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    thing which has the name of pleasure criminal , and consider it as a point of duty to abstain from it ; they do not affect that peculiar austerity which is so frequently characteristic either of the bigot or the hypocrite ; but we should describe them as concerning themselves little with the follies of fashion , entering very moderately into scenes devoted to amusement , pursuing the quiet walks of business , of social duty , and of innocent social enjoyment .

    There is , however , no sect which exhibits any thing approaching to uniformity of excellence among its members : each has many connected with it who are considered by the better part as doing no credit to the principles they profess , and being by no means truly under their influence . Now , it should l ? e observed that Unitarianism , as understood by the majority of its professors , not attaching to the externals of religion the same essential and inherent importance with most other systems , and affording no

    inducements to hypocrisy , a thoughtless devotion to the gaieties of the world is just the fault into which our less worthy and serious members are apt to fall ; not to mention that there are many partially connected with us , who , though disbelieving the doctrines of reputed Orthodoxy , and finding their remaining belief Unitarian , have never been brought to interest themselves on the subject , and are never acknowledged by us as those from whom a practical exhibition of the effects of our principles could be expected . On the

    contrary , among the orthodox sects , including those members of the Establishment "who make any considerable pretensions to religion , a particular attention to all outward observances is essential to character : they consider abstinence from the gaieties of life as a direct requisition of duty , and the faults to which their situation most exposes them are hypocrisy and the vices which it may conveniently cloak . That they are not all free from these faults , is sufficiently notorious .

    The Unitarian Christian does not in general feel himself under any obligation to such an observance of the Lord ' s-day as Dr . S . deems essential to a religious character , although not many , perhaps , may go so far the other way as Calvin or Mr . Belsham : but it certainly is not just to accuse men of irreligion because they wish to be influenced by their religion every day equally , when no precept applying the strict sabbatical law to Christians can possibly be produced , and its practical utility may , to say the least , be reasonably called in question .

    It is not to be doubted , that among Unitarians the outward observances of religion are commonly regarded less as the performance of a direct duty , and more as means of improvement voluntarily resorted to , than amongst other sects . Those who think most of the absolute duty of paying a public homage to Almighty God , in the name of his chosen Messenger , will not , amongst us , pretend to determine how many times in one day this may be required ; and as on the question of expediency different opinions may be formed , those who think most seriously do not make the same point of

    attending worship several times on each Lord's-day with persons of a less degree of real religious feeling in other sects ; whilst indolence or carelessness more readily amongst us find excuses for the neglect of some valuable opportunities for improvement . We regret this result , because we are sure that all the services which are ever attempted by us , might be made useful and found interesting ; to some classes of society they are particularly important ; and that improvement of plan which would make them all that they might be , can hardly be expected , except under the sanction of a zealous and uniform attendance . We regret , then , much that our people , though

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    Dr . J . P . Smith ' s Scripture Testimony to the Messiah . 9

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Jan. 2, 1831, page 9, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2593/page/9/