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value the opinions of Milton , Newton , and Locke , 110 more than that of thrge idiots ! " I do ; 116 ) emy tfie fyteUect tvhich , pi ^ fffed up % ^ i ^ e&iilk yiift 1 tjr , could undeiraJiie tSe iODihionS of A Newton , whosfe M ^ tlc ^ M fold ed the laws of . ^ atotei M mtfie % f a % , ocke , who eiMWea ^ y ^ teri ^ pl t ^ humau tmSerstatidittg with ^ rivaUed skill 1 J
andt > ow % r T' ^ wflH upti tatoeve > , iddthte iitell ^ deX tiiod ^ i : r would prdflt by its assl ^ tiee j just as I would read ? a co ^ niftfejitai'jr to assist me in undersfandiiifc air Obscure text . The first of the authors from whom t shall read a short passage , is the illiistriptfs Chillmgworth —a name dear to Protestantism
and to truth . " It is this presumptuous imposing of the sehStA of men tipbii the words of God , the special senses of men upon the general WoroV of God , ( and laying them upon men ' s consciences together , una " er tiie equal penalty of death and damnation , ) this vain conceit , that we can speak of the things of Cfpd
better than in the words of God ; this deifying owtiwri mterpretatidhs , and enforcing them upon others ; , this restraining of the Words of God from that latitude and generality , and the understandings of men from that liberty wherein Christ anjd his apostles / left them , which is , and hath been , the only fountain of all the schisms of the church ,
and that which makes them immortal ; the common incendiary of Christendom , and that Which teard into pieces , hot the coat ; but the bowels and members of Christ ; rkiente Tnrca nee dolente Judceo . Take aWay this persecuting , cursing , and damning of men for not subscribing to the words of men as the * words of God ; require of Christians only to believe Christ , and to call no man master but him onlyl let those Ifcave claiming
infallibility that have no title" to it , and let the , m that i /? their words disclaim it , disclaim ft likewise in their actions ; take away , I say , this tyranny , and restore Christian * to theif ju . it and full liberty of captivating their Understanding to Scripture ' l pn \ y ; and as rivers , when they have a free passage , run all to the ocean , so it may well be hoped , by God ' s blessingi tfiat universal liberty thus moderated ; may ' qulckly reduce Christendom to truth and' uNifr . "
Tofhe ^ same mifpose we find the opinion' of Locke : ' - ¦ ''' ** But ¦ If the ^ r atiy tbafc the articles which they require to be professed are consequencts deduced from Scripture , it is uudoutJtettty well ^ lnt of thefm who believe and proft « 6 8 uch tMwgft as seem
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unto them so agreeable to the rule of mith . But it wbiild be very ill done to obtrude those thftigs wtpon others wn \ o Whom ^ hey do k&t seein to be the Indubitable doctrines of the ¦ Scripture . And to make a separation for " such things as these , which neijbher are , nor can be ,
fundametitat , ti Wbecbme heretics . For I do not think there is any man arrived to that degree of tnadbess , as that he dare give out his coiisequeuces and interpretations of Scripture as divine inspirations , and compare the articles of faith that he has framed according to his Own fancy with the authority of Scripture . "
Yet this madness , which Locke thought scarcely possible , is now looked upon by many as the perfection of human wisdom . Mr . Barnett has inquired in the language of Scripture , " How can two walk together except they be agreed ? " I would just ask him / " Agreed in what ?" Is it in faith , in all the shades of doctrinal opiuious , and in all their views of church government ? If this be his
interpretation of the text , I would advise him instantly to leave that orthodox seat iu which he is now sitting ; for there is not in it a single man who , in all points , agrees with him ; nor probably any two that agree with each other . Surely , then , the agreement required cannot be Mr . Barhett ' s visionary one , but a real , practicable unity ; a unity of kind affections aiid forbearance ; a unity of design to promote the glory of God and the salvation of sinners . I
admit , however , that there is a very powerful bond of union amongst our opponents , in one sense . They have agreed to lay aside all their own points of disputation for a season , and to concentrate their forces for a joint effort against the unfortunate Ariaws : I ) r . Wright , ' although he Bays , ({ ii cuts him
to the heart to think that there is an Arminian in this Sytfod , " nevertheless joins ** hand iiv hai ' ad " ' with Mr * . Johnston and other krioWn Arminians , to make war upon the Common dnemy . This shews great prlidence . The Goths and Vandals of old united ib
ovdr-running Italy ; atld when they had accomplished theirytiknbty design , they fought with eacn other ] fofttie Spoil 4 So will it be' with jrou ; When you have subdued us , - you cau turn y ^ ur arms a ^ hst tftte another to prevent them from rusting through inafctiort ; and in the end we may have ^ marij division ^ . Theie is dtie ' Wi ^ mimi wWth I would moet earnestly and sblOtrinly preas
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648 . Int * lligeMei ~» Svno < ofyUt& L \
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Sept. 2, 1828, page 648, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2564/page/64/
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