my opinions, yet, if I have been the instrument of liberalizing a single human mind, of making one individual act from conviction and principle, who before took his faith upon trust, and acted from prejudice, (whatever be the doctrines he embraces,) my exertions will have been amply repaid.

But, if there have been those, whether in Established, or Dissenting Pulpits, or in private conver sations, who have endeavoured to excite popular odium against myself and the principles, which I deem it my greatest honour and happiness, firmly to believe and to advocate, may reflection teach them the littleness of the motives which instigated their conduct, and may they imbibe more of the spirit of the Gospel of Peace. If in this enlightened age any one could be found, who would despise our acquaintance and not associate with us on account of our principles-if any one should chuse to denominate our opinions the maniac dictates of horrid wickedness if any one should venture to say that the Ignorance of those who deny the Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, can only be equalled by their Impudence-if any one should so far forget himself as to assert that Unitarians are under the influence of the Devil-1 say, if in this enlightened age there could be found individuals who would make such illiberal, unjust and unchristian observations, we should be content to bear the calumny-their reproach would be our greatest honour. We should be perfectly satisfied to incur the stigma, of believing in the · maniac dictates of horrid wickedness together with a LARDNER and a PRIESTLY-of being under the inflúence of the Devil, with a LINDSEY and a WAKEFIELD

of Ignorance and Impudence, with a NEWTON and a LOCKE,-and of having our acquaintance and society despised by persons who could assert such things as these, of Men and of Principles-of which they would not be worthy: We would say to them in the words of ARCHBISHOP TILLOTSON,-" If this be Socinianism, for a man to inquire into the grounds and reasons of Christian Religion, and to endeavour to give a satisfactory account why he believes it," we" know no way but that all considerate, inquisitive men, that are above fancy and enthusiasm must be either Socinians or Atheists:"We would recommend to them as a fit subject for their study and imitation, the observations made by the late celebrated ROBERT ROBINSON, the first of preachers and one of the ablest advocates for the Deity of Jesus Christ-" Why do you not persecute, at least with the tongue, those monstrous Unitarians? Because I have no warrant from Christ to do so; nor the least inclination to forge one. is well enough; but why do you praise them in every company? Because a mistaking man, may merit praise for that very industry which hath led him into an error, and for that integrity, which makes him, against his interest, support it. But what occasion is there to keep company with them, and to maintain an intimacy with them? Because, on every other article, they edify me, and on this, we agree to differ."-And we would give it as our decided opinion, in the words of GENERAL WURTS, that it is only-" When men have once taken out of Christianity what they have foisted into it," that "there will be but one Religion, as plain in its Doctrine, as pure in its Morals."

This

Let then every person examine the Bible, with that unbiassed attention, and that serious, earnest consi deration, which the important subject demands; let the understanding be used as the medium, through which its sacred information is received, and by which its parts are compared, and brought into a correspondence with each other, and with those truths which nature and experience, clearly convey to us through the same medium; and the result will assuredly be favourable to the progress of knowledge of the most valuable kind. Her empire will be extended, and the order and harmony which prevail throughout her dominions, will become continually more conspicuous.

To the MEMBERS of the SCOTISH UNITARIAN CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION, and particularly to the FRIENDS of pure unadulterated Christianity in GREENOCK AND PORT-GLASGOW, who are united in support of the grand principles of the Gospel, that, THERE IS BUT ONE GOD, THE FATHER; AND ONE MEDIATOR, beTWEEN GOD AND MEN, THE MAN, CHRIST JESUS: the following Statement, undertaken at their request, is respectfully inscribed, (with the most ardent wishes that it may tend to remove the prejudices which obstruct inquiry, and that through its means, Unitarian Christianity may obtain full and candid examination;) by their

Sincere and affectionate Friend,

Greenock, April 29th, 1816.

The Editor.

A

STATEMENT, &c.

IT

T is too evident that there are great numbers who read the scriptures in a casual or formal manner, and who hear them read in the public assemblies of the different denominations of Christians, whose minds were never seriously intent upon discovering their real meaning. Such persons generally content themselves with a few superficial, unconnect ed and contradictory notions respecting religion, which they have received, without the least investigation, merely because they were held by their ancestors; or judging of the value of opinions by the countenance and support which they receive from the multitude, they adopt, implicitly, all the dogmas of those creeds or systems which may happen to be popular in the age or country in which they live. They call themselves Christians, and being arranged under the standards of orthodoxy, they entertain not the least suspicion respecting the soundness of their faith, but are perfectly satisfied with their attainments in divine knowledge, when often they need to be taught what are the first principles of the Gospel. They are not, perhaps, totally ignorant of the facts recorded in sacred history, nor do they discontinue the reading of the scriptures; but they do not search them with B

that seriousness and attention, which ought ever to characterise the exertions of an upright mind in the pursuit of truth. It is the part of a true Christian, in godly simplicity, to pursue the truth for its own sake, that thus, by the blessing of the Almighty, receiving it into a good and honest heart, it may produce all the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ unto the praise and glory of God.

noble

The subjects of revelation are indeed too spiritual and sublime, to be studied with a light, trifling, or careless mind. To approach them in such a spirit would assuredly be to insult the God of Truth-to degrade our own rational powers, and to plunge ourselves deeper in ignorance and criminality. But in order to avoid this extreme, is it necessary we should fall into the opposite one,-to under-value the gift of reason, to silence its suggestions-to be inattentive to its faithful remonstrances, or to oppose its -sacred dictates, because of its weakness and imperfections, or on account of any supposed difficulties, or impenetrable mysteries of revelation? Certainly not. It is admitted that it is the sole prerogative of the eternal Jehovah to give laws to man-it is granted that it is his prerogative also to communicate those laws in any manner he pleases; and whenever it seems right to his infinite wisdom to enlarge old laws, or to reveal new ones, it is our indispensible duty to obey them. But then we are not to receive as divine laws, all doctrines that are recommended to us as such, for this conduct would expose us to the most palpable