"An unitarian people," we are told, “will not long "be satisfied with a trinitarian establishment." Indeed, I suppose they will not; they will endeavour to overturn it and it is our business to prevent them from so doing.

The reasoning that has been so often employed against the propriety of decisions by fallible men, seems itself to be a fallacy, confuted by common sense, matter of fact, and universal experience. A society of fallible men will always decide for themselves: they must do so; they must do the best they can. Another society of fallible men will decide differently. Individuals must likewise decide for themselves to which society they will be united, or whether they will be united to either: and all must bear with one another. The nature of the case seems to admit of no other method.

In the mean time, the unitarians should consider, that we may be as firmly persuaded of the truth of our doctrines as they can be of the truth of theirs. They should do us the justice to believe that we are so; that we do not see the absurdities imputed to us; nor, when we teach the doctrine of three PERSONS, intend to teach that of three GOD's.

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Some, once our brethren in the faith, have forsaken it, and gone out from us. We lamentwe

c Crelius himself is candid enough to acknowledge, that the doctrine of three persons in one and the same individual essence does not constitute real and perfect tritheism; because of the close and inseparable union between them. See the passage cited in Stillingfleet on the Sufferings of Christ, part ii. near the end, vol. iii. page 407, of his works in folio.

must lament-their defection; but we cannot help it. They have sacrificed their preferment to that which we think to be their error. What they have done cannot prove error to be truth; it proves the sincerity of their persuasion; and, as in the course of the controversy, we apprehend, has been made to appear, the weakness of their judgement.

Should a minister of the unitarian church, at any future time, by reading the writings of English and French philosophers, be seduced first to doubt, and then to disbelieve, the existence of the God whose worship, as a minister, he is obliged to conduct; and, upon that ground, relinquish his establishment, though the principal means of supporting himself and a family-the case is possible-what must they say, from whose society he thus excommunicates himself? Not that the tenet is right, but that the man is

wrong.

Loud were the calls for an alteration of our forms, some years ago, from men, and very learned men, of the Arian opinion, who never once thought of denying the pre-existence of Christ, the miraculous conception, the plenary inspiration of the apostles and of Christ himself (for even that is now denied), the immortality of the soul, or the spiritual nature of the Deity. Had an alteration then taken place, it must now have been succeeded by another; as the principal of our present opponents has devised quite a different system, and seems to entertain a more favourable opinion of us than of the Arians". But

d The Arians are even less entitled to the appellation "of Unitarians than the Athanasians, who also lay claim to

be this as it may. We shall be greatly blameable, if we part with our creeds, till our adversaries are better agreed what shall be substituted in their room; and till we are assured, that the remedy proposed will not be much worse than the disease under which they imagine us to labour. Till that period shall

"it." History of Early Opinions, &c. i. 81. See the Preface,

p. xv.

"It is easy matter for men of wit and fancy to find fault "with any thing; but it requires thought and judgement to set"tle things upon their true bottom. Let those who are displeased "with the received doctrine show us a better, and form any "other consistent scheme (consistent with Scripture and with "itself) if they can. Wise and good men will be always willing "to reform, if there be cause for it; but they will not be forward "to pull down what appears to be founded on a rock, in order 66 only to build upon the sand. The Trinitarians have some "satisfaction in observing, how long certain great wits have been

employed in new modelling Christianity; and have not yet "been able to agree in any one certain scheme." Thus while Dr. Priestly with so much earnestness and vehemence is pressing upon us the Socinian scheme, the author of Ben Mordecai's Apology laughs at the idea of settling the Christian faith. by rectifying "a Greek particle in Justin's Trypho, or ransack"ing antiquity for the opinions of the Nazarenes, Mineans, and "Ebionites ;" calling upon us to attend to his doctrine of "a vi"sible and inferior Jehovah." See the preface to his second edition, p. v.-The woman mentioned in Prov. xiv. 1. is not mentioned as the wisest of women, who "plucked down her "house with her own hands," to save others the trouble. Should we ever be persuaded to do like her, instead of the kingdom of God immediately appearing (which some seem to think would be the case), a very Babel would arise in consequence. If the experience of the last century cannot make us wise, most certain it

arrive, there will be a necessity of "contending for "the faith delivered" to us.

II. There is something very unpleasing in the sound of the word CONTENTION, and volumes have been written on the offence occasioned by the thing itself. But, alas! it is one of those offences, which, I fear, "must needs come." Till the sons of Adam cease to be the sons of Adam, it cannot be prevented. So long, on one plea or another, the city will be attacked; and if attacked, it must be defended: the sentinel at his post cannot be blamed for giving the alarm, nor the garrison for appearing under arms. All that can be done in this contest, as well as others, is to provide, that it be conducted in an honourable way, according to the laws of war. "If it be pos"sible," says an apostle, "as far as lieth in you, "live peaceably with all men." Cases, it is therefore supposed, may happen, in which it will not be possible. It is not in our power to "live peaceably "with all men," if some men will not live peaceably with us. We must not be the aggressors: we must not engage knowingly in a bad cause; nor persevere,. if, in the process, we shall discover our cause to be a bad one.

Wonder has been often expressed, that religion should ever have become the subject of contention. But the wonder would cease, if it were only consi

is that we shall never become so. When a man deceives me once, says the Italian proverb, it is IIS fault; when twice, it is

MINE.

f Rom. xii. 18.

dered that things become the subjects of contention in proportion to their importance; and religion being the most important thing in the world, they who are serious in their religion will never suffer it to be taken from them without contention. The fault is not in religion, but in the different understandings, tempers, interests, passions, and prejudices of mankind. He who can rectify and adjust all these, will put an end to contention. Till this shall be effected, there will be heresies. The apostle uses a stronger term, "there MUST be heresies:" and, therefore, such as are able must combat them, and maintain the doctrines to which they oppose themselves. The truths of God are not to be tamely given up. The injunction is, "Contend." The apostles contended against the Jews, Pagans, and the heresiarchs of their days. The fathers of the church contended against the same enemies, and others who arose in succession after them. The heroes of the reformation contended against the Romish corruptors of the faith; the bishops, clergy, and others of our own church, have contended against adversaries of various denominations; and if we expect that church to subsist, we must contend too.

It has been hinted to us, in some late publications, that if the trinitarian doctrines should continue to be obstinately maintained, the churches which maintain them, and the kingdoms in which such churches are supported, will ere long, be destroyed, to make way for the pure unitarian gospel. This is a very serious

1 Cor. xi. 19.