity as a fanatic , or reprobate him as an impostor .
I have no where " reviled" infidels : this charge therefore of Candidus , like all his other charges brought against me , has not even the shadow of evidence to support it . It is the use of the term which has so offended him ,
and which although explained according to its most obvious meaning , instead of satisfying , still puzzles and displeases him . Unbelievers in general , 1 should suppose , are not ashamed of a name which this
candid Christian is so sorely offended that any one else should apply to them . Candid us repeats his charge , that I arrogate to myself infallibility 3 in support of which he refers to rny speaking about " light and darkness and truth andfalsehood : he cannot well
conceive any thing more contrary to justice and reason , than an attempt to bring forward a text of scripture as a knock-down argument to those who do not believe in scripture , and where the very point under discussion is its divine authority . " I hope your readers have referred to what I said
about " light and darkness , truth and falsehood 5 " and I have little doubt of their cordial approbation of the application I have made of those significant terms : but where , in the course of my correspondence ( or indeed on
any other occasion ) have I " brought a text of scripture as a knoch-down argument to those who deny it ? " and as to my discussion with your correspondents Chiron and "Thomas respecting the truth of revelation , there was not even the most distant allusion to
it ; but as Candid us could not answer rny arguments , still resolving in one instance to be the victor , he has conjured up shadows for the pleasure of combating them . I adopted the language of scripture as merel y
expressive of nay faith as a Christian , and the passages in which the word " sure , " which has proved an unpardonable offence in the judgment of thisrandid Christian , ( while the same wor < i has been used by infidels when revil *? jg the defenders of Christianity , without
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Mr . Flowers Defence ayainst the Charge of Candidus . 421
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1815, page 421, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1762/page/21/
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