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more from the Testament than the pulpit , and clung to Christ when the preacher followed Athanasius and Calvin ; that most of such believers , the majority , perhaps , of the Christian flock , have little more , if any , faith in the distinguishing doctrines of reputed orthodoxy than Unitarians themselves , the many are Unitarians in fact , though not in name— -yea , even while they hold the name in aversion . In other words , they have to a great extent given up sectarian peculiarities hit after bit , till they have become Christians . They have left Athanasius and Calvin to follow Christ *—These
remarks seem to combine in calling on Unitarians to state fully what they hold , to exhibit the positive forms of their faith , to shew the world what it is now slow to believe , that , even in the midst of our rejections , we have in our creed whatever a mortal can need . That the advocates of Unitarian ism may be somewhat to blame for the erroneous and defective views which prevail respecting their doctrines , we are not prepared to deny . But these misconceptions flowed naturally , perhaps to a great extent necessarily , from the conditions of that controversy which , to their honour and the honour of religion , their worthies entered on with that boldness which the sense of a good cause always inspires . Corruptions prevailed . A learned and powerful hierarchy were pledged to support them . Assailment was therefore
the peculiar work of these restorers of gospel purity . And assail they did , till the world thought assailment not only their peculiar but their exclusive function . Into their labours we have entered . The pioneers have gone before us , and the towers of Babylon have been effectually undermined . Let us build the walls of Zion out of the ruins . Let it be our peculiar work to establish , to teach the gospel , alike uncurtailed and uncorrupted . No threat moral or mental change can be completed by one generation . The instrument that is fitted by exercise for one part of the change , is thereby unfitted for the subsequent parts of the transformation . One plants , another waters , and another reaps . Nay , the very instruments that were most efficient in the commencement , may retard the completion . For if they
continue to delve and hew when they ought to erect , they carry not forward , but hinder , the building of God's holy temple . But one generation passeth away and another cometh , and so truth is ever forwarded alike by death and life . Each age creates men as well as wants , and makes the one to answer to the other , and so with small intervals of apparent ( so only may it be ) delay , the great workings of the social machine proceed from good to good , from peace to happiness , from happiness to bliss . We therefore have seen with great satisfaction effort after effort , all good , some superlatively excellent , especially two volumes that our Editor will allow us , we fear ^ only to allude to , designed to exhibit the views which Unitarians have been led to entertain on a diligent search of the Christian records . In saying this , we
do not mean to discountenance efforts to unseal the eyes of those who are spiritually blind . We have a notion , indeed , that even for this purpose the exhibition of the pure gospel may do more than the impeachment of theological errors . Truth has in it a charm to fascinate those whom assailment will harden and revolt . But circumstances may occur wherein controversy is a duty . True it is , we believe , lhat all that can be said on the questions at issue between Unitarians and the reputed orthodox , has been said , and well said . But that is little to the purpose , while that all is known only to a few . Newton and La Place have established indisputably the system of the
universe . So far the subject is set at rest . Yet men appoint professors to teach what they have demonstrated . And as long as there are those who know not the contrast which exists between popular errors and Christian truth , or others who , making a gain of godliness , support old errors in order
Untitled Article
478 Thome Unitarian Gontroversy .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1831, page 478, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2599/page/46/
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