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422 Mr . Flower ' s Defence against the Charges of Candidus .
Untitled Article
reproof ) are the express language of the disciples of our Lord , the writers of the New Testament . 1 cannot , however , notwithstanding the reproaches heaped upon me , alter my tone . The confidence I have expressed has been produced by a perusal , amongst other writings , of some discourses of Mr . Belsham from the words
of Luke—That thou -maycst know the certainty of these things wherein thou hast been instructed ; and from those of Simon Peter ( which have so displeased Candidus ) We believe and ere sure that thou art that Christ , the
Son of the living God . " Happy they , ' says our author , " who upon just grounds can adopt this language of TJNHESITATING CONFIDENCE . " ( p . 2 . ) But it now appears that this happy frame of mind , is , in the opinion of
even a professing Christian , I hope in this respect a unique in the Christian world , one of the most despicable , and the most to be deprecated ; and that the person enjoying it , is to be classed with those who " claim
infallibility I" In spite of this " condemnatory sentence , "" I feel inexpressible satisfaction in being able to adopt the language of another writer , an illustrious sufferer in the cause of free
inquiry , —the late Robert Robinson , who in the closing year of his life , when contemplating the grand , primary truths ^ of Christianity exclaimed —I HAVE NO DOUBTS .
The mere statement of Mr .. Smithes conduct in habitually attending Unitarian worship in London , and Trinitarian worship in the country , has so disgusted Candidus 9 that he has pronounced my language " uncalled for , ungentlemanlike , and intolerant / 1
Now , Sir , when Mr . Smith was quoted as an authority to Christians , I conceived it by na means " uncalled for 17 to mention one instance of his public conduct which in the judgment of many prevented that authority from
being implicitly acknowledged ; acd notwithstanding the " knock-down ' style of this ' * gentlemanly writer , " I must still beg leave to express my opinion , that for an open professor of TJnitarianisun , a member of an Unitarian Church , in London , one whose
talents , station , and general respectability , unite in placing him as a city set upon a hill—for such an one , when he might join in Protestant Dissenting worship , where he need not be dis-
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gusted with Trinitarian doxologies nor offensive Calvinism — worship constantly attended by some of his brother Unitarians—instead 01 which habitually to sanction with his uu . merous and respectable family and friends , an established service in which his ears must be perpetually assailed
with those doxologies , which his pastor in London terms idolatrous , and in which sentence of everlasting damnation on himself stares him in the face—such inconsistency has naturally given great offence , to both Trinitarians and Unitarians , and I by no means repent simply stating what has been much talked of , and which
surely ought to be explained to the Christian world , or the stumblingblock be removed : but the mere statement of the fact is adduced by Candidus as additional evidence of my intolerant principles , of my being & persecutor . I cannot reply to such absurdity ; but if the gentlemanlike
nerves of your correspondent will suffer him to go through a discourse on the subject , I recommend to his perusal one preached and published by the learned and philosophical divine , " the worthy minister of Essex Street Chapel , " who has " happily for me , proved so able an auxiliary in the present contest , and who will not be
suspected of prejudice against , or ungentlemanlike conduct towards Mr . Smith , The title of the Sermon is—The Right and duty of Unitarian Christians to form separate societies for religious worship . The text , 2 Cor . vi . 16—18 . " What agreement hath the . temple of God with idols . . . Wherefore come out from among
them and be ye separate , saith the Lord , and touch not the unclean thing , " &c . Candidus acknowledges that " his discussion with me has much more ot a personal nature than he could wish ) 1 101
but which , ' he adds , "it seems - possible to avoid in such cases . *¦ however think nothing could have been easier , and indeed it unfortunately happens that the person alities of your correspondent form a continued series of mistakes : he is scarcely
more happy in his present conj ecture about my sentiments and profession than when in his former letter he , ^ prove my inconsistency , addressed as " a certain gentleman imprison ™ for reviling Mr . Pitt ' s administration-
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1815, page 422, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1762/page/22/
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