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    by consulting the pp ^ feMiw ^ > MMt « Ivim ^ y j orvi f t- wisk $ 0 ascertain the 1 eadiag- dogmas of the ' Galilean church ; during the reign of Louis * XIV . ; , I w& surely " justified in placing CQflftcUsifcee in the . theological works of th $ eloqueut Rossuet . To this th § Unitjwrl ^ ii

    party will-probably answer , tk ^ t the y haye no subscriptions and no authoritative creeds to restrict the exercise o £ Jthey : faith ; and \ h $ X not only do they feel themselves perfectly . at liberty to differ frqm , theii ? pdstqrs , but that . this difference in numerous cas-es

    actually exists . Still I contend that , iij refuting ; wtat I ^ conceive to be the erroneous , sentiments of aay sect A I have a right to assume that theirchoseA preachers and principal writers usually speak the sentiments of their followers . Bui , allowing the

    difference insisted upon to exist in its fulles £ latit « 4 ^> T—of wtat value , let me asjk * can . be the private opinions of the majority , of jfche members of any religious ^ and I might add , of any political -body ? Comparatively ; but fesv . can have investigated sontroiter ^ si ^ J . topics with sufficient accuracy to j

    beahleto form a competentju 4 gme » t on their , respective merits , or at least such a judgment as will not be shaken byjthe arguments of sona £ poyvorful opponent . Admitting : that a var&uce subsists . between the minister and Jus congregation in some inaterial points o ^ thcartheplogical creed s wfcose opinlon must we consider as entitled to

    ^ upeiior defeirence—that , of the man who has perhaps devoted his whole life to ^ the examination of these speculative doctrines , and who must , generally apeaking , be presumed to possess a greater share of learning th , au hift hearers ; or the opinion of those vwh 4 ? $$ eduoation and

    commercial or professional employments preclude th ^ ro fyoin pursuing , with any effeel ; , the requisite inquiries ? ; Thi * must pbyi yhat it will , the want of leisu ^ ,. and , still niQre , the i Want of miiBtr render the

    le ^ mi ^ g ,., m wholly , unfit for so arduous an imdertokiiig * It J& # » J $ to the leading literary men of ^ y ^ reMgious society , and particun larly (^ o t ji ^ i r v ^ Jri t , e ^ of eminence , that , we ca ^ i ^ 8 . Qjft with , cop fiance for an exposifi ^ . ^ t ^ ieir pepuUai- doctrines ., if it be affirmed that tfe . e : writings $ f

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    Mi ?^ L pdsey , Dr . Erie ^ ttej ^ J ? i ?^ J ^ ite , a ^» Sjlj ^ Belsham , contain , nothing ; more thaa their own individual sen-, i tlp ^ R ^ , still I should say > that thbjr i affprd the only uieans of obtaining-. & *> kuQwled ^ e of . what- ^ their followers , ; - admit tin to their creed ;« and i to works

    of thia character ought the replies of the opposite party to be chiefly di * v rected * I do not deny that same particular points of doctrine may be strictly peculiar to each of the writers ^ I have alluded to ; all I affirm is , that > men of their eminence and acquirements may reasonably be ; regarded a » the exponents of their party .

    In the next place , I may be pet- " mitted jto ask ,- —why , if this plea be i considered as defensible in the ease of 3 Unitarians , it is not applicable to the writings of the learned in the

    Established Church ? Numerous doctrines haive been -pronounced by Unitarians to be essential parts of the national creed , though , in point of fact , many ? members- of our ecclesiastical Esta

    blishment , even among the clergy ,, openly profess to disbelieve them . I amcquite aware that the Articles and * Creeds of the . Church will be adduced as suifitiient indications of what its - members either do ^ or , it may be ; said , ought in conscience to believe : but let it ; be recollected how various ;

    , are the sentiments of orthodox divines ; respecting the nature of the subscript , ti&n which is required from the cle- ^ rical body- Some have viewed ouf v Articles in no other light than as arti- ^

    , cles of peace , and among these We ^ may iiame Archbishop Bramhall anil > Bisliop Fawler * Otliers > like Arch - ^ deacon Paley * have thought it suffi-. cient that ; the subscriber should fulfil

    : the intention of the legislature by whom the subscription was enacted , without any obligation to believe every speculative doctrine which they may i , contain . A third class of writers re - ^

    qu ' ire that these Articles and formu ^ laries jof . the Church should be assented to in their / e ^ r «( 8 ense ; iyhilea fourth , class may be instanced in those who coincide in sentiment ^ with Arclideacori >

    Po ^ vell , ; the learned Master , of St » Jqlin ' 3 Gollege > v Cambridge , who was not mjerely a theologian of great eru ~ ( i ition ^ t > ut a ratio nal and sound , phit loappher . ; In < the second of his ad ^ - , miraM . e Discourses published by Dr- ^ Balguy , his language on this subject

    Untitled Article

    Propriety qfMxtHarians adopting ^ orftemore di ^ thtctiv ^ sA ppeliatioru 23

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Jan. 2, 1825, page 23, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2532/page/23/