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pardon in the name of justice , as their accumulated crimes betray their infernal origin . Bujt , thanks be to God , there is not enough of belief in such doctrines for them commonly to produce their full consequences . Incompatible as they are with morality , they mostly remain barren in some melancholy spirits , either led by their weakness almost to despair , or accustomed to be carried on by hasty impulses and external influences . Rarely , very rarely , ~ " ' ¦ " i ' *""'** ' - ¦ *¦ 'f"' ¦ — — '' ' ¦¦ . . .. 1 MMi — -T-BFH-- * ! ^ —i ^ . ——* ... . ¦ I—— _¦—~— t ^* . > L , - , j _ .,. , u , . 1 . . .,, „ ¦ , ,.,. > J >_«^ l— i i l . - ! . . ^ . . ! . - . -. . . - l |^ . ,... i « - |^ , — . „ . . , « ' | I ¦ »—M . , .. I ' I
do those who admit them m theory , follow them up in their app lication , We see them nearly always yielding to the impression of their own responsibility , and making use , like other men , of the means within reach for the direction of their powers . But it is , not opinions like these which chiefly prevail . Those which John Newton explains most frequently , which we find in every page , are common to most Christians ; deeply pious sentiments , and observations fitted to assist us in the experience of
religious life . Such is the impression his letters have left upon us , and it is good to repeat it again , after having spoken of things respecting which it was our duly not to be silent . We should not think we had fulfilled our task / or met the re ^ q uirements of our readers , if we did not examine also the steps by which Newton arrived at his theological system , and at that lively faith which is the object of so much-envy . The question is not difficult : our author puts into our hands all that is necessary for solving it . ¦ ¦ -. ... - ...: His theological system was formed under the influence c ( f a train of circumstances which included great part of his life , rn
his youth , carefully instructed m the faith of the Church of England , but soon deprived by death of the advice of his pious mother , he vibrated up to the age of sixteen between the religious sentiments engendered by his domestic education , and the example of the light , and profane young people in the midst of whom his lot was cast . Several times he returned to neglected religion ; at one time indeed ^ he even passed whole days in reading books of devotion , he fasted aifd abstained for three months from animal
food out of regard to , conscientiQus scruple , During this time , and for several years after his actual conversion , he was entirely ignorant of the controversies arid errors which have agitated and do divide the Christian church ; To him , Christianity was the doctrine of the church of England ; he never even suspected that there might be some difference . When , therefore , after his'youthful irregularities , he suddenly directed his mind towards the
religion he had abandoned , he naturally enough attached the same meaning to the expressions he met with in our sacred books , as had been instilled into him by his previous instruction . Going over again in his memory what he knew of Christianity , he wished more than-believed , that these things were rea ) . We find him busied about the means of believing in the inspiration of the Scriptures , which , according to the custom of his church , he confounds
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294 REMARKS pN THE RELIGIOUS- WRITINGS OF
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Oct. 1, 1833, page 294, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2623/page/6/
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