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expressive and appropriate , naturally leading the mind from the sound to the sense . But , if applied exclusively to those who maintain the simple humanity of Christy the title is not characteristic or distinctive ; it comprises within itself no indication of its
meaning . IV . Lastly , The extensive application of the title in question may be recommended as likely to be attended with manifold advantages in the promoti 0 n of Christian truth and
Christian piety . The meaning of the term being thus fixed , the Unitarian controversy is reduced to a narrow compass . On the one side , t he A thanasian brings , to support the doctrine of three co-equal Persons in the Godhead , a list of texts , which , few as they are , seem for the
most part to have no relation to the subject , except that in some view or other we may count three in them ; and , to prove the Supreme Divinity of Christ , he produces a number of passages , which either state nothing more than the sentiments held by
Unitarians , in common with all other Christians , concerning the power and knowledge of Jesus , or , if they seem at first sight to oppose the Unitarian doctrine , may be easily proved to be either interpolated , wrongly translated , or misunderstood . On the other side ,
the Unitarian states , in the plain and simple language of Holy Writ , and supports by many hundreds of explicit Scripture testimonies , his distinguishing principles , that the Father is the Only True God , that the Father is greater than the Son , and that all the
power of the Son is given to him . The controversy being placed upon these grounds , the evidence in support of the Unitarian doctrine is so copious , so overwhelming , that no serious inquirer , with a mind tolerably free from prejudice and from the bias of
worldly interest , can refuse to embrace it . Having adopted these general principles , he may proceed to the calm , attentive and impartial discussion of the various questions , upon which Unitarians are divided in opinion among
themselves . But if , by the' definition which we give of the name Unitarian , we require all persons in joining ; * us to disavoiv the peculiarities of Arianism , we either lead'them to be precipitate in professing faith in * our system before they have sufficiently studied
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its grounds , or we keep them at a dis tance from us during a long , and per haps painful course of scriptural in vestigation . The believers in the sim pie humanity of Christ , while they are confident that a process of diligent and unbiassed inquiry , once begun , will almost certainly terminate in the adoi > .
tion of their sentiments , must admit that the explanation of some texts alleged to proves the pre-existence of Christ , is attended with considerabl e difficulty . Socinians themselves au not agreed respecting the proper interpretation of them . Why should they force a hasty solution of these diffi *
culties upon the serious and humbleminded Christian ? Let them also re fleet how much detriment is brought to the great evangelical principles of the Unity and universal Benevolence of God , vvhen the Athanasians ,
completely baffled in all their attempts to vindicate the doctrines of the Trinity and the Divinity of Christ , still continue to amuse themselves and their readers with a ceaseless round of ridicule and argument upon the Sociuian interpretations of the passages adduced by the Arian brethren .
Mr . Belsham , in his Sermon preached at the Opening of the New Meeting in Birmingham , has admirably illustrated the great principle , on which Unitarians separate from the Established Church and from other bodies of
Dissenters , and which is no trifling difference respecting forms of service or modes of discipline , or even respecting minor points of doctrine , but a radical and fundamental opposition of opinion concerning the object af worship . The principal purpose for which Christians meet in their
rehgious assemblies , is to unite in the worship of the Deity . It is therefore absolutely requisite , that they should be agreed respecting the Person , or Persons , to whom they address their adoration . Hence the Unitarians , it
they offer public praise and prayer a * all , are under an evident necessity ci doing it in distinct societies . They fed themselves further justified fr their schism by the opportunities afforded them for the exercise of their . n atural and Christian liberty in the puw *** religious truth by the train of tne exhortations addressed to them ^ the pulpit , which place u P . Xr ferent ground the prospects of tne eternal salvation and the means
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478 Mr . J . Yates on the Term Unitarian
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Aug. 2, 1815, page 478, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1763/page/14/
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