Can it be necessary to lengthen this part of our subject by again explaining, that in asserting the worship of the One True God, and the Humanity of Jesus, it is far, very far from our wishes to disparage the person, or derogate from the dignity of our Saviour. How should we lower his excellence, who alone, as we be lieve, serve the God whom he served, and render the service which he commanded of his followers; how should we depreciate his importance, who glorify God, even his Father, bowing the knee after his example, by his authority, and in his name; Is it an offence against him to obey that which he has pronounced, the first of all the commandments? Best of created beings! It is because we revere and love him, that we dare not render him homage, that he would not accept, that he would reject with displeasure, that he would consider a profanation of his religion. We can look forward to meeting him when he shall come in the glory of his Father, without dismay, without anxiety, with confidence, with joy; and in faith can already hear him say to each of us, in acceptance of our imperfect services for the honour and glory of God, according to the message by the last of the Prophets to one of the Churches of Asia,-Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, in the hour of temptation, which came upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the carth: Behold I will write upon thee the name of my God, and make thee a pillar in the Temple of my God, and thou shalt go no more out.

Another of the principles maintained by Unitarians

is, that holiness of heart and excellence of conduct are the only means of obtaining salvation.

On account of their believing this doctrine Unitarians are often severely and bitterly reproached. They are represented as denying the doctrine of the atonement, and rejecting with disdain, the all-availing sacrifice of Christ. It is said, that they deny the Lord that bought them, and trample the blood of the covenant as an unholy thing beneath their feet. Such assertions we sincerely hope proceed in general from mistake, but sometimes we know, they originate in wilful misrepresentation.

Unitarians do indeed deny what Luther vehemently, and as it appears to us most shockingly affirms."That Jesus Christ was the greatest transgressor, murderer, thief, rebel and blasphemer, that ever was, or could be, in all the world. For, that he being made a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, is not now an innocent person, and without sin, is not now the Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary, but a Sinner, and that, therefore, when the law found him among theives, it condemned and killed him as a thief.

Unitarians do indeed deny what Calvin affirms,"That in his soul he (Christ) suffered the torments of - a damned and forsaken man"-that his office was "to make the Father favourable and merciful to us" that God" appeased himself through the blood of the cross" that "the burden of damnation from which we were delivered was laid upon Christ"-that " there

is no other satisfaction by which God being displeased may be made favourable and appeased."

Unitarians do indeed deny with abhorrence the doctrine so unambiguously declared in Dr. Watts's Hymns:

"How Justice frown'd and Vengeance stood,
To drive me down to endless pain

But the great Son propos'd his blood,

And heavenly wrath grew mild again."

"Once t'was a seat of dreadful wrath,
And shot devouring flame,
Our God appear'd consuming fire
And Vengeance was his name."

"Rich were the drops of Jesus' blood,
That calm'd his frowning face,
That sprinkled o'er the burning throne,
And turn'd the wrath to grace."

"Is there no shelter from the eye

Of a revenging God?

Jesus to thy dear wounds I fly,
Bedew me with thy blood."

"Pardon and grace, and boundless love,
Streaming along a Saviour's blood,
And life, and joys, and crowns above,
Dear purchas'd by a bleeding God."
'Did Pity ever stoop so low
Dress'd in divinity and blood?
Was ever rebel courted so

In groans of an expiring God i

The doctrine contained in these passages, the Unitarians do indeed deny; yet this is the genuine doc◄ trine of atonement-every departure from it, is a departure from the reputedly orthodox faith; and whosoever reproaches the Unitarians with denying this essential doctrine, as it is termed, while he himself denies it, as it is stated in the preceding quotations from Luther, Calvin, and Watts, involves himself in the disgrace which he charitably designed for his neighbour. While however the Unitarians do reject such direct contradictions of Scripture and such degrading representations of the character of Jesus, and of the perfections of his God and Father, they believe that the death of Christ was an important part of the divine plan for the redemption of mankind from sin and misery. It was necessary that the Messiah should suffer. His death perfected his lovely example-sealed the truth of the gracious doctrines which he taught—and was essential to his resurrection and exaltation, on which rest our hopes of immortality and bliss. Hence its tendency to purify the depraved and console the wretched. Hence we believe equally with our Trinitarian Brethren, that he gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity-that his blood cleanseth from all sin-that by his stripes we are healed-that he hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God-and we unite with them in ascrib ing unto him, that loved us and has washed us from our sins in his own blood, and made us kings and

priests unto God and his Father, glory and dominion for ever. Such passages we consider as beautiful descriptions of the moral influence of his death, and it is our desire to partake of the holy feelings which they so finely express.

There is one epithet, which in consequence of this part of our Creed is unsparingly lavished upon us, that must be noticed before I bring forward the evidence to prove the doctrine; it is that of self-righteous. It is said that we boast of our righteousnessthat we set up ourselves as being better than the rest of the world-and that on the ground of our righteousness, we claim the rewards of heaven as our due. The charge is unfounded; it is exceedingly uncandick, calumnious, and unjust. We do not pretend to be more righteous or better than others. Would to God that we were better than we are. Of our character as a sect, we leave others to judge for themselves. But were we inclined to boast of those who have professed our principles, we have whereof to glory, and we could bring forward names of allowed and transcendant excellence, to whose distinguished merits our adversaries themselves have been compelled to bear their unwilling testimony.-But the fact is, we do not, by any means conceive that we, or others have any claim to reward, especially on the score of merit. God forbid. We know that there is not a man upon earth who has not committed sin, and therefore that no one can say he is a thoroughly righteous man. We also contend, that if a man were consist