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    Untitled Article

    ( 455 )

    Untitled Article

    To the Editor . Sm , To what extent religious faith can properly be regarded as possessing a avoral quality , is a question to which the public attention has of late been frequently directed . It appears to tne that neither of the parties in the discussion have taken a correct view of the subject ; one side maintaining

    that faith is strictly involuntary , that man has no controul over his opinions , and therefore cannot in any sense be considered as responsible for them ; the other , admitting , indeed , that man is not responsible for his opinions to his fellow-men , not only contend that he is responsible to his Maker , but , rashly assuming the undoubted truth of their own dogmas , maintain that whoever does not think , or does not choose to express himself exactly as they do , is guilty of a sin in the sight of God . Without going into any

    such extravagance as this , it may , I think , be rendered evident that there is a sense , that there are cases , in which the existence of a correct and enlightened faith is of itself a sufficient indication of many excellent qualities which are proper objects of moral approbation , and may not unreasonably be supposed to furnish a ground of acceptance with God . If such a faith implies the careful exercise of the best powers of the understanding under

    the direction of a sober , composed , and pious turn of mind , if it implies a habit of thinking and judging for himself , of examining with diligence , candour , and humility , it can scarcely be denied that , without going further , we may safely infer from it the existence of a strong sense of religion , and that those qualities which are essential to a religious and upright character have been successfully cultivated .

    The following observations seem to me to place those ideas in a just and striking point of light . They are from the pen of an excellent and justly venerated person to whose contributions the first series of the Theological Repository owed no small portion of its interest and value . V . F . F . 1 Peter i . 8 , 9 : " Whom having not seen ye love , in whom , though now ye see him not , yet believing , ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory : receiving the end of your faith , even the salvation of your souls "

    The sentiment which the apostle suggests to us in these words is , that those Christians who have not had an opportunity of seeing or having personal knowledge of the Lord Jesus , may yet receive such information of him from the gospel as will be a reasonable foundation for their entertaining a high esteem and sincere love for him ; and that though they do not now behold him working wonderful miracles upon earth , or seated at the right

    hand of the majesty on high , yet the gospel furnishes them with sufficient evidences to prove the authenticity of his divine mission as gives them a just ground for faith in him and the doctrine he taught ; and , also , that the particulars of that faith which the gospel teaches them to entertain afford to Christians reasonable cause for the most triumphant and exulting joy in him .

    It is observable that St . Peter intimates a commendation of these Christians for their faith in and love to Jesus , from the circumstance that they had not known or beheld him ; as if this rendered their faith and lose more

    Untitled Article

    ON RELIGIOUS FAITH .

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1828, page 455, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2562/page/23/