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doctrine , have been erected . Take away , therefore , this fundamental error , and the whole edifice falls of course . Nor must any known and acknowledged error be spared , how trifling soever it may appear . Error is prolific : and one produces another , till in the end a monster is brought forth which threatens to overturn
Christianity itself . What error appears more innocent or trivial than that of the simple pre-existence of Christ ? But i £ it be once admitted that our Lord is something more than man , some work must be provided for him which a mere man cannot perform . This lets in the doctrine of
atonement , and that brings after it some other erroneous notion , and so on ad infinitum * But state at once that Jesus is a man in all respects like to his brethren , a mere human being selected from the rest of mankind to
introduce a new dispensation , and invested ^ vith the powers necessary for that purpose * and the huge fabric of error and superstition vanishes at once like an enchanted castle touched by the
magician ' s wand , and nothing remains but the plain , simple , uncorrupted gospel , divested of all mystery , worthy of all acceptation , which will make men wise to salvation .
I do therefore think not only that it is justifiable , but that it is wise and right , for those who entertain these just and important views of Christianity , to associate for the express purpose of prominently holding forth the unspeakably important fact of the simple humanity of Jesus Christ , aaad of
supporting this truth by calm and candid discussion . Nor do I see any reason while they are proceeding in . this course , allowing to every one his right of private judgment , and casting no reflections upon the motives of those who differ from them , why th&y are ^ to be upbraided as deficient in candour ,
liberality and charity . And leas * of all-do I see how they can be justified in sacrificing their main principle , the great object' of their union , for the sake of admitting teto their society those who , whatever other excellent
qualities they may possess , and however desirable it might be to associate with them for other objects , professedl y deny the very principle upon which this Society is formed . They would despise us for the concession .
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What could be more motley or more ridiculous than an , Uijitarian society formed upon the principle pf the eighth definition ? No , inp ^ The original Unitarian societies pursue a grand and definite object l ? y definite a ? ad laudable means . And if any who do not think
as they do , but who , as lovers of truth and of freedom of discussion , think fit to give us thek names jxpon that ground only , we accept their liberality with gratitude i bufc-, i £ we thought that , such persons entered the Society with an insidious design , and only paid us , like Judas , to betray our Master ; if it was their intention , to bribe us to abandon
our principle ,, aad to * throw down that pillar of our faith in , which we place our g lory , we will reject their offer with indignation * and rather say , with the apostle , Thy money perish with thee . But we believe better things . We are sure that our friendly associates do not desire us to act so base a
part . They support us as lovers of fair and free inquiry . And we will continue our course as heralds of the pure gospel of Christ , the doctrine of his sin ^ ple humanity being the chief corner-stone .
5 . The word < c idolatrous" in our preamble is indeed a strong and an offensive expression . But must it not be true in the estimation of all Unitarians of the first class * that they who worship Jesus Christ are idolaters in the very same sense as * those who worship the Virgin Mary ? Do not the most zealous and learned Trinitarians
themselves acknowledge that if the Unitarian doctrine is true ,, their worship is idolatrous ? And do they mot express themselves upon this subject in much stronger language than Unitarians . have
ever used ? And is tta&t to be regarded as an epithet of reproach which is nothing more thau a solemn warning to the parties concerned to consider their coiwJuct , and how they will answer for themselves to Him whose first
command it i »> . Th *> u sh ^ lt no other © od beside me * Are we to abstain from aueh faithful warnings through fear of ofedfeg the delicacy of the parties concerned ? At the same
time it should always- be understood , that there is an infinite difference between Christians idolatry aaad Heathen idolatry ; the firsft having been sometimes practised from unavoidable ignorance by the most virtuous of mankind ,
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Mr . Belsham on Unitarian Society Preamble . 35
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Jan. 2, 1820, page 35, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2484/page/35/
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