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opinions by Mr . Elder and others in this house , and which have been most in dtistriously circulated in the world . We have been directly charged with being " no Christians . " We shall not fling back the uncharitable denunciation upon our accusers , though we might remind them , " that if any man have not the spirit of Christ , " ( the spirit of charity and love , ) "he is none of his . " We
appeal from the harsh and prejudiced judgment of our fellow-sinners , to the justice of that God whom we adore , and to the benignity of that exalted Saviour who is the anchor of all our hopes , and who knows that we love him in sincerity and truth . " It is a light thing for us to be judged by man ' s judgment ;* for we know , " that so long as our hearts condemn us not , we may have confidence towards God . " To our
unjust accusers we would only say , "Judge not , that ye be not judged ; far wherein thou judgest another , thoti condemnest thyself . " It has been said , " that we must look upon our opponents as idolaters . ' * God forbid . We brand none with odious epithets on account of their conscientious belief ; we do not consider them idolaters . We believe that
they worship as we do , "the one God and Father of all ; " and that , in their own minds , they have some way of reconciling the worship of the Trinity with the first great principle of revelation—the absolute Unity of God . I have heard nothing but Arian prayers since I came to this Synod ; nor , indeed , at any other time . In your devotional exercises , the three Great Beings engaged
in the gracious work of salvation , are uniformly kept distinct , save at the very conclusion ; and as I know that " none cau find out the Almighty unto perfection , " I shall never accuse any man of being an idolater , because he does not exactly entertain my views of the Divine nature and perfections . Let others judge me as they will : 4 < I judge no man . "
The inconsiatency and absurdity of another charge preferred against us , namely , that we are both Atheists and Deists at the same time , has been powerfully exposed by my friend Mr . Blakeley . No man acquainted ' ' with the
meaning of w 6 rds could seriously bring forward such an accusation ; but the object being to inflame the multitude , Atheists and Deists will produce as much mysterious horror as any other 'ternis which they do not understand : It is ' melancholy , however , to think that Christian
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ministers should submit to such arts ; for surely the cause of truth cannot be promoted by deliberate misrepresentation ; neither is " it lawful to do evil , that good ntay come . " But , according to Mr , Elder , " we deny the Lord that bought us , " and , consequently , are exposed to the penalty of '' bringing upon ourselves swift destruction . " Such a shocking and unfouuded imputation only reflects disgrace
upon its author . We know too well the forfeiture attached to denying our Redeemer , to be guilty of such base ingratitude and folly . We know , " that if any deny Him before men , them will he deny before his heavenly Father . " We know , " that there is none other same under heaven , given amongst men , whereby we can be saved , than that of Christ Jesus . " We look up to , him with unbounded gratitude , as "the new and and living : wav bv which alone there is
access to the Father . " He is the hope of our salvation as well as yours . 1 can : say with as much sincerity as any inaa in this house , " Jesus , my Lord , 1 know his name , His name is all my boast ; Nor will he put my soul to shame , Nor let my hopes be lost . "
Is this " robbing the Saviour of his crown of glory" ? Is this " denying the Lord that bought us" ? I am almost ashamed to feel indignation against slanders which only merit contempt . But it seems ** we trqst for salvation to our own good works . " Where Mr .
Elder learned this I caunot conjecture ; but perhaps his acquaintance with newlight ministers is more extensive thaii mine . This , however , I do say , that I never knew any man arrogant euough , or rather mad enough , to claim salvation of God as due to his own merits . Alas !
Sir , no man can look into his own heart , or trace back the turbid course of his own life , without being deeply sensible that he cannot stand upon his own righteousness in the presence of that infinitely holy Being , " who
chargeth even his angels with folly , and in whose eyes the very heavens are not clean . " But I shall tell you what we do
say ; we maintain that principles are only valuable in so far aft they lead to practice ; and that faith is important only as the forerunner of works . We do not consider that religiou consists in an empty name , in a vain and self-righteous profession , in the use of technical theological terms , or in despising others ;
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Intelligence . —Synod of Ulster , $ > I
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Sept. 2, 1828, page 651, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2564/page/67/
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