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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), February 1827, Edition 1 of 1, Page 128, Untitled Article

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    • INTELLIGENCE.
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      ( 128 )

      Untitled Article

      Dr . J . P . Smith * and Mr , Haldane on the German Rationalists . The Evangelical Magazine of December , contains a continuation of the correspondence of A . Haldane , Esq ., [ Alethia , ] one of the attackers of the present administration of the Bible Society , and Dr . J , Pye Smith , in reference to Professor Haffher , of Strasburgh , whom Mr . Haldane has chosen to denounce as an infidel and " a scoffer at . vital Christianity . " Mr . Haldane ( who writes . in a tone

      * Dr . Smith has addressed to us the following letter , which , as it relates in part to this controversy , we shall insert in this place .

      To the Editor . Homerton , Sir , December 16 , 1826 . I request your permission to make my strongest protest against the construction put upon some words of mine , by the American author of the Critical Synopsis in the last Number of the Repository , p . 716 . My sole intention in

      marking by italic letters the words " ignorant men and hypocrites abuse it , " was to fix those designations upon persons who , pretending to \> e Calvinists , abuse , that is pervert to the purpose of carelessness , fancied security , or the commission of sin , the doctrine under discussion . It excites my surprise that the Critic should have imagined a construction which appears to me so plainly irreconcileable with the connexion of the

      clause . To his question ( " Will he tell us what becomes of the ' sincere believer , '" &c ., ) I reply , that the person departing out of this life under such circumstances would inevitably fall under the exclusion of the Divine assurance , " The unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God . "

      As the late respected Editor has done me the honour to republish my letter on the subject of Dr . Haffner ' s Preface , 1 solicit the favour of your mentioning two errors , ( made in the Magazine from which it was reprinted , ) which are of some importance to the sense . Page 751 , column 1 , line 25 , expunge the before clauses . Line 28 , read dissevered . J . PYE SMITH .

      Untitled Article

      by no means becoming towards the excellent individual whom he is addressing ) thus animadverts on Dr . Smith ' s observations on the Rationalists and Professor Haffner . We shall quote only the parts of the letter which relate to this question , with Dr . Smith ' s replies , which are connected with Mr . H . ' s letter , by the capital letters , and some extracts from the latter ' s rejoinder .

      Intelligence.

      INTELLIGENCE .

      Untitled Article

      " It would ill become me to enter into a lengthened controversy with the theological tutor of Homerton College , on the sentiments of the German Rationalists in general , or of that worthy member of their body , Dr . Haffner , in particular . I

      may lament as an individual , the language he adopts in regard to the former , as calculated to palliate their guilt and encourage the study of their works ; [ C ] I may lament also that such a man as Haffner should be spoken of by Dr .

      Smith , as a ' distinguished Lutheran Divine' [ D ] , and his blasphemous Preface as ' valuable and interesting . * But it is not the object of my letter to comment on the sentiments of Dr . Smith , nor to inquire how far in this respect

      they comport with the injunctions of the inspired apostle of love , as contained in 2 John 10 . [ E . l

      " In reference to Dr . Haffner , it is enough for me to know that Dr . Smith admits that he belongs to that class of religionists , known in Germany under the imposing title of Rationalists . After this admission , his eulogiums and panegyrics on Haffner , are like ' sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal . ' I am well aware that the appellation of Rationalist

      includes various shades of sentiment , but , after all , no one who is acquainted with the state of religion in Germany , will deny that the term decidedly implies a rejection of all the mysteries of revelation , reduces the word of God to the level of the works of Plato or Herodotus , and degrades the uncreated ' brightness

      of the Father ' s glory , ' to the rank of frail and erring humanity . Let us on this subject hear a writer of the greatest impartiality and the very highest authority—I mean the Rev . Mr . Rose , of Cambridge . 'They' ( the Rationalists ) ' are bound by no law but their own fancies ; some are more and some less extravagant ; but I do them no injustice , after

  • Citation
    • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Feb. 2, 1827, page 128, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1793/page/48/