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fttDliCE-TreT OP KR . BENSTETT ' s SERMON . To the Editor of the Monthly Repository . Sut , * As a General Baptist ^ and a friend to free inquiry , 1 am unwilling that either myself or my brethren should be misrepresented . You noti ed , in your Review of last month , Vir . Bennett ' s sermon preached before the General Baptist Assembly , T heard that sermon , and have perused it since its publication . Mr . B . has asserted in his prefatory letter , that most of his auditors gave him a patient hearing ,
but f believe that in this he b Tery incorrect . Mr , B . also observes that he could cot see that any one should be alarmed at the idea © f Joseph ' s being the father of Jesus . I believe there was no great degree of alarm excited by that idea , for several who disapproved of the performance were of Mr . J& . ' s opinion- ; and that you , Sir , are under the same misconception , is clear from your observations in the Review , where you say— But we are unwilling- to believe that the heads and representatives of the General Baptists , a sect which has always led . the way in free inquiry , should have been less ready than an assembly of the clergy to permit one of their members to state frankly and -defend temperately his conscientious ^ belief . " I believe I speak the sentiment of a large majority of the Assembly , when I say , that it was not the liberty of inquiry exhibited in the discussion , that gave < such general dissatisfaction , but that such a subject should have been chosen for such an occasion ; for while I am ready to admit fully the utility of free discussion in matters of religion , yet it ought to be f eeollected that the brethren were not assembled at that time to settle points of speculative and controversial theolagy * And to do the Assembly justice , it should be understood , that Mr , B . ' s sermon
was delivered to a congregation composed perhaps nearly of an equal number of males and females . That care which man ever discovers to preserve from annoyance the delicate feelings of the other sex , constitutes one of the highest features of civilized society , nor is there any principle in the Christian religion that authorises its votaries to intrench on so invaluable a rule of precaution , and thus violate the universally prescribed privileges of female modesty and reserve . That Mr . B . displayed considerable ability I am ready to admit , but I appeal to any one whether a subject , the discussion © f which leads to the repetition of the following expressions thirty or forty times in the space of half an hour , was not improperly chosen for a female auditory , ( viz . ) " The fruit of thy body "— " The fruit of his loins "— " Kings shall come out of thy loins "— " Seed of David according to the flesh "— " The rod that came forth out of the stem of Jes » e "— The branch that grew out of his roots "— Jacob begat Joseph "— The husband of the mother must be the father of rhe son " - * - ' * Joseph ' s commerce with Mary "— ' * His descent ie traced through the body of Joseph'V— " An unmarried woman should not conceive a son ** — "An eye w it ness to the miraculous conception > —* r liie connexion between the Holy Ghost and the mother of Jesus , ** &c &c . I say , I appeal to the " good sense of any person , whether the discussidn of such a subject was not highly
indecorous a . nd improper . But , Mr . Editor , that 1 may not intrude to © much on the patience of your readers , I shall merely add , that my personal knowledge of Mr . B . both as a man and minister ; forbids the imputation of unfavourable motives to his conduct ; but it sometimes happens that the zeal of good men leads them into imprudence . I ; hav € taken v »^ the pen merely tq exculpate the General Baptist Assembly from the odium sa improperl y cast upon them . That its members may not mistake each other ' s views , and that the well-intended effort of every individual may be marked With prudence and decorum , is the sin-cere wish of , Sir , Yours , ^ B- MAfcT&K . fcarstong , near Do * cr > Oct . A , x $ vj *
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# 64 Correspondence .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Oct. 2, 1807, page 564, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2385/page/56/
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