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Untitled Article
been misapprehended , and , by one writer ; whether awing- to haste , inattention ot * anger , misrepresented . I shall'notice the most important parts of each writer , as far as possible , in the order in which they appear in your pages .
Mr . T . C . Holland thinks "the statements contained in that letter exceedingly exaggerated . " Now , what are these statements ? They are these : that Unbelievers frequent our places
of worship ; that they join in our devotions and listen with complacency to the discourses of our ministers ; that they take an active part in the management of the internal concerns of our
churches ; and that they are , in some cases , the principal pecuniary supporters of our cause . The two lastmentioned circumstances , Mr . H . says , are as far as he knows Q % of exceedingly rare occurrence ; " but this he also knows , that many who have been charged with being Unbelievers , are
Antisupernaturalists of that kind described by your American correspondent , and Whose opinions , notwithstanding all that candour may allow , and justly allow , for sincerity and diligence in their formation , are so utterly subversive of every thing like a real revelation , that they by no means entitle the possessor of them to the Christian name .
Mr . H . " cannot see how a moral and p 3 , ous Deist is inconsistent in wishing regularly to jpin in worship in that pfjace where he will dad more of what agrees with his sentiments , and leas of * Vhat differs from them , than auiong other bodies of Cfiristians . ' It is
difficult to reconcile morality and piety to the circumstances ; and , as to the consistency , where is that I What ! is it not inconsistent that one who admits no Revelation and no Mediator , joins regularly in worship in that piace
where all things are done in the name of Christ , the only Mediator , and that too under a revealed system ? If this be consistent , I can gee no inconsistency whatever in the dieciple of Jesus who
chooses to worship regularly in that place where he will find more of what agrees with his sentiments and less of what differs from them than amon # other bodies of unbelievers I mean the Temple of Mecca . An Uuitarian Christian has . indeed tf 3 rpre&g $ d an opinion much to thie
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eflfeet ; m mm * mv m ehfism ™ ** o belted ih ^ Odtf < iriay < nffi £ & tttee ther in Christian wbr ^ Hik or la ie " worship of God generally . But another correspondent ( X . ) seems to agree in a considerable measure with me . He ha 3 expressed himself even
more strongly than I , saying , * ' for hypocrisy of such a die a stigma would be wanting . " He hopes , however , that the fact is incredible : a fact admitted in , at all events , one instance by Mr . H ., and made a boast of by another writer . —It may , indeed , be difficult to collect evidence , that Infidels are
" recognised in such a manner as to destroy all distinction between them and the Unitarian Christian ; " but the difficulty of collecting evidence does not prove any tiling in the case : it would probably be more difficult ; to disprove my statement by collecting evidence . My words are , «* both
characters are equally acknowledged in Unitarian congregations . " Are they not so acknowledged ? If not , what is the distinction between them ? May we not put , with regard to a Deist , the question which Mr . Holland has asked with regard to a person calling himself an Antisupernaturalist ? Shall he
come and worship , and not pay ? Shall he pay , and not vote in the internal affairs of the congregation ? Shall he be competent to vote in the election of a minister and to give an opinion in the choice of other officers ,
and yet be disqualified , merely by his unbelief , for filling any office himself ? In all these respects , is he ridt acknowledged , equally with the Christian , as a member of the congregation ? In what other respects ie he , as a member of the congregation , distinguished from
him i What privileges belong to the Christian , of which the nature of the society deprives the Deist ? Even admitting the case to be of exceedingly rare occurrence , it has occurred ) and may occur again . In no
old-established Unitarian congregation whkh I am acquainted with , does there exist any thing in the constitution of the society to prevent its becoming exceedingly common , if it is not so now . In this&ta / te of things , how are my statements calculated to roake * '& very
tinfair and unfavourable impression respecting ; us , on other * Chvnii ' 3 im * " ? . One of your correspondents , f'A'Ufti-
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286 On Unbeliever * joining Unitarian Congregations ; .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), May 2, 1826, page 286, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2548/page/34/
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