On this page
-
Text (1)
-
Untitled Article
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
-
-
Transcript
-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
Untitled Article
596 Mr . Beisham ' s Strictures t > n Carpenters Lectzir ^
Untitled Article
knowledge , ever been disputed , since the evidence for it wds produced by Dr . Priestley , in his History of Early Opiaiens * Now , that the true doctrine concerning the person ^ df Christ Should never have been understood till three hundred years after his advent ^ when it was accidentally discovered by an obscure Egyptian priest ^ appears to me in the highest degree improbable and incredible , and therefore Arianism cannot be true . But even this difficulty is no stumblitig-block in the way of our
Arian brethren . If they cannot remove it > they can step over it $ and on they go , contentand satisfied , with anintrepiditj / of faith , which bids defiance to obstacles ^ and can remove mountains * . And truly as this great doctrine of an incarnate creator is not hinted at by three of the evangelists , and only incidentally men * tioned by Paul , it cannot be thought surprising that it was not
completely understood till the fourth century , a period celebrated for many other equally notable and edifying discoveries . Having thus shewn , as I originally proposed , both that my worthy friend has just ground for the diffidence which he expresses in his own opinions , ( see Dedication , p . 3 . ) and that the * Unitarians are not unwarranted in their confident belief in the proper humanity of their venerated Master , a confidence which increases in proportion to their increasing attention to the sacred records of his life and doctrine ^ I now take my leave of the controversy . I do not think it necessary to follow my friend into the detail of his argument in favour of what is commonly called the atonement of Christ , because the doctrine ' of our
Lord ' s simple humanity cuts up this enormous corruption of his religion by the roots , at once . The true summary of Christianity is expressed by the apostje Patil in plain and clear language in his admirable address to the Athenians , Acts xvii . 31 , ic that God will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained , whereof he hath given assurance to all men by raising him from the dead . " No notice is here taken of the death of Christ , This event , indeed , was only necessary as a preliminary to his resurrection . And to avoid all suspicion and all possibility of collusion , it was requisite that Christ should be
put to death publicly and by his enemies . But as the crucifixion of Jesus as a malefactor was an event exceedingly obnoxious both to Jews and Gentiles , the apostles were solicitous to mention itin those terms , and to represent it under those figures which would have the greatest tendency to abate the prejudices * It has "been remarked , not without some appearance of reason , that faith ia Xro&crn times possesses far greater power , than it did in the apostolic age . Jt could then only r « mcve mountains , but now it can $ < wallcw them .
-
-
Citation
-
Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Nov. 2, 1807, page 596, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2386/page/32/
-