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    of those arguments , must be our astonishment that either could have been overlooked by 4 € the Ven , and Rev . Francis Wrangham . " If he really was ignorant of what had been done by Newcome , Lowth , Blayney , Stock , &c . &c , what estimate shall

    we form of his Theological learning ? Or if , knowing all this , he could still write as he has written , what shall we think of his Christian equity and candour , or even of his good faith as a inan ?

    Replies not less pertinent and satisfactory are given by Mr . Wellbeloved to some other charges against Unitarian Christians : one of these , though far from being in itself novel , is singularly expressed by the Archdeacon :

    " You add , " says his opponent , ' asa portion of the pure gold will still remain in spite of all their efforts , they endeavour to huddle it up under strained analogies , and violent or incongruous metaphors . *" —P . 48 .

    This certainly is strange language , for a man of Archdeacon Wrangham ' s station , professions and attainments . Our readers will agree with the author of the "Three Letters ' in his criticism upon it :

    a To huddle up gold under violent and incongruous metaphors , is a metaphor so violent and incongruous , that it is by no means easy to comprehend its meaning . Perhaps , however , you intend

    to say , what has been often more plainly , but yet not truly said , that in order to evade the force of passages of scripture cited against us , we refuse to understand them literally , and have recourse to a figurative interpretation . "

    This accusation Mr . Wellbeloved pointedly repels : his denial of it is express , and his language strong ; yet not stronger than facts will justify : " I appeal to every impartial and

    qualified judge , as to the } truth of what I assert , when I say , as I confidently do , that we have recourse to a figurative sense of passages in no instances , which the idiom does not fully warrant . "—P . 49 .

    Then , after shewing that the same mode of exposition is employed by members of the Established Church , fye gives to the Archdeacon of Cleveland this wholesome admonition :

    " Do notliold us up to the scorn or the indignation of your clergy , for exercising the same attention to the style of the sacred writer * , and interpreting their

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    words by the same rules and dictates . "P . 50 . On the charge that Unitarian Christians are wise above what is written , he observes ,

    u Bible and the Bible alone is the standard to which we appeal . —I adopt the common language of Unitarians when I say , Convince us that any tenet is authorized by the Bible , from that moment we receive it . Prove any doctrine to be a doctrine of Christ ,

    emanating from that wisdom which was from above , and we take it for our own , and no power on earth shall wrest it from us . They are not the doctrines of scripture that we reject on the ground of their being unreasonable , but the doctrines which are contained in antiscriptural articles , creeds and confessions . *'—Pp . 51 , 52 .

    We proceed to another accusation preferred by Archdeacon Wranghami against the same body of men , and to the refutation of it by Mr . Wellbeloved :

    Even inconclusive argumentation , * you observe , * as well as inaccurate language , is by some of their apostles charged upon what they yet however vouchsafe to denominate the word of God * The boldest of odr apostles , I aim confident , will be found to charge no >

    such imperfections on what they really consider to be the word of God ; but limiting , as I have before remarked , the extent of inspiration , and that for reasons which will not be easily disproved , they hold themselves at liberty to judge of the

    argumentation and the language of the sacred writers , when not under the immediate influence of inspiration , with the same freedom that they would use in the case of any other authors . "—Pp . 52 , 53 .

    By the examples , of Bishop Burnet , Dr . Powell , formerly Master of St . John ' s College , Cambridge , and Dr . Paley , our author shews that the principle on which certain Unitarian " apostles" have proceeded , is distinctly sanctioned and fully admitted , on the part of divines of the episcopal

    communion ; while at the same time , it may be completely justified by reason . The doctrine of the inspired teacher , is one , thing : his arguments may be quite another thing ; and , be they what they may , they do not affect the authority of his doctrine * In this view of the subject we most heartily concur : nevertheless , we can-

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    Review **—Wellbeloved ' s Letters to Archdeacon IVrangham * 41

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    VOh . XX . G

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Jan. 2, 1825, page 41, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2532/page/41/