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i * T which these *'> doctrines " " are rev ealed ;* ' What die fdeas arewhich he affixes to sfuoh language 5 what he
understands by the terms revealed and revelation . We presume not td define . Does he believe that light and obscurity , that discovery and concealment , are the same thing £ If there exist any conventional relation between words
and the ok > jects signified by words , a jkoine revelation is complete , so far as it professes to be a revelation : although it makes no' disclosure of truths of a certain class , yet its disclosure of those which come within its Hmits is unreserved . To intimate that a revelation from God is , as such , partial and
ifocure , what is this but to reflect injuriousl y on the ^ Divine Attributes ? What is it but to misstate , we will not say , misrepresent , the claims of revelation and ofits records ? We conjecture that Mr . Carpenter has not justly informed himself of the import of the term mystery in the Bible . Has he
yet to learn that it never signifies there , whatever be its sense when employed elsewhere , something unintelligible — but an event or design hitherto kept secret ? What is m ysterious , according to its Scriptural meaning , with which alone we Have at present any concern , is
that which ' has ' been in no degree ftvealed : once Tevealed , it ceases to ^ mysterious and obscure . * Of the whole of Mr . C . ' s argument wider his first head the following consideration is destructive : an apostle of Jesus Christ-f declares it to be practicable ( ox all Christians to come "I the unity of the faith for . as
Archbishop Newcome translates the words , in the same faith ] '" and of the knowled ge of the Son of Gdd , unto a perfect man , &c / This passage ia torn found in the chapter whence par author selects his text ; though it
** m $ not to have gained his attention . Now Paul was no visionary , no ea"jusiast , but well acquainted with the Wspd and with human nature . In Mr . Carj * enter s judgment , it is * W dedrable that Christians should wink alike on religious doctrines . Aud
he trusts ( 7 ) « that it wiil be no jj focult matter to establish the truth of ? e ? assertion ^ though , he confesses ; ™ i not be readily allowed by " ttie 1 Il / . . . . 1 ¦ 1 - ir * Hi , j ' ni * Set Baa . li . « 2 . 1 Cor . ii . JO , 4 ^ " . -f * £ pfa * . ir . la :
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bigat who is violently attached to hi ? . own system or his own party , " and by ** the zealot who will compass sea ana
land to make one proselyte . " The imputation of bigotry we should be extremely grieved to incur : and out zeal , we would hope , is according to knowledge" and associated with charity . At the risk however of falling under this well intentioned author ' s censure , we demur to his unqualified proposition , and must own that we are dissatisfied with his
reasoning . " If , " observes he , "" it were necessary to salvation , or if it were at all desirable , that men should think alike on religious subjects , the All-wise and Merciful Creator would have ordered things differently from what he ha $ done . "
Doubtless , the interval is very ^ wide between what is " necessary to salvation" and what is « at all desirable , ' * Arguments therefore which apply to one of these cases , do not always and of course , apply to the other . Great
care must be employed in reasoning from human imperfection to the design ^ and proceedings of the Deity . We read , in a volume not less revered by Mr . C , than by ourselves , that " the living God would have all men to
cometo the hnoivlmge of the truth . "X , Novr is not this declaration more clearly significant of the divine purpose than any evidence besides ? Shall we pppose toit the preacher ' inference from a gratuitous assumption ? A diversity then of religious opinion among man- * kind , is rather attributable to their
not studying the Scriptures with , imjxirtiality and diligence than either to the-diversity of their minds or to at * imagined obscurity in revelation itself . There are some respects in which unity of faith would be exceedingl y * " desirable . "
Not more satisfactory is Mr . Carpenter s second argument : " as a variety in the natural world is pleasing , so also is a vafiety in the > moral worjkl ;" whence'be concludes <* that it is not desirable Jthat all men should thlnjfl ^ ali'k ^' - < 8 } . ' . . 4 n But 'the analogies ef fancy must not / be substituted for the exercise and th »\
reasoning ? of the judgoaeat . " Tlf ^ S diversity i ^ hicti is found i ) a th ^ . ¦ *\ I .. ¦ : / . < , ' : . * ' . / . . ; ; ; u ' ; " , . : ¦ . ¦ : -: ' - ' -t- T / " " ~ - TT ^ T t ; v ' \ -J " ¦ . r 1 Tb ^ tt . ^ . te 1 . 6 . L ¦ .... , \
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Review :- *—Carpenter s Sertnonsm Christian Peace and Unity , 4 ff
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, * * . xr . 3 q
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Aug. 2, 1816, page 477, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2455/page/41/
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