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Untitled Article
important article , and for appearing of one mind only for the purpose of attacking other is . We know that the Romish priests of our day avail themselves of these sallies of ill-humour
in his Lettres de la Montague , blaming ; them for being silent respecting their faith , neither denying nor assenting to what had been said on that
in a wrathful antagonist ; for when they wish to injure , they feel no objection to seek arguments and proofs from the writings of men whom on every other occasion they condemn ;
they make sharp their arms amongst the Philistines whom they curse ; such is the policy of hatred and passion . Every weapon is judged fit to strike with , especially if its stroke will leave
a scar . Since the year 1805 , as we have already said , the Church of Geneva has discontinued the custom of requiring all the clergy to sign an uniform confession of faith , for reasons which this is not the place to set forth , but which have frequently been stated
either occasionally , or in writings published for that express purpose ; * notwithstanding which the enemies of our Church have incessantly been requiring our creed ; which is like saying ; " You have no longer a confession of faith , nevertheless we desire you to produce it /' Persons who would act with fairness
towards the Genevan pastors should come to this place , should not only consult the enemies of those whose characters they wish to know , but hold direct intercourse with themselves ; they should study their liturgy and their catechisms , listen to
the instructions of their learned men , and the sermons preached in their churches ; they should likewise seek private interviews with them to obtain just ideas on the subject , and I hesitate not to aay , that if they would attend to what is said with candour
and good faith , controversy would soon be at an end . But the termination of controversy is not aimed at ; the rising sects increase and gain strength by
? See Conp d osil sur les Confessions de Foi 9 byM . Hcyer , Geneva , 1818 ; Considerations sur V Unite de la Foi 9 by J . Martin , 1822 ; Jje f Usage des Confessions de Foi dans les Communions Heformees , by Etienne CJmsteJ , 1823 .
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out , then , professing to give a confession of faith , or constituting myself the judge or historian of the doctrine of my colleagues , I confess , alas ! that there are amongst them some Methodists , Athanasians , some of those
the aid of noise and abuse : they want to attract notice ^ to be thought of y to be talked ofy that they may toe continually acquiring new members / and thus avoid the fate of remaining in obscurity and expiring unknown .
Withwho are commonly called the ortkodoa 3 that is to say , those who believe entirely the creed of the first Council of Nice ; and I may decidedly , without fear of departing from the truth , make the following assertions with respect to them all . -
There is not one of the pastors of the Church of Geneva who does not affectionately confess Jesus Christ as his Saviour , his Mediator , his Intercessor . There is not one who does not say with the apostle , Neither is there salvation in any other ; for there is none other name under heaven
given among men whereby we must be saved ; who does not say , it is by Jesus Christ that we are justified ; he has redeemed us from the curse of the law ; he has revealed to us the economy of reconciliation and of grace . There is not any Genevan pastor who does not honour the Son as the raiser
of the dead and the judge of all the children of men ; there is not one who does not know it to be his duty , and feel it his happiness to study his laws , to obey his precepts , and to make his name known and loved , on earth ; and to glorify by his words and actions the God of holiness and
mercy . What more can be required ? Is not Jesus Christ the corner-stone of the building ? Is not he a Christian who believes in Jesus Christ the promised Messiah , in Jesus Christ the prophet , priest and king , in Jesus Christ , Lord and Saviour to the glory of God ? Is it needful to exact ou
difficult questions , on deep mysteries , an uniformity never to be met with , even on more simple and comprehensible subjects ? Compare Bossuet and the Council of Trent , and say whether upiformity of opinion exists amongst those learned men . Take indiscriminately ten Calvinists , ten members of the Church
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134 The Hte * Theological Controversies at Geneva .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), March 2, 1824, page 134, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2522/page/6/
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