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    the force of the semes to believe mstny things that we cannot fully understand but when the evidence of our senses does not compel us , how can we believe what is not only beyond , our comprehension ^ but contrary to it and to the common coiH-se of nature , and directly against revelation , which declares positively the

    unity of God as well as his incomprehensibility , but no where ascribes to him any number of persons or any portion of magnitude ? ' Let the Layman point out first where and hovV the force of the senses , or any mathematical administration , depending also upon the senses , compels us to believe Trinity in Unity ,

    aud the union of God and man , as it does with regard to the soul and body ; and let him shew such revelation as ascribes to God auy number of persons and any portion of magnitude , and then put the above questions to Ram Mofmn Roy , and require htm to believe the mystery of Trinity in Unity , which is not only beyond oar understanding , but also contrary to it .

    " As the Layman states , ' that snch a person as Christ did exist , and that he did those things which are recorded of him in our gospel , is admitted both by the Jews and Mohammuddans , ' I must beg to remind him , that though the Jews admit that such a person as Jesus lived , they utterly deny that the Christ has

    appeared , as they still expect Christ or Messiah ( -which is synonymous with Christ ) for their final delivety . Mussulmaua , also , though they admit the existence of Christ , yet deny his most meritorious work , I mean his death on the cross , and class him as a prophet much below the rank of Mohaminud .

    " The Layman recites the extracts from Locke and Newton , and thus interprets them as the declared proofs of the Trinity . ' The Saviour is allowed by Locke to be our Lord and King , and by the term Lord and Kirtg , the spiritual

    Lord and King must be meant , which is the strongest expression for the Deity of the Saviour . ' I have no doubt that by the term Lord and King , the spiritual Lord and King js understood : bat I cannot see what relation

    these titles bear to the Deity of Jesus ; divines are called spiritual fathers , and the Pope was acknowledged some hundied years ago by- almost all Christian * , and is at the present age considered by a

    majority of ChristiaB&y as their spiritual King . So also the bishops of the British Parliament were in the time of Loeke , and still are termed spiritual Lords ; but neither divines in general , nor the Pope himself , uov the Bishops df England , can

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    therefore be eo&sidered as bearing titles that imply their being possessed of the divine nature . The Layman might perhaps have been better justified , according to th « Trinitarian mode of arguing , in drawing this conclusion from the language of Locke , did we not meet with

    the phrase * promised and sent from God / added to the term * our Lord and King ; ' or had he found the words * from the Father , ' instead of « from Ood , * as no one will scruple to confess that a Being promised and sent by any Other Being , must be considered distinct from atnd

    subordinate to the Being by whom he is ^ said to be so promised and sent . " Again , the Layman infers from the words of Newton , that , as he represents it to be the duty of Christians to worship God and the Lamb , that great man must have believed in the divinity of Christ ; for that if the Lan > b is not ( 3 od , such iyorship

    is idolatry . He neglects to notiqe the distinction made by Newton between God and the Lamb ; for , while he represents God receiving worship ad sitting upon his throne and living for ever and ever , he considers the Lamb as exalted above all by the merits of his death . It is no idolatry to worship the ^ amb with that idea of his nature ; but it would be

    of course idolatry , according to Sir Isaac New ton ' s views , to worship the Lamb as sitting upon the throne and living for ever and ever . The subject of worship offered to Christ is fully discussed in Ram Mohun Roy ' s Appeal , p . 48 . ** As to the offence of publishing the senttflnents that appear so very obnoxious

    to the Layman , I may observe what I believe to be the fact , that Ram Mohun Roy , as a searcher after the truths of Christianity , did keefp the regult of his iuquiries to himself , and Contented himself with compiling and publishing the pure Precepts of Jesus alone , as he thought these were likely to be fiseftfl to

    his countrymen , in the pfesent prejudiced state of their minds against Christianity . But on the publication of these Precepts , he was unexpectedly , in some periodical publications , attacked on the subject of the Trinity , and he was consequently obliged to assign reasons for not embracing that doctrine .

    " I am not at all surprised at the reference of the Layman to the penal statute against those that deny the divinity of Christ : for when reason and revelation refuse their support , ; farce is the only weapon that can be employed . But I hope the English nation will never exhibit the disgraceful spectacle of endeavouring to repress by such means , opinions , for the truth of which the autho-

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    UMtarian Cmtreveruu at Calcutta . 3 #

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1822, page 399, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2514/page/7/