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serving his fellow-creatures , he will bear with our caution , call for our inquiry . Only let us take heed to our own spirit . '" Farther , an observer cannot help sometimes having his doubts whether the true obligations of Christian charity have been sufficiently considered by some among us , when he sees that sympathy with and interest in whole ranks of their fellow-creatures is put out of sight , as a thine : almost out of the question . There are stern politicians of all sorts , steady and inflexible in their
own ideas of what is right , who really seem to make it a principle to know none but their own people , who now and then perhaps complain of being treated with disdain by others , but take no pains to examine into some of the grounds of this treatment . It is difficult to imagine how these can reconcile themselves to the spirit of estrangement they thus cultivate . If we are " to do unto others as we would that they should do unto us , " we certainly should take care to keep open as wide a field for our charitable exertions as possible ; and why the rich and great , any more than the poor and unhappy , should be excluded from our sympathies , may well be the subject of our candid
investigation . Again , with regard to religious principle . Whatever the Christian ' s opinion about truth or error may be , one principle , one most important principle , he never can or will forget ; wherever else he may err , he knows that the eternal welfare of his brother is a consideration more important than all beside . When , therefore , he wishes to correct an error of a speculative kind , it will be his business , above all things , so to do it as most carefully to guard the
grand principles of religion ; so as not , if possible , to weaken the feelings of genuine piety in a single bosom . It must be owned that in an abrupt transition from a grossly erroneous to a purer system of faith , sacrifices of this sort always have been , and it is feared always must be made . Infidelity must have a few victims where superstition has long bound her ten thousands in chains ; but " woe be to him by whom the offence , " through wilful inattention or sinful carelessness for the best interests of his fellow-creatures ,
44 cometh . " Anxiety about the spread of truth , is not unfrequently accompanied by remissness in pressing that truth home to the conscience . Let us guard this point well . Of what moment is the poor and paltry triumph of gaining a convert to our opinions , in comparison with having awakened devout feelings , pressed home the admonitions of scripture to the conscience , and turned the sinner from the error of his ways ? Yet it is not that instruction in doctrines is either needless or exceptionable , for it may be carried
a great way if combined with charity ; but it is , that chanty itself does not urge us on far enough in those private endeavours to recommend our principles which will alone make our preaching and teaching available . Unwearied solicitude to conciliate by every lawful means those , high or low , who oppose themselves , sympathy with the feelings of different orders and ranks , extensive acquaintance with human nature , —all these things are necessary in him who would do good as far as it is possible , A due regard to
religious reputation , a desire not to appear light where we know that in our hearts we must be serious , a full , free , large allowance for the motives of those whom mistaken duty may lead to banish us from their society and almost friendship , are also clearly incumbent upon the Christian who wishes to put on " the bond of charity . " Once more : true Christian benevolence will check the spirit of criticism in our own circles . We elect ministers , and our reputation is much involved in theirs ; yet we allow ourselves to criticise their foibles openly , forgetting
Untitled Article
20 Thoughts on Christian Chanty ,
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Jan. 2, 1827, page 20, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1792/page/20/
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