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it contains present clear and animating views of some of the moat interesting topics of religion , and are well adapted at once to convince the understanding , and to affect the heart . They are writteu with more than ordinary ability , all of them free from extravagance and empty declamation , and some of them
abomiding in passages of true and pathetic eloquence . The reader will find in them many just delineations of cha * racter and discriminating statements of duty , clothed in attractive and forcible language . He will perceive that their spirit is the pure , rational , elevated , and lovely spirit of our blessed Master .
" The Editor is glad to bring before the community such a favourable specimen of the pulpit talents of our English brethren of the Unitarian faith . Their writings are comparatively little known among us . We love and honour their names as the faithful advocates of civil
aud religious liberty , and the zealous supporters of the simple doctrines of primitive Christianity ; but until recently we have not had much acquaintance with their published labours . We owe them a debt of gratitude for their noble efforts h \ the cause of truth and freedom ; aud we . rejoice to add to our obligations the present contribution to the interests of practical religion . May it increase our sympathy aud friendship for those distant brethren who have received * the like precious faith . ' "
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GENERAL LITERATURE ,
Art . VI . —The Lifeof Sir J . Newton . By David Brewster , LL . D . F . R . S . ( Family Library , Vol . XXIV . )
W # were surprised and grieved to find , in a Memoir which calls on many
accounts for high commendation , such a passage as the following , on the theological opinions of Sir I . Newton : " As this learned dissertation had the effect of depriving the defenders of the doctrine of the Trinity of the aid of two leading texts , Sir Isaac Newtpq has been regarded as an Atttitriuitariau ; butdoch a conclusion is not warranted Xry any thing which he has published ;* and hi
+ " M . Biot has mill remarked , . that there is absolutely nothing in the writings of Newton to justify , or even to authorise , the Idea that fie was an A ^ utitpnU tarian . Xhjs passage is strangely omitted in the English translation of ftiot ' s Life of Ncwtou . We dp not know upon whajfc auJfrority J > r . Thomson state ? , An hie
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distinctly warns us , that his object was solely to ' purge the truth of things spurious / We are disposed , on the contrary , to think that he declares his belief in the doctrine of the Trinity , when he says , ' In the eastern nations , and for a long time in the western , the faith subsisted without this text ; and it is rather a danger to religion than an advantage ,
to make it now lean upon a bruised reed . There cannot be better service done to the truth than to purge it of things spurious ; and , therefore , knowing your prudence and calmness of temper , I am confident I shall not offend you by telling you my mind plainly , especially since it is no article of faith , no point of discipline , nothing but a criticism concerning
a text of Scripture I am going to write about . ' The word faith , in the preceding passage , cannot mean faith in the Scriptures in general , but faith in the particular doctrine of the Trinity ; for ifc is this article of faith only to which the author refers when he deprecates its leaning on a bruised reed . But ,
whatever be the meaning of this passage , we know Sir Isaac was greatly offended at Mr . Whiston for having represented him as an Arian ; and so much did he resent the conduct of his friend in ascribing to him heretical opinions , that he would not permit him to be elected a Fellow of the Royal Society while he was President . * " —Pp . 283 , 284 .
We shall not now go again into the merits of a question which ought to be regarded as finally decided . In our number for March , p . 153 , is a convincing collection of evidence , positive and negative , of the Unitarianiem of Newton , with which his biographer ought not to have been unacquainted ; or , if he knew
of it , to have dismissed sub siientU ) , To make the passage above quoted a
declaration of faith in the Trinity , is indeed orthodoxy's last shift . By tfa faith , Newton meat * s , as seems to u » 9 Chrtitim doctrine * the object of faith , the same thing with religion ^ and witji the tmth which jhq * vQuld . " purge of things spurious . " The article we hare referred to shews , amongfet Qtb € > r things , * £ ia * Dr * Tbpm&on bad some authority for his as ^ &ertk >*» , and that Winston ' s Memoirs do
History of Jibe jBuyaJ Society , tfcat Newton * did npt believe in the Trinity ;' and thai ; J >* % HorfiLey considered Newton's papers u » £ it jfor publication , becauae they contained proofs of his hostility to that doctrine . " ? * ' WhiptoVs Memoirs of bte Own Ufe , pp . V' » , 249 , 3 & 0 . EditfeH ? , *? 53 . "
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714 Critical NoHeet ^ Afkcellaneou * .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Oct. 2, 1831, page 714, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2602/page/62/
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