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night , th § serene aiid glorious light of the Reformation dawned upon the long darkness of the world ; and , from that hftppy period , down to our own times , with continually increasing knowledge , a new and noble and generous spirit of charity has gradually infused itself , with all
its benign influence , into the minds of Christians of all denominations . One little wall of separation after another has been thrown down ; the mighty power of prejudice and bigotry has yielded , though not without many a vehement struggle , to the still mightier force of right thinking
and right feeling : and now it may be truly affirmed , that the great circle of Christian hope has been stretched to its full and just extent ; so as to embrace , within its wide circumference , alt who acknowledge the divine authority of Christ , and receive his gospel as the rule of faith and the law of conduct . Points of
difference , though in themselves of no small importance , have been regarded less ; and those infinitely greater points , in which all are agreed , have been considered more ; nor is it too much to say that few , indeed , except the most ignorant members of any religious community , would now
hesitate to hold out the right hand of fellowship to those of any other religious community , however different in name , or however divided in opinion . < Thanks be to God ! ' says the excellent Bp . Lowth , * whatever other reasons we may have
to complain of our own age ; yet it must be allowed that a spirit of true Christian charity has of late prevailed among us , beyond the example of former times . A more liberal and generctus way of
thinking and acting , with regard to those who differ from us , is every day gaining ground , and has already had visible effects in allaying former animosities and jealousies , and making way for reconcilement and unity . The different sects seem to have lost much
of that bitterness and distaste which has so long most unreasonably reigned among them , and to be every day drawing nearer to one another . —P . 28 . The 6 th Letter is a continuation of the same subject , with an account of the
characters and works of some of the early Unitarians . It contains the following gratifying testimony to the liberality of tUe authpr ^ s own neighbourkooa , which , we hope , will never be again disturbed by the incursions * of such a rude and Gothic theologian as Mr . Evan Herbert :
Having said so much , in this Letter , on the liberal spirit of the times , I cannot think of concluding it , long as it i& , with&ut bearing my ; humble testimony > to
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the high degree in which that noble spirit prevails in the town where , for many years , it has been my lot to l ! v $ . Perhaps there are few towns , 6 f' ihe satfi ^ population , where more varieties of religious opinions exist ; and yet where all
its inhabitants dwell together in greater harmony and peace . Here are to be found Churchmen , independents , Catvinists , Unitarians , Baptists , Quakers , IVes - leians , and Catholics , intermingling \ n all the offices of social life ; and feeling towards each other friendly esteem and
affection , in many cases , and respectful and neighbourly regard , in all . This h to be ascribed much , no doubt , to the benign and happy influence of his own liberality of sentiment , and his own benevolence of spirit , which a Great Divine , living in our immediate vicinity , exerts and diffuses , in a wide circle , all around
him . Much , also , very much is to be ascribed to that good sense and right feeling which the members of the Establishment at Warwick have , for a long time past , very generally displayed—guided , no doubt , and animated , b y the instructions and the example of their Clergy , whose characters , for wise moderation and for amiable candour , stand , at this
moment , on a proud eminence . "—P . 66 , The 7 th Letter includes a very excellent summary of the conclusive evidence against the famous text , 1 John v . 7 : a criticism on the interpretation
of the popular texts which may be termed the chevaux-des-frise of orthodoxy , and concludes with remarks on the necessity of employing a little reason in matters of religion .
The 8 th Letter details the opinions of Dr . Lardner , Sir Isaac Newton , and Dr . Priestley , names which , perhaps , without much trepidation , we put in balance of authority , against the learned " Anah ' zer of Greek "
The 9 th and last Letter is a summary of the Unitarian doctrine , and a comparison of the practical influence of its principles with the dogmas of Geneva two centuries sincq , but of which dogmas the Genevese do not appear so much enamoured as when Calvin
burned Servetus . The Letters close with the following account of the Author / s early opinions , from which it appears that having once entertained what he-now esteems as unscriptural errorsr , he eaa claim a knowledge of both sidefc of the question , and cannot be charged with ' the prejudices of education or circumstance . " My CaWm&tic Trieuds , in closiu
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69 S Review * —Unilarlum ' nat Infidels .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Oct. 2, 1821, page 608, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2505/page/40/
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