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human creti&si' Laws rtnd regulations vmr& Hce ^ 88 clt ^ 1 'ft > D (« ci « rttKfecjeictiesi ; bait Christ ha < i ? left G 4 iH 9 tiBhii 8 > Iaw » % vh € feby * hey / w&tre > rtoajhfe dheeted < in < ; matte r * of faith inand *« weite they ftr submit to . bu » nrcaii tfwJdition s'beirig made to those htw *? The t mare iwte deftei ? Co rmtwanfcf eede *( the Jess reiwereoceF'Tdci * wewretahri ^ ft » r the Scriptures « t He ? revered ; the nietoofy of tKe Befurnierk ; ^ bnta they neveir themselves content plated limiting the human mfed' ^ xac ( % iaceordibgf ; tor their-ideas . They were iuei * 1 of like passions with ourselves . ; audv therefore , we tvere not bound < to « * onfi « e ourselves : Ito the ideas
of Lutfeeri op € aMi *; Jor ArhSs , or Se « ciiws , <)^ any othfer men ^ <> W hat tw eve thes e men that ? they should rule over us ? The Remonstrants were few ^ in iiumfcer ; : but they sb ould not despoud on fchat account . Numbers were > no proof of truth , i else they w ©« id » ii ^ re to go back eve n to rieatheuisni . Christ had only twelve disciple ^ atid 'the Refortuera were but few . We should , therefore-, . proceed'fearlessly . He contended tliat Prutestantifiin ¦ and
human creeds were incouipatible—they were direct ^ opposed to each other . The ge-« iu «! of Protestantism was to protest against inch creeds * There can be no middle coarse between admitting all in quiry and prohibiting all inquiry . Where can we stop ? - ^ Whe « the Protestants and
Roman Catholics , in this country , entered into public discussions , the Protestants were never able to meet the question as to the extent of human authority , when they-were forcing the Bible alone upon the Roman Catholics , and yet did themselves submit to human creeds . He
contended that Presbyterianisin was merely a matter of discipline , having no reference to doctrines . Protestantism rested on doctrine , Presbyterianism on discipline , and he believed Christ had not limited t lie in as to the exact forms which thdy should adopt . It was not merely of the amount of the tax upon
conscience that ha complained , butof the right to imptirie it . If any men assume the right , where are they to stop ? May they not impose any creed Which they niay choose to select ? If they propose , this dayy a test which we believe , the next day they may demand that we subscribe' to tile doctiiue of
Transubstantiation * He cenBured the spurious liberality of those who condemned the jneastires of the Synod , nudwowld not come out from it ; and concluded by stating that their winli was to form themselves Idto a body on the most enlarged principlesi > He then moved the fourth resolution . 4 , ** Thut t 4 ) e imposition of human
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testt ) and confession *} o € iaith , and the vain ; efforts *^ f . rmeja i to , produce an uuat-« aiaable uuitormityof bjeliefj have not only * t * nded to encourage Jiyptuca-isy , but also to restrict tVie sacred light of private judgment—to letssen the authority of the Sei ?> pitm ^ Srj-to icreate un righteous divib ) om ntuongst Cb * i&t \ fw $ i to sanction the most barbarous persecutions—to trench upon the 1 natpral and civil rights of men — -to plaee-undue power in the hands of the feW ~~ toMixQw a shield over the
timeserveiv-. to , expo * ie the honest to injuries mid peiseeutio « 8 r-rtofperpetuate errors in almost all ch « iche . &T ^ an ( i to pr eveut that free inquiry and discussion which are essential to the extension of religious knowledge . " r . ?¦ Gawin Orr , Esq ., seconded the resolution , which passed unanimously .
The Rev . Samuejl Arnold pointed out the hardships to which the Overtures of Synod subjected Students , Licentiate * , and even Ministers , and concluded by moving the next resolution . 5 . * ' That the Overtures of the General Synod of Ulster , passed in the year
1828 , impose submission to human interpretations of the word of God , in a form move objectionable than has ever been attempted in any church ; by subjecting ministers to deposition , at any time , however acceptable and useful to their own people ; and by submitting Students and Licentiates to the absolute
controul of a secret committee , of whose principal proceedings no records are kept , and who must necessarily be liable to act under the influence of personal partiality or prejudice , selfish interest or local connexions . "
A conversation here ensued , in which several cases of partiality and injustice , on the part of the Theological Committee , were mentioned ; and which , could not be counteracted , as the Committee met in private , and kept nor statement of the examination of theiyoung pnenv .
The Rev * JVf < J \ Blakblv knew £ young man , whose name he would not ; mention , lest it might injure him , who had scruples as to &oine of the objects , to , be examined on 5 but he waa encouraged t <> go forward , and told that tar wpufcjt , « ot be examined on the ^ e-poJote ^( | H ^ f 4 i ( l so , and he was * uot e ^^ iuiBe ^ urn \ % \ ic knotty doctrines , and con ^ ViqiH'H ^ y iwwied the Committee , -, a ' vU * u i Vc > i > r , <
The Revk M 1 % MotoxqpttlilWifrftfeffrcd to the casei of a young . ui ^ n wJmtJ ^ ad been rejected > as . altogether u ^ lit f ^ r , M » ministry , and , in Bii or ftcnen w ^ iks , wa ^ examined again > aikd panscd triumphantly . r rhc want of . records pr «« e « t < ed
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• Jttfett&gZtote ^ 'RQnwm&mnt Synod of UUteK 499
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1830, page 499, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2586/page/67/
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