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then / on his own shewing , is obvious and irresistible . Nothing more is n ecessary to shew the impropriety oi the practice which he wishes to defend . But Mr . Aspland ( speaking of his own sect , which Mr . Norris thought ought to be called SociniansJ ventures to say , " We approve of the name ( Unitarian ) because it is purely and justly descriptive of our faith . " I am really surprised that a man of "
frankness and discernment" should hazard such an assertion . But since it is made , and repeated by quotation , I appeal to the writer ' s honour and candour , and ask him , How is it possible that this name should be considered as descriptive of the faith of
those commonly called Socinians , when it is known to refer to only one pint in which they agree with several other classes of Christians , without the most distant allusion to their peculiar faith , or that which distinguishes them from all other Christians ? I venture
to assert that it is as purely and justly descriptive of the faith of other sects as it is of that to which Mr , A . belongs ; and of those too , who differ from him in very momentous articles . Some of the writers belonging to those sects have been among the first luminaries of the Christian church , and
have most ably argued in defence of doctrines which Mr . A . spends his life to oppose . Therefore reason , truth , propriety , common sense * all concur in prohibiting that appropriation of the name against which I remonstrate . It ought not to be so appropriated any more than the names Christian and Protestant , to which Mr . A . verv instlv r « rmrvn ? i ? v > s
it-What then are they to be called ? f really do not know . It is for them , ^ the y please , to assume a proper appellation , which they have never yet do ne And until they do , I apprehend they wiil continue to be called by most people , Socinians ; not bemuse it is correct , but because it is
'Wore so than their favourite appella j lve . For let it be remembered that the difference between them and So-€ l m * us , is far less than that which snb-*** & between them and most other
TJni-Brians ! A fact this , which demollshes a great part of Mr- A's . long Rotation from his " Pfeau" I confess however that I have not hitherto been forward to describe them by that ap-
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pellation , because I wish lo avoid the use of words which are not approved by those most concerned . But if a more correct one be not chosen by themselves lhan either Unitarian or Socinian , I believe the rest of the world will in general continue to use the latter . With regard to myself , I shall in future feel less reluctance to designate them as Socinians , because since I began writing these remarks ,
I have read the following judicious observations of Mr . Yates , one of the best writers and ablest champions of their cause * After stating that the objections to this appellative . appear to him groundless , he adds . ' for as ,
when we call our orthodox brethren Calvinists 9 we never mean to insinuate that they make Calvin their master instead of Christ , or that they approve of the murder of Servetus , so we need not fear that , by allowing
ourselves to be called Socin , ians 9 we shall be charged with looking up to Socinus as our spiritual guide * , or Avith adopting the sentiments favourable to persecution , which have been extracted from his letters . "
I never understood , Sir , that this sect were ever in danger of being " called upon to map out and give names to the various sections of the Christian world / ' Mr . Aspland , however , seems to deprecate this hard treatment , and I can assure him with
the most perfect g-ood humour , I shall , for one , entirely exonerate them from such labour . But I do call upon them , as just and reasonable men , not to " map out" any thing for themselves which equally belongs to their neighbours .
Permit me to close by relating a fact . Some time ago a new chapel was erected , hard by an old one , in which an excellent and valuable minister officiated , yvho was well known to be an Unitarian ; a believer in " God , in one person ; 11 just such an Unitarian as Mr . Aspland describes . This doctrine he preached and defended . But in most other points he differed from those who built the
newchapel . They were not separated by any differences respecting- the Divine Unity , but solely by other points j which , however , both sides justly considered as very material ones . Yet the worshij . iers in the new chapel chose to give it , and themselves , tins name of Unitarian ! Thus perversely
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Pastor * in Reply to Mr * Aspcand , on the Term Unitarian . 55 ?
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* «* v . x . 4 c
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Sept. 2, 1815, page 557, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1764/page/25/
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