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Untitled Article
to thrive by the corruption with Which they are at present linked , must there , ought there to be men of God , willing and able to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints . Mr . Duffield , the Unitarian advocate in the Thorne controversy , shews himself to be fully aware of the desirableness of explaining to those who will hear what we believe , as well as of exploding what we reject .
" I . We believe" ( he says ) cc in the Divine Unity . The Trinitarians always express themselves grossly belied by those whom [ who ] they imagine , accuse them of rejecting the doctrine . I hope , therefore , that they are prepared to admit it to constitute one * of the principal doctrines of the gospel ;' and surely they will not accuse us of rejecting this fundamental truth of the Christian religion .
" II . We believe in the absolute perfections of God ; that be is infinitely great , wise , and good ; perfectly holy , just , and mercifuL And this is another essential doctrine of the gospel of Jesus ; one , too , that is a distinguishing sentiment of his religion , for neither the Heathens , nor the Mahometans , nor even the Jews themselves , were in the possession of a full knowledge of the glorious truths embraced under this general head .
" III . We believe that this perfect Being may be acceptably worshiped in the name of Jesus by those who will worship him in the spirit of holiness ; and we found , on this great and distinguishing Christian principle , a belief in the utter worthlessness of all superstitious services , and merely ritual observances ; as also a conviction of the folly and criminality of every hypocrhal pretence or fanatical parade . " IV . We believe in the divine origin of our Saviour ' s mission , and the divine authority of all his doctrines and precepts ; and hence ,
" V We esteem it our duty to believe and honour him , even on the same principles on which we believe and honour God ; for we regard his words as being none other than the words of God himself ; and that to trust in him is to confide in the Father who sent him ; hence we account it our duty to hold every view of his person and offices that can be traced to his teachings , and every principle of religion which he enforced . Hence > too , we regard him as the ruler of our spirits , as sent from God to exact that inward homage
which the Author of our being can alone require . " VI . We believe that , after the death and resurrection of our Lord , he was enabled by his Almighty Father to confer upon the apostles and primitive disciples the gifts of miraculous illumination and power , through which they were enabled to teach in uncontaminated purity ail the doctrines of his religion , and to confirm the divinity of his commission by signs and wonders .
" VII . We believe that every book written by those , thus supernaturally preserved from erroneous sentiments , is to be received as inculcating a perfectly true system of religious faith ; and that every such book ought to be regarded as an infallible Christian authority , and habitually resorted to as a means of religious improvement . " VIII . We believe that it is the duty of all to love their Maker with their themselvesnd to cultivate
whole strength , their brethren of mankind as , a a hungering and thirsting after every branch of righteousness . That it is also their duty to adopt these inward principles as the directors of their practice , as well as the subjects [ objects ] of their respect ; to display them in the general tenor of their lives , and to have them deeply imprinted upon their characters ; and that , never esteeming that they have already attained perfection , it is their duty to leave the things which are behind , and press forward to the end of their lives toward the mark of their high calling in Christ Jesus
their Lord . " IX . We believe in the exceeding sinfulness of sin , ( that is , [ of ] the actual perpetration of evil , ) that it totally incapacitates the mind for true happiness ; and that as long as the prevailing love of it abides in the heart , the offender ia an alien from the kingdom of heaven .
Untitled Article
Thorne Unitarian Conttovifiy * 4 & 9
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1831, page 479, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2599/page/47/
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