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consider $ && $ I can bo fcmger he justi- * fied in i ^ adU l ®^ ft * o tte heathen , ot jj » profes ^ mg it amongst my Co ui ^ yaafien as an essential part of Ghristianitv .
** Such a declaration may , perhaps , in your judgment , be -necessarily , as It is in feet too epmMoiily , accompanied with si rejection of othier doctrines , which I , laotTOthstancjing , consider highly importaiit , if not absolutely essential to the scheme of Christian
truth , in order , therefore , to prevent all . misunderstanding-, ( which I am particularly anxious to guard against , ) I beg to assure you that the supreme , undented , indepeade ; at Deity of Jesus Christ , and the distinct personality of the Holy Spirit , are the only doctrines belonging to ray former system of
belief , which 1 feel compelled to reject ; and that although my first doubts respecting them wem suggested by conversing with intelligent Hindoos oaa thte principles of natural reason , ( the only ground which it is possible to assume with such
opponents , ) yet it is not on that ground alone that I have finally rejected them . Oa the contrary , both in rejecting these and in retaining such as are commonly considered either inseparably connected with or dependent upcm them , I most unequivocally adi » it the entire subordination of reason
to revelation . Proceeding upon this principle , I believe Jesus Christ to be the only begotten Son of God , that eternal life which was with the Fa * liter * by whom also God made the worjds . I believe in Jiis miraculous coaeeptiosi , 5 n his twa + foid nature , as the Soax © f < Jod « tnd as the Son of
man , in the ssinless purity of his life , in his meritorious sufferings and death , in his resurrection from the dead , ia his ascension ito lieaveri , in his < exal * tation to the tight hand of God , and in liia prevalent intercession with the Father ; 1 implicitly receive tbe doe * , trines and ia ^ vs which lie taw ^ iit as a
prophet ; i trust in the atoning sacrifice which he ojQFered a ^ a priest ; I submit to the government which he exercises as a king ; 1 anticipate with , joy and gratitude the sentence whtck iie will pronounce as my final Judge ; and I believe fclieit both on account © i the original dignity of his nature , the high offices which he has sustained .
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and the stttpeadans work whidi he hag accomplislied , be witl be an ofejeet of eternal \ eiw ^ ation aad prawe to saints arid an ^ is in iteaven . In short , I consider that as there i& only one ( Sod atid Father of ail , who is a ! w > w ail and tfebtigh all and ftjjfctes ally # o them is onl y one Lo ^^ oneiM ^ ilrt ^ r between God and men , the nrdn Christ Jzsus ; and on tfae supposition i&M the latter both iu Ms original aotf iti
his assumed nature , is a h % mg Serial from , dependent on , a ad infenor to , the former , whose soia nud eerr ^ rtrtop is declared to be , I peremvie S « iiie whole scheme of redemption a fitoess -and intelligibleness , ii ^ lory and l > eati 4 y , which render tine ioetrmes of the gospel doubly dear to niy heart .
4 € With respect to the doctrioe < £ the Spirit , although I am unable to discover any satisfactory evidence ia the Scriptures for its distinct personality , yet I believe in the necessity i 9 f ^ Tm o t ^ ^ % m ^ tf ^¦ AM ^« a f c ia . ah- ^ L ^^«^ ^ v . 4 w m ^ -m AJa . k& - - — ^ ' - * i U divine infl to the mifld
^^^ . *" ^^ uence renew , by removing the natural bia 3 to evil ,, and implanting in its stead a ruling desire for pure and spiritual enjoy * inents . I also believe , that salvation is to be ascribed to tta& free Shd
sovereign favour of God through the faith which is in Christ Jesus , a faith which , as it is produced by divine influence , so it -Tmrks by love ^ purified the heart * overcomes the world , wad brings forth in the life and conduct thojse fair fruits of the spirit by ^ hich the peculiar genius of Ghristianity i » discovered , and its doctrines recom *
mended to the acceptance of unbe * lievers . " Having thus fully explained my views on these points , I trust that the candour which you know so well to exemplify , joined with the parti * cularity of nay statement * , will eflectaxally prevent all misconception oa
the subject . It will give me muck pleasure to receive and consider aay remarks with which you may favour me , the more especially as proceeding from ttuose Whose diameters I esteem and svluose piety I wish to imitate , akhoug-h I f 4 eel compelled to diflfer from tk ^ m ia some of tkeir
doctrinal sentiments . la the mean time , as I no longer profess doctrines whkh are jeomnxoiily considered fumdameti * . tal and indispensable , and as on this ground you may , j > tobably , object to
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on his renomcing Tvimmiriamsm . i $ 5
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), March 2, 1824, page 165, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2522/page/37/
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