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    ofj the Ariari doctrine . Since the time of the illustrious Eriestley , whose name this society has the honour of having enrolled

    among its records , and tHis country that of containing his remains in . its bosom , matters have assumed a .-more decided aspect . . He lias fully demonstrated that the doctrine of One God and one

    mediator was the doctrine originally 4 a ' ] Jght by Christ and his apostles , ajicTthat whatever contradicts it is an innovation and corruption . Its advocates , emboldened by his

    example , have spoken and written freely arid argued unanswerably , and the consequence has been a most rapid accession to the nurn * ber of professors of the unadulterated religion of the New

    Testament . For an illustration of what 1 have now advanced , I doubt not I may repeat my appeal to what

    has passed in the minds of several of you , my friends , who , like xoyself , are entering upon the later periods of life . Although I am certain we can never remember

    the time when we thought we understood the doctrine of three Gods in one , and one God in three , yet a kind of pious reverence , and perhaps a regard to the judgment

    of persons , whom we held in dutiful respect or cordial esteem , led lis to yield an assent to it , and to feelieve , that , though it could not be comprehended , it ought not to T ^ e questioned .

    As the years of mature reflection -drew on , pioute awe gave place to doubti and doubt increased into an actual disbelief of a thing so totally repugnant to $ very dictate of reason and common sense . Not yet prepared , however , to add the belief of the

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    proper humanity of Clirisi to thait of the strict and incontrovertible unity and supremacy of the Father , we concluded that he niust

    have had an existence of a supe . rior kind prior to his appearance iri this world , arid that his sufferings and death were neces - sary to propitiate the Deity towards our sinful race , and his perfect obedience to make up for the defects of ours . But we have

    since been convinced that to consider the Lord Jesus Christ as simply a partaker of our own flesh and blood , not only frees the sa * cred history from many otherwise insuperable difficulties , but is

    most conformable to the plan of our redemption by hitn , and affords us a large addition of encouragement and consolation ; that the uniform doctrine of th § Scriptures is the extension of the free

    and unpurchasedmer ^ y God to sinners upon sincere repentance and reformation ; and that it is as inconsistent with the eternal

    principles of justice , to bestow rewards on account of the righteousness , as to inflict punishments on account of the transgressions , of another .

    Such , it may be taken for granted , will be the general result of the inquiries of the human understanding into these interesting and important subjects ; and we

    might be well astonished if , where it is left perfectly free ^ . nd unshackled , as , blessed be God , is the case in this h&ppy land of

    liberty , its efforts sliould not conduct it to the discovery of truth ,

    and produce a firm adherence to her dictates . Symptoms of this already appear . Already has the American press giveji publicity to able ar-

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    2 § 3 2 edl in the Cdiise df Religions TfHtk .

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), June 2, 1810, page 298, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2405/page/26/