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essential , tp the t safaataton q $ his » people . Such an . Impious atto ^ Q ^ tion yfaitld imply , that an ? -all-wisei and gracious Being had given a religion to his creatures * inadequate to produce the effects for which it was designed . But I do not require to urge this upon Presbyterians , who spurn at the idea of " exclusive salvation , " and rejoice to think , " that many shall come from the East and from the West , from the North and from the South , and shall
sit down in the kingdom of God . " Were uniformity of faith , however , desirable , ( which , to me , seems exceedingly doubtful , ) I am persuaded that creeds aud confessions , and other " devices of men , " are not the means adapted to produce it . The very churches which taunt us with our varieties of
faith , and reproach us for permitting the disuse of our " ancient standards , " have as great diversifies of opinion in themselves as prevail * amoflgst us . Wemjght fairly turn upon ffyein and say , ' * Physicians , heal yourselves ! " It is as notorious as the sun at noon day , tbat the Established Church , a ^ tftis very mo *
ment , is divided ii $ o twpvgreat * parties of Arn 4 niaiis ; : % p 4 ii CJ ^ j ivi n ^ ts , ¦ - not to speak pf ittJBor divisions .. I . have seen a low Apian , if not Soci « iau work , written n ^ . t many years ago , as I have been told and beJieVe , ny a dignitary of that church , turning the doctrine of the Trinity and Archbishop ' s IVlagee ' s view of the atonement fnto contempt and ridicule in the most indecorous manner . And we all
know , that from Tillotson down to the present age , many of the brightest ornaments of that church have wished ^ that " she was well rid of the Athanasian creed . " Do , I mention these things from any invidious feeling towards the Established Church ? By no means . I believe the clergy of that church to be a very respectable body of divines , many members of it are amongst my best friends , and some of the most pious Christians I ever knew were of its
communion . But 1 consider the state of th&t church as a striking proof of my poiftioh , that uniformity of creed does ntii necessarily produce uniformity of faith . Aiid when , on a previous day , 1 spoke of a few of , the clergy as shewing themselves anxious about the dismissal
of Mr . Porter from the clerkship , and interfering : in the settlement of a Presbyterian ; congregation , I meant no , reflect tiori Mi the clergy of that church as * a body . If some of diem ( became " Jjusybotfies in othei' men ' s ^ masters , " . J ' ^ pi cpnvirt ^ ed that ninety-nine put ' ^ f one ^ iun ( Jre 4 [ of . thehi wOtiltl ctfnclcmn su , ch . Injudicious
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interference-to mikfo « as <* pb ^ siBJf&tetft , tBu ^ tfttfls t < F thti&ekbrf& ^ teftfedtf&tyb -ward ^ 'the EStabHsHed £ tiiirbhf I trtrslirl shall- be pardoned for not fallin ^ ftl to that extreme couHesy ( so coi ! im' 6 h amongst us Of late ) whicV would exaft her above the church to which I ^ on ^ - Scientiously belong . I should hold 'It
disgracefttl to continue a Presbgt&rittn , if I preferred the doctrine , discipline ; or worship , of any other church ; and'I freely confess , that I should place very little value upon a compliment from any mau who told me that he considered my church superior to his own , whilst he remained in that which tie disapproved .
If we turn to the Church of Scotland it will not afford us much stronger proof of the efficacy of a uniform creed . There the Confession of Faith reigns in ail its glory ; yet , I have been told , ( and I speak under the correction of Mr . Carliie , ) that there is not an earfch a body of men of more diversified religious seii--timents than the ministers of the Church
of Scotland . Nay , it has been more than hinted , that the very seats of learning are not free from heresy . Rumour tells a strange , tale of a subscription scene in one of these venerable seminaries . When a professor was elected , who was pretty generally known not to be as orthodox as John Knox , the peyi son who presented the Confession of Faith to him for signature , simply
enough , asked him if he believed iV ? This , the learned gentleman very well knew , " was not in the bondv * ** You have nothing , " said he , " to do- with that : hand it here - 'and *> 111 dgfi H , " There may be persous who admire -thW mode of producing a uniform atid ^ rtho ^ dox faith ; but to me it seems aivful to think that a man would be excluded
from the ministry , or any other offlc ^ for avowing the truth , who would bti considered duly qualified for admission , by putting his solemn signature to ajie't I was wrong , however , in saying that there is no church in which uniformity is to be found . There is one whichyfefr least , boasts of being the same hi everty age , and clime , and country *> -the ; 43 atJiiro- '' lie church . But are those whto most
strenuously press forward this « Deolar ^ a- » tion , admirers of the beautifui * uniform mity of that church ? I suspect , ' 'that whilst 8 ome of them would not ^ oiiwme in my cordialwiahtS ) to see thejiibefujfitfl of the British Constitution extencje ^ i to our Catholic countrymen ^ $ heyi wilb Ml unite with me in admitting , that the uniformity of theCatholio churehMpower * fully tended to bring , on ** the itross
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776 I ^ Hig # fwe \«^ ynd & * fi fJteter .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Oct. 2, 1827, page 776, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1801/page/64/
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