On this page
-
Text (1)
-
Untitled Article
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.
-
-
Transcript
-
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.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
Untitled Article
the texts from which this doctrine is deduced . .- . ¦¦ .. , ^ . r Besi < Jes * it is certain that Chjist sever taught any sujeh doctrine himself . HpXy then' were the Apostles to ome by it ? . You will say that it was communicated to tlaem b y the inspiration of God ; and I will allow that the
Apostles were inspired , where inspiration * was necessary , with regard to . the immediate object of their missionnamely , that of preaching salvation through , the . cross of Christ , and faith in his name as a messenger sent from God . But it remains to be proved that their mission included the teaching
of any metaphysical notions concerning the person of Christ ; and I rather apprehend that where they occur , they are introduced merely as their own private opinion—an opinion that seems to have sprung up out of circumstances
affecting them in the course of their ministry , rather than to have originated in inspiration . This may be thought to be a thing impossible by those who contend for the inspiration of every word of Scripture . But we must
recollect that the Apostlp Paul himself admits having introduced several topics as his own private opinion ; and we must also recollect , that his opinion , oji some subjects not essentiall y connected with the object , of his mission , is even erroneous . I will adduce in
p i * oof of my assertion the account that is given of the process of germination , in the fifteenth chapter of his first Epistle to the Corinthians , in which it is said , that the seed is not quickened in the soil except it die , which is certainly not correct : as also that of the
grafting of the wild olive into a good olive tree , in the eleventh chapter of his Epistle to the Romans , from which it seems we should infer that the graft is assimilated in its properties to the stock on winch if grows , which is certainly not the fact . Owon . You have said that Christ
n ^ v ^ r taught any such doctrine as that of his o > yn dipnjjty * , We do not affirm tiw $ ^ ^ ught M it . in j ) lftin and direct ternis ^ b ^ t ^ e 4 $ erit ftpm his not dis WSffl&w-wqr ^ fjhft wm fltikxtfi to himwither ft or did
. (^ m ; wmpfc .- , vJQtod * , ^ liUqugl ^ Chv \* t w > t $ m 9 lmk . & * xwwfa ttet fflwwc ^ mlty fWM ^ nmMm
Untitled Article
\ mere civil homage . The term ? # o < r-Hfve&j is equivocal , as the corresipond-; ing term was also in the Hebrew lan-. guage , as appears from its beine said . guage , as appears trom its Deing said ,
( 1 Chron . xxix . 20 , ) that all the congregation worshiped the Lord and the king ; and when the angel in the Revelation is represented as refusing the worship that was offered to him by St . John , he does not say , in
correcting him , worship Christ , but worship God , —although it is evident that St , John had supposed him to he Christ . As for the worship that is said to have been offered to Christ by devils , meaning demoniacs , it is still merely the worship of men ; as the demoniacs were nothing more than men afflicted with the maladv of human madness .
But even if this is denied , how is it that the Apostles themselves never prayed to Christ , and never directed their followers to do so ? Oaton . If the Apostles themselves
never prayed to Christ , at least St . Stephen did so ; and although the term icgwryivvEOi ) is of doubtful signification , yet if the Apostles had thought that it did not belong to Christ as God , they would have taken care to connect it
with some qualifying expression , for fear of leading men iioto error . Med * The example- ^ of St . Stephen occurred in circumstances much too peculiar to be made the ground of general practice among Christians : and
with regard to the use of the term wpoerKVpew , there are other ^ itses in which , I doubt not , you will find equal risk of error , without the accompaniment of any qualifying expression . Thus Christ is repeatedly called a man by the sacred writers , as in a tejtt
which I have already quoted , without the guard of any qualifying expression to prevent our falling into what you will undoubtedly call the heresy of believing him to be a man only , and not also God . From tne want of a qualifying expression , therefore , we can draw no inference .
Owon Wo ought , bpwe # er , to pMy soiwe Reference t *> ti * G < pjfaefcfc < $ i > f W ? primitive ? Fat ^ era , ^ ho would eertaiuly pot hm $ woTg ^ iped Christ if they had m $ bsen satisfied that he was O ^ 4 ) and they had the best opportunity ntf ftscevtainjng ti * Q , troth of $ * e \ 4
octPRVKfr- > v ' , ; ' . fil *^ ' : 'r--w l ^ iV'HLi * warn superior ¦ tetrtiw' ***** ^ w
Untitled Article
400 The Doctrine of tlte Trinity debuted .
-
-
Citation
-
Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1820, page 400, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2490/page/20/
-