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    caused them to . hold fast their old principles . Had he employed himself continually in explaining the principles of rational and purereligioh , and the nature and

    obligations of moral dutv , in the most clear and explicit terms ; had he openly taught the full design and extent of that new dispensation of divine grace which he came to establish with

    mankind ; the consequence would have been , with regard to many , disgust and neglect of sijch dry and disagreeable subjects ; and to the rfcsf , all the opposition and cavilling their corrupt passions

    and appetites , and inveterate prejudices , - could raise ; but few would have had , p a tie nee to consider , or disposition to comply with his lessons ; however enforced b y his pretensions to a

    divine mission , or those pretensions " supported by numberless miracles . The most complete and accurate knowledge of human nature , arid those secret springs which powerfull y move the heart of man , could liot have dictated

    a more proper method , of dealing wjth persons of such a tefnper and character as the generality of the Jews were , tbaji that which ^ qsu-s actually pursued . He djd not fait , incjeed , plainly to assert

    to them the fundamental principles of pure religjorj , and the leading duties of moral righteousness , purity , and goodness—Prin * . ci-ples wliosc truth evwv underT standing of man must acknow * . led ^ c ; duties whose importance .

    ? uad obligations must force con-\ iction on every hct \ r ( , when propounded in a true light , and pon ^ sid " erc 4 wi * h « i " candid _ attentjpn : Kbut he left it to the deductions of tb «; iv own , reasons , to fpHpw ibcap-

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    • convictions into theif proper and extensive consequences ; an # * t 6 deteet thegroundlessoe ^ s of their errors , and the absjordiiy of their .

    prejudices , by ( he . light of those princi p les'he furnished th ^ m with ,, He did not , however , constantly or generally pursue this plainer method o § instruction , but more

    often conveyed his doctrines and precepts to their hearts , » under the less offensive and rrtore agreeable vehicle of parabolical repre - sentations and similitudes ^ which , by proposing truth under a supposed fcase of another person or

    thing , earned instruction and eon , viction to their understandings , yet avoided hurting their prejudices by a too explicit declaration of disagreeable truths , or encountering their self-love by censures and reproaches . And when he

    had to do with persons " of very distempered minds an 4 depraved hearts , possessed with strong aver-i sions against the truth , hj& methb < J was , after having asserted his divine mission , and produced some striking attestations of it by rni ra- * cles , to deliver to them sorrje irii

    portant doctrines , wrapped up in a veil of obscure expressions , which served ? to present the ob ^ jects to them as it were in a mist , or imperfect light , just sufficient to convince them that sojnethiii g of very great importance was > con « twined in them , but not discover

    clearl y what it was . The natura l QiYcct of which would be , tQ alarm their apprehensions , ancj fill them with astonishment , . and

    tli ^ reby suppress their prejudices ; and uassjons , and check the petu-, lance of their cavilljng humpur ; to pup them upon serious thought- * fulness and consideration ; and , ftfot h $ v 4 p , g f ^^^ sbly en ( lc ? ivoi 4 r ^

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    36 Observations on John vi . 37 , by i % e late JUv . W . ^ u rn e r ^ m i . l * -

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Jan. 2, 1808, page 36, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2388/page/36/