did produce, far other fruits than those which are now manifested on the face of the Christian world.

If we believed that the will of God, which was made known to mankind by Jesus and his apostles, had been delivered down and taught in its native truth and purity for nearly eighteen hundred years, or even since the era of the Reformation, and witnessed no better effects on the feelings and conduct of its professors than are now evident even in this country, (boasting, as some of us do, of its piety and morals,) should we not be justified in concluding, that, perfect as the theory of Christianity appears, experience had proved it unequal to the great work of reforming the human race, the very purpose for which it was given! For, as the appointed means of doing this, do all rational believers look to Jesus as their Saviour. A religion for the salvation of the world, must reform the world; for "faith unless it sanctifies, cannot save."

That universal love is the great characteristic of Christianity, no one will deny yet we must allow that the Jew is well justified in asking, “Can there be found in the life and behaviour of most of those who call themselves Christians, the least sign of such a pure universal love? Nay, are not the actions of most of them wholly contradictory to that which was pracfised by Christ?"

When we look around us, and over the Christian world, we must own that they are; and there is no way of accounting for it, and removing from the minds of men this most reasonable objection to our holy faith, but by statements, such as the following, which Unitarians can give from the full conviction of their hearts:

The gospel of Christ began (as we learn from apostolic authority) to be corrupted even by some of its earliest converts; and as the heathen world came in, and the civil power, under colour of protecting, assumed a right of interference and even dictation, it became more and more assimilated to their preconceived notions and prejudices, which were all in favour of many gods, many objects of worship, and abundance of outward rites and superstitious observances.

To those who had been accustomed

to deify almost every thing around them, to adore even brutes and vegetables, and fall down before "stocks and stones," it might well seem strange that he who was sent by the Almighty Jehovah to be the Saviour of the world, who performed such great miracles, and exhibited in his life a pattern of perfection such as mankind had never before conceived even in idea, and to crown all, had risen from the grave, and ascended into heaven in the presence of his disciples; to suppose this extraordinary person a mere man, seemed to their minds, prepossessed as they had been, nearly impossible! Yet the doctrine of one only God was so firmly laid down as the foundation-stone, both of the Jewish and Christian Scriptures, that it could never be disputed, and nothing but sad experience would persuade any one that a method of evading it could have been invented. Nor could it have been done but by almost imperceptible degrees :-the common sense of mankind would have revolted against so monstrous an assertion, (and nothing like it is even pretended to be found in the sacred writings) as that one is three, or that three are one. But dark ages of ignorance succeeded the promulgation of Christianity, and in the course of these, step by step, one absurdity after another was introduced and declared to be Christian verity, by the decrees of synods, councils, &c.; and in the course of successive centuries, while the Bible was inaccessible to the great body of believers, even if they had been able to read it, and little known or consulted even by the priests themselves, both the doctrines and practice of the Christian Churches attained the fearful acme of corruption at which the Reformation found them.

Some of these strange doctrines, and many superstitious observances were then done away, and a noble spirit of inquiry seemed to be spreading among Christians: but the demon of bigotry and uncharitableness arose among the Reformers themselves; they raised the cry of heresy against each other, and even brought their brethren to the stake for holding opinions different from their own! This was too clear a proof that they were stil! "in the gall of bitterness," and that

the errors and corruptions which they had removed, were trifling in comparison with those that remained.

In so degrading a light are the great and glorious doctrines of the gospel now held by the leading men in this enlightened country, that we are told from the highest Church-ofEngland authority, that a belief in them requires "a prostration of the understanding"! And what can the Church of Rome, or the Koran of Mahomet do more? Nor is this the worst, the creeds and articles of churches, calling themselves reformed, represent our Creator not as "the Lord merciful and gracious, who willeth not that any should perish, but that all should return, repent and

live;" not as the loving Father and

Benefactor of the human race, but in colours that inspire dread, I had almost said aversion, for what can restrain indignant feelings in those who believe that they see uncontrolable power, cruelly and unjustly used? And we must, indeed, have laid aside the use of our reasoning faculties, if we see not this in the God described by Calvin.

But the doctrine which of all others most powerfully demoralizes Protestants, is that of the atonement of sin by the blood of Christ. To tell men that if they are saved at all, it must be by the righteousness of another being imputed to them, and that all they have to do, is to fix their trust in this doctrine so 66 comfortable to sinners," to ensure the full benefit of it to themselves! What is it but to outrage all our ideas of rectitude and justice, to loosen even in thinking minds, all bonds of moral obligation, and in others, to open a wide gate for the indulgence of every passion and inclination, and to lead to crime and profligacy of every description? That there are many excellent persons who zealously adhere to this doctrine, I well know, and that their conduct is so preferable to their creed, may be well attributed to their frequent reading of the Bible, on every page of which that personal righteousness is inculcated, which these inconsistent beings aver to be unnecessary to sal

vation.

How much is it to be wished, that Unitarian views of Christianity were laid before the Reformed Jews:-there

can be no doubt but it would be a powerful means of satisfying all their remaining doubts, and might be a material step towards the conversion of the whole people. Had every congregation amongst us a Fellowship Fund, zealously attended to, means would not be wanting to render this exertion, difficult as it may appear when compared with any efforts which we have hitherto made, more than possible.

Should you think these observations worth the attention of your readers, I request for them a place in the Repository. MARY HUGHES.

SIR,

THE

Hackney Road, February 11, 1819. HE careless manner of quoting Scripture, without understanding its meaning, and for the purpose of confirming prejudices aud errors, has been a constant subject of regret to every thoughtful Christian; and seldom has there appeared a more striking example of this carelesnsess than in the letter of Friend Walker's, inserted in your Repository for October last, [XIII. 622,] but which, having resided at Brussels for nearly the past five months, I have but just read: to me it appears of too dangerous a tendency to pass unnoticed.

The writer, who professes himself to be one of the society of Friends, by way of apology for the fanatic fooleries which disgraced some of its members in the seventeenth century, remarks as follows:-"The concernments of becoming signs and wonders to the people by going about naked, putting on sackcloth, &c. among Quaker enthusiasts, like unto Isaiah and other enthusiast prophets of old, honest George [Fox] used to record, I believe very sincerely, as triumphs of truth:”. thus attempting to level the character of the Jewish prophets to that of the fanatics alluded to. This remark was once made to me by a confirmed unbeliever, who, like the generality of his fraternity, had examined the evidences of Christianity very superficially, in a conversation I held with him, in which I urged, as evidence of the truth of revelation, the fulfilment of the prophecies of Isaiah respecting the fall of Babylon, Tyre, Egypt, &c. That the same remark should be made

by a Christian, who boasts of the peculiar purity of his principles, must be a subject of equal surprise and regret.

I beg leave to observe, that the above remark, suggested by superficial Infidels, and superficial Christians, arises entirely from their ignorance of the meaning of Scripture phraseology. I should, indeed, have hoped, that there was scarcely a child in a sunday-school, who, in reading any of the passages in which the prophets were said to have walked about naked, but who would have been informed by the teacher, that the word naked in those passages had a very different meaning from that suggested by the mere sound. I was about to refer Friend Walker to various commen. tators to set him right on this point; but one will be sufficient. That rational, plain and useful expositor, Job Orton, thus paraphrases Isaiah xx. 2,

3:

"At the same time spake the Lord by Isaiah, the son of Amos, saying, Go, and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, which thou hast worn as a mourning habit for the sins and calamities of Judah and Israel, and put off thy shoe from thy foot: and he did so, walking naked, that is, without an upper garment, and barefool."

I would recommend to Friend Walker, after reading this quotation, before he again censures the ancient prophets as enthusiasts, that he would pay a little more attention to their meaning, and he may rest assured that in that case he will not be less qualified to write on the subject.

This point is of the greater importance, if we reflect that the prophets in thus going barefoot, naked, &c. professed to act under the immediate inspiration of the Holy Spirit; equally so as when they delivered their important predictions respecting the fall of empires, or the still more important predictions respecting the Messiah. If, therefore, they were enthusiasts in the one case, what security have we that they were not enthusiasts in the others; and thus has a Christian, professing the purest of principles, with a dash of his pen endeavoured to destroy one of the main pillars of our holy religion: the prophet Isaiah singled out for his attack, is generally considered by both

Jewish and Christian commentators, as the peculiarly sublime and evange lical prophet, who prophesied far more amply and clearly respecting the Messiah, and foresaw more of the glory of his kingdom than any, if not all the other prophets, united; and in my opinion, had as little enthusiasm in his character as even Friend Walker!

I most earnestly hope I shall not be misunderstood by the following remark, as if I were in the least degree inimical to the free circulation of opinions, however erroneous. No, Sir, not only the Infidel, but the Atheist has, I think, a right to declare his sentiments, without any interruption from the civil magistrate; but I cannot on the present occasion, help remarking, as somewhat curious, that the society of Friends have recently, in a fit of spurious modern orthodoxy, persecuted to the utmost of their power, one of the most respectable of their members, well known to you and to me, and to many of your readers, by expelling him from their fraternity, for his attachment to Unitarian sentiments, although he has proved that in what he has written on the subject, he has varied but in a trifling degree from the great and good-perhaps the very prime member of the sect-WILLIAM PENN: and that at the same time they can suffer another of their members to attack the universally-acknowledged foundations of our common faith, without even the slightest censure or notice!

Friend Walker, in his quaint, enthusiastic panegyric on his sect, is pleased to remark-"They" [the Quakers] "hold the most excellent system of religion that has ever yet appeared on the earth; a system more refined even than that of the primitive Christians, ere the gospel dove (Judæan) was crushed rather than cherished in the embrace of the imperial eagle (Roman)." Although we have the ipse dixit of the writer on this point, I must take the liberty of so far differing from him, as to declare, that, in my opinion, the primitive Christians were more "refined" in their system, and that they were free from certain errors in theory, and follies in practice, which have uniformly distinguished that otherwise very respectable society, of whose general worth 1 am

by no means insensible, and of whose individual excellence I am a happy witness. To specify particulars of their variations from the faith and practice of the primitive Christians, would lead me to a length that would neither correspond with my inclinations, nor that of your readers. I merely drop the hint to Friend Walker, that he may not think more highly of himself or his sect than he ought to think: and I sincerely hope that his respectable fraternity will not be of fended, if I, in stirring up their pure minds, by way of remembrance, drop the additional hint, that if they, as a body, should be somewhat more attentive to the purity of principle and practice, which distinguished the pri mitive Christians; who, while they counted all things but loss for Christ, were by no means insensible of the value of their rights as MEN, and as CITIZENS: Should they be more careful of imbibing that spirit of servility and worldly-mindedness; and of displaying, at least, a tacit approbation of that system of corruption, wickedness and conformity to the world, in its worst sense, which has so peculiarly disgraced modern Christians for the past half century:-they will by no means decrease in respectability in the eyes of the world in general, or the Christian world in particular.

One error, however, I cannot help noticing, and which, as it is stated in J. Walker's letter, appears to me, as a rule of life, to be of a most dangerous tendency: that which exalts the "light within," above the sacred Scriptures; and we perceive the unhappy effects of this error in the mind of the writer, whose "light within," or what I believe your readers will term his fancy, led him to think himself more enlightened than the "enthusiast prophet Isaiah!"-Which is genuine Quakerism-that of the venerable assembly who advised keeping to the form of sound words, the Scriptures," or that of J. Walker, who despises such a test, I leave to be settled between him and his opponent B., "the well-meaning Bible Quaker."

† Near Weston, a village where the majority are Roman Catholics. (Also, a Catholic college.)

was presented to me, by a cottager, a Roman Catholic prayer-book, published at Dublin: while perusing it, I was surprised at finding the whole of the second commandment left out, but the number ten was preserved by dividing the tenth into ninth and tenth. I shall feel obliged by receiving a communication from any of your correspondents, what grounds they have for erasing so considerable a portion of what is almost universally approved sacred.

SIR,

E. S.

Walthamstow, March 4, 1819.

N p. 56, of your Repository for January, I find this alarming declaration, sealed by the authority of Mr. Stodhart, of Pell Street, Ratcliff-Highway, that "they who deny the co-equal and co-essential godhead of Jesus Christ, will, with Unitarians, be damned to all eternity." I read this denunciation with a mingled feeling of astonishment, contempt and pity. My astonishment, indeed, was not called forth by any novelty in the thing, as the temper which dictates these auathemas is, unhappily, prevalent enough. But were the sentence rung in my cars every hour of every day, I should never cease to be astonished at the presumption of a poor fallible mortal, who should dare to seat himself on the throne of God, and shut the gates of mercy on all who do not think as he does.-Unitarians are to be damned to all eternity!

their religious creed from Mr. Stodhart. And yet I defy him, in conjunction with all who hold the same opinion, to assign a better reason why they should be damned than this would be. Theologians are not always with caution bold, but he must be a bold man indeed, who should have the hardihood to deny that Unitarianism has ranked amongst its professors, men who have been eminently adorned with every Christian virtue. Nor would he be less audacious, who should venture to affirm, that Unitarianism does not embrace every practical principle of Christianity. Virtue, indeed, is to a Unitarian, the acknowledged end of his faith, and every article in his creed enforces the practice of virtue. But

he does not believe the co-equal and co-essential Godhead of Jesus Christ; and, therefore, he is to be damned to all eternity. Mr. Stodhart, I am afraid, would not hear him, or he might plead, if not in arrest of judgment, at least in extenuation of his crime, that amidst the various and contradictory explanations which have been given of the Trinitarian doctrine, he was altogether at a loss to understand what it was that he was called upon to believe. Mr. Stodhart, however, (whose knowledge, no doubt, is equal to his zeal,) may perhaps be able to throw some new light on this perplexing subject, and may condescend to inform us how three false deities make one true God; unless, indeed, he should determine, in his anger, to leave us to find out the secret for ourselves. But Mr. Stodhart would say, mine is the doctrine of Scripture, and if the Unitarians would read the New Testament with impartiality, they would find it there expressed in every page. No doubt, if they would take Mr. Stodhart for their guide, and obligingly accept his interpretation of Scripture phraseology, they would and not only this doctrine, but every other article of his delectable system. But with Mr. Stodhart's good leave, they would rather see with their own eyes than with his; especially as, were they to borrow his optics, they might perchance, imbibe his spirit; from

The Father alone, saith Mr. Stodhart, is a false Deity. "To us there is but one God, even the Father," says the Apostle Paul. And in interpreting this declaration according to its literal meaning, I am supported by a good authority. A recent convert to Orthodoxy, in order to guard against the dire effects of interpreting Scripture upon the principles of rational criticism, has laid down a rule of interpretation, in terms to the following effect: that Scripture language is always to be explained according to the natural and obvious meaning of the words. Were this canon applied to the greater part of the New Testament, what woeful work would it make with the popular theology! It was kind, however, to endeavour to furnish a principle, which would at once

clear up every difficulty. Mr. Stodhart,

it is to be feared, would not have been thus indulgent; he would have contented himself with proclaiming, This is the truth, and if you will not believe it, you will be damned to all eternity!

which, at present, every feeling of their heart revolts. But Mr S. would add, or if he did not, somebody would for him, the Unitarians perversely and wilfully shut their eyes against the truth. It is no wonder that they who usurp one prerogative of the Almighty, should, upon occasion, exercise another. And, in truth, many of our orthodox brethren have a marvellous faculty of diving into the hearts of their opponents. In the twinkling of an eye they can unlock the breast of a poor Unitarian, and there, amidst other dire and dreadful things, they can clearly behold original depravity, in the shape of carnal reason, arming itself in proud rebellion against the truth of God. Some of this perspi cacious fraternity have ascertained that Unitarians are neither more nor less than unbelievers in disguise. Others, I am told, have discovered, that, in the heart of a Unitarian, piety at best never rises above the level of infidel devotion. As we have been accustomed to pay some respect to the injunction of our Master, " Judge not, that ye be not judged," we confess ourselves not qualified to carry on our theological warfare by this method of attack. We, therefore, leave it in the exclusive possession of our opponents; and much good may it do them. But enough and more than enough on this ungracious topic. I will therefore, only add, that it is high time that this damning spirit of bigotry should hide its head and blush. Blush, indeed, it cannot, for bigotry, as it has no feeling, knows no shame. Let it, then, if it must be so, pour forth its fury while it may. The time cannot fail to come, when the wretched system which ministers fuel to this unholy flame, shall have been swept from the face of the earth by the progressive operation of that spirit of inquiry, which weak men may lament and bigots may execrate, but which no threats of damnation can intimidate, nor any mortal power repress. E. COGAN.