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# y a Unitarian Christian , I me 0 n then a believer in Christ , who believes one person only to be ( &od r if there is any thing irrational in this belief , it becomes
your' correspondent ^ the churchman , to point it outi but he appears to me to « have brought vari * ous subjects forward , whuch may be matters of opinion among
Unitarian or other Christians , but which have nothing to do with the present argument . Let us examine his six important points , on- which he endeavours to rest his
argument . 1 st . The scriptures are fully equal to complete instruction in religion , though not inspired * Unitarians , in common with
many other Christians , believe the scriptures to be fully equal to complete instruction . Tfie question of the inspiration o £ the scripture $ is held differently , by difc .
ierent Christiana : and upon this head I may entertain- my own opinions , which have nothing to do with my sentiments , as an Unitarian Christian * , I object therefore to the introduction ot
the terms , " though not inspired ;" and the churchman is to prove , that we Unitarians are irrational , because we believe , that the scriptures are fully equal to complete instruction in religion . On this
ground I am willing to meet him ; n&y I will go farther ; , for I assert , that no other writings but tl ^ e scriptures are fully equal to corn * filete instruction in , religion . Under this head J find , that , the churchman has introduced the
names of Dr . Pucstliy and Mr . Belsham , with a , view , I presume , to fasten upon Unitarians some particular tenets of these gentle-
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men . Once for all then I am to observe , that I became an Uniw tarian , before I knew ' either ot these gentlemen ; and that thu oniy thing I recollect of the foxsmer gentleman , previous to tfoe . change of my religious opinions , is , that , when I was an undergraduate in the University of Cam- * bridge , I composed a thesis in op ^
position v > Dr . Priestley ' s book on Matter and Spirit , and maintained a disputacion in the public schools , against the opinions of the celebrated doctor . It was not till Jihad quitted the church , that I foecame a reader of Dr ., Priestley ' s re - ' ligious works : and afterwards I had
the pleasure of considerable . intercourse with him , which 1 shall always recollect with increasing satisfaction . Whatever religious knowledge I may have derived from other writers , besides thosa of the scriptures , must be attri - buted chiefly to the bishops Law and Watson , the doctors Jebb and * Paley , and my very excellent £ ilends . Mr . Lindsey and Mr , Ty * - » whitt .
2 * The second point , insisted ? upon by . the churchman , to provethat Unitarian Christians aw ? nofc rational Christians is , that human actions are all under thelaw of necessity , ami yet subject ' men hereafter to punishment * . On this I shall observe only , that the doctrine of necessity is ^
differently understood aj ^ d ex ^ plained by various Christians * whether Unitarians or not ; and that , whether the necessarian or libertarian' be right , the Unitarian Christian * : has , as an Unitarian , nothing at all to do with it . For my part , I cannot allow it to be a * question * in , which Christians ift .
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Unitarians Rational ] Christians * 29 ^
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), June 2, 1808, page 297, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2393/page/5/
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