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    # ble , by giving it a place in your periodical work , to evince your fairness and candour . The proposition which I shall attempt to establish , is this— " That Unitarian Christians have no juater claim to the title of Rational

    Christians , than the mem - bers of the reformed established Churhes , or of tlie Catholic Church /' It is perhaps not improper to r emark , before I proceed to offer my proofs of the truth of this proposition , that J do not mean to insinuate that a religion which is not entitled to the character of rational , cannot be true ; neither do I mearjL to represent the Unitar ians as men of less than

    ordinary understanding : that sect can never be justly accused of want of talents , which numbered amongst its members , a Lardner

    and a Priestley . My object is simple and CQhiined . I mean merely to shew , that the Unitari - ans have no better pretensions to reason than their brethren " of

    other churcheSjOl whom they seem to think it sufficient to say , in the refutation of their opinions , that reason pronounces them to t * e absurd . There seem to me to be at least

    six important points of doctrine , generally held jby Unitarians , full as unreasonable , as any doctrine taught in other churches * They are : 1 . That the scriptures are fully equal to complete instruction in religion , though not inspired .

    2 . That human actions are all under the law of necessity , and yet subject men thereafter to pu ~ nishment . 3 . That altjioijgli every thing proceed ^ under { he stri ct law of

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    necessity , miracles have beea performed . ; : That notwithstanding the present state of the world , it was the object of the mission of Jesu § Christ to reform the world .

    5 .. That man , " although purely material , shall be raised from the dead , 6 . That tte phenomena of nature may be reconciled ^ vt th the system of optimism .

    Every Unitarian may not hold all these points of doctrine , as indeed in every church we find much division of opinion amongst its members ; but it is clear that they were all entertained by Dr . Priestley , " and are all supported

    by Mr . Belsham , so that I do presume , that they express the , general opinions , of those Unitarians , who have studied the dogmas ' of the sect ? . However , if I have been guilty" of aiyr" incprrectness in this statement Qi-jpao ^

    dern Unitarian opinions , any one is competent to refute that , statement , arid to inform us what are , oi > \ these subjects , th $ genyine opinions of \\ s church . Iu illustrating the absurd j tyy Reason being

    appointed judge , of the ^ eopinions , I shall be as brief as possible , as I am npt without hope that some Unitarian may hereafter attempt to shew their reasonableness , which I think will be the most likely way more clearly to expose them .

    1 . The scriptures * are . fully equal , to complete instruction in religion , though they are not given by inspiration . It is affirmed by Unitarians , that plain , sensible men

    heard the discourses of Jesus , and saw his miracles , and h&veTecorded them with tjie H faithfulness of honest historians ^ and , with the same imperfection * , ^ his indeed .

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    Unitarians not . " Rational Christians * " - 185

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), April 2, 1808, page 185, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2391/page/13/