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appalling doctrines , and he will then know what is meant by " the glorious liberty of the sons of God . " Sweet as the light and warmth of day to the long-incarcerated prisoner , sweet as health and vigour to him who has suffered days and months of sickness and vanity , sweet as peace and joy to the disconsolate and anxious breast , is the change from the gloomy and terrifying doctrines of genuine Calvinism , to the mild and affectionate and
cheering accents of the Son of God . And even without this painful experience , some conception may be formed of the comparative value of truth and error , by attention to the doctrines of the day , as set forth in the pulpits of our orthodox brethren , and more especially of those who are truly Calvinistic . We are supplied with , though at present we have not room for , illustrations of this assertion . But we have often thought , when engaged either in hearing or reading the revolting representations that prevail of the character of
God and the destiny of man , that if our Unitarian brethren who set their face against popular exertions were but to hear and read such things for themselves , their benevolence would prove too strong for their caution , and impel them to encourage and originate the means of enlightening the mind and consoling the heart of their fellow-christians . And , again , we have thought that the wonder is not that there are so many , but that there are so few unbelievers ; for we frankly say , we see not how a man of common
intelligence can believe what is delivered from many pulpits , and for ourselves we are sure that had we never known Unitarianism , we should have rejected the Christian name . In saying this , we give utterance to the sentiment of hundreds of those who now joy in God , through the Lord Jesus Christ . And thousands might , we doubt not , have been rescued from the gloomy and uncomfortable regions of scepticism ; had the unadulterated gospel of Christ been laid before them ; and it is still in the power of Unitarians to save
others from the same melancholy fate , if they will prove true to their obligations . What stronger obligations can any one lie under than those we have now set forth ? In addition to all the powerful claims of the gospel , we are called to feel the claims which lie upon reformers , and upon those who may , and who only effectually can , vindicate the truth of Jesus , and arrest the march of infidelity . We are not without examples , bright and noble examples , and prompters in our own communion . There have been men
bearing our name who counted all things but dung and dross , that they might win and honour Christ . Have we not read of what a Biddle , an Emlyn , a Priestley , and a Lindsey , did and suffered for the cause of truth ? Faithful were they in their day , doing the duties thereof . To them it belonged to bring forth the , pearl of great price from beneath the rubbish by which it was hidden . Did they shrink from their duty ? Was it easy of performance ? What they discovered , we , in the order of Providence , are
called upon to hold up to the world . Shall we prove unworthy successors of these excellent of the earth ? They were required to be in the study , we in the pulpit ; they in private , we in public ; they to search , we to promulgate . Here is our duty ; and except we perform it , every word of eulogy we give to their memories is a word bringing disgrace upon , ourselves . There were giants in the earth in those days . But if we have not equal
strength with them , we have an easier task . We have only to apply what they discovered . Theirs was the work of the intellect , ours of the heart . Pre-eminent talents were essential to them , we want chiefly a benevolent disposition . Let us not then with a lighter—yes , and a pleasanter task , and in happier times , fail to cajry forward the work they commenced . But it will be said the work is going on . A gradual change is taking
Untitled Article
854 Unitarian Examples . — Gradual Reformation of Orthodoxy .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Dec. 2, 1829, page 854, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2579/page/38/
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