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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.
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Untitled Article
( Gal . v , 1 , ^ and cheerfully gave up very flattering worldly , views ancbprospects for the iove of God , and ' for the testimony of Jesus Christ' ( Rev . i . 9 ) .
I knew nothing about Mr . Palmer nor his concerns till July , 1 7 83 , when being in London , I was agreeably surprised with receiving the following letter from him , which had been first sent to Montrose , but was returned me to
London fr 6 m thence . 44 Queen ' s ColL Cambridge ^ July 14 th , 1783 . 44 Dr . Sir , 44 new publication by Mr . Lindsey , yentitled ' the History of the Unitarians since the
Reformation' which he was so pbliging to send me the other day , first made me happy with the intelligence of the Unitarian Society at Montrose , and . with your name . Indeed I was seldom evermore affected with
joy and gratitude to the great Being for having vouchsafed to extend the knowledge of himself so far- As a partaker of your joy and fellow-worshipper of Him , you will aliow me to give you the reasons why I trouble you with this .
44 I must begin with telling you , that I am to my sorrow a clergyman of the Church of England . But as I think her liturgy corrupt and antichristian , and her articles to be not only an injurious
violation of the liberty wherewith God and Christ have made me free , but a jumble of absurdity and impiety , I have declined the acceptance of all preferment at the dear
price of swearing these to be true and agreeable to scripture , which I believe to contain so many gross and shocking falsehoods . With such opposite . sentim ^ nts how can I ever unite with her f I am per-
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suaded she is very erroneous in many points , but in none more than in-the object of her worship . I profess myself a zealous worshi pper of the only true God , whom only to serve , my Teacher and Master said , was the first and
greatest of all commandments . Convinced as I am both by reason and revelation of this most important of all known truths , 1 dare not , it would be idolatry in me to join in the church ' s service of three Gods , and in her litany service of four Gods . For these reasons I
have quitted all connexion as much as possible with her . But being a member of this University and fellow of a college , I feel the force of decency and decorum obliging me to attend' the daily service of the chapel , while a much more powerful motive obliges me never to go . Yet this is a kind of halting between two
opinions , it is unmanly , it is unbecoming him who is not ashamed of his God ^ but who thinks it his highest privilege , hohour , and happiness , to be permitted to be his lowliest servant , and to profess himself so openly .
44 Pressed by these difficulties and others of a like kind which it is not necessary to mention , I thought Montrose might be an asylum to me for a year or two till I had eotten information
enough in that book ( meaning the Bible ) to dispense it to others : Where in the mean time I could worship the Father of mercies according tp my conscience , could enjoy , the union of brother Christians , and might possibly build and be built up by them . ' "
Mi . Palmer speaks afterwards of private concerns , and concludes in the following manner . 44 May the Father of mercies
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Account of Mr ? William Christie . 135
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), March 2, 1811, page 135, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2414/page/7/
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