they most esteem-against even their own wishesand against their worldly interests, firmly resolved to return unto the way of Truth, "although all the world besides were madly resolute to do the contrary;". instead of being visited with reproach and calumny, are they not deserving of respect for their integrity and admiration for their noble-mindedness?

Such, however, are the generality of Unitarians. There is scarcely a person of eminence among them, who is not distinguished for the sacrifices he has made for what he believes to be the truth. And in general they are distinguished for the mildness and candour with which they treat their opponents. As they examine their opinions before they avow them, with an almost unexampled diligence, so they generally state them with precision, modesty, earnestness it may be, but still with. temper. It is not they who substitute invective for argument and calumny for Scripture, they do not call those who differ from them, heretics, nor, though they remain unpersuaded by their arguments, accuse them of being obstinate, and wilful perverters of the truth.

The scantiness of the Unitarian Creed, is a theme on which their opponents appear to think they can never say enough. But this is a dangerous argument especially in the mouth of a Protestant. It becomes him to consider well, how scanty his own creed is, compared with that of a Roman Catholic, and how unspeakably trivial this circumstance would appear in his estimation, if urged as an argument against his

opinions by a member of that church. How much would he be amused at the notion, that the value of a creed depends on the number of its articles. Unitarians contend, that whether they believe all the o pinions which are commonly received or not, they admit all to which the New Testament requires their assent; and if this be not true it can without doubt be made manifest by the plain and positive declarations of Scripture. To reproach them with the scantiness of their creed without this appeal to the sacred volume, is to assume as true, the very things that are denied; to take for granted the whole that ought to be proved.

Some persons have even carried their notion of the scantiness of the Unitarian creed to such a length, as scarcely to allow that those who embrace it are Christians. It may be worth while to endeavour to set this matter at rest, by stating in plain, precise, and scriptural language, what it is that constitutes a Chris tian.

There are two passages of Scripture (to quote no more) which determine this matter just as it ought to be determined briefly and decisively. The one is given us by the Apostle John, the other by the Apostle Paul. The one occurs in the 1st Epistle of John v. 1. Whosoever, says the Apostle, believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God. Now to believe that Jesus is the Christ, is to believe that Jesus is the Messiah; and the phrase, to be, born of God, is the expression, by which in Scripture, that remarkable change in

principle, in disposition, and in conduct, which a per son underwent when he became a Christian is denoted. This change was so great and total, that it is called a new birth, and the subject of it is said to be born of God; because the change he experiences is produced by the revelation of God, disclosed by Jesus Christ. To be born of God then is to become a real and practical believer in the religion of Jesus Christ, that is a true Christian. The Apostle therefore in this passage declares, that in so far as faith is concerned, whoso ever believes that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the sent of God, the chosen and appointed messenger of the new Covenant, is a Christian. In other words, that every one who believes that Jesus Christ had a peculiar commission from God, to declare his will to mankind, and who acknowledges it to be his duty to obey that will, is, as far as opinion can make him so, a Christian.

The other passage occurs in Romans x. 8, 9. That is the word of faith, says the Apostle Paul, which we preach, that, if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Nothing can be more decisive than this passage. It declares, in the most direct and positive terms, that if any person shall conscientiously avow his conviction, that Jesus Christ is the divinely appointed messenger of God, and shall believe in his heart that God raised him from the dead, he shall be saved. If then, we may rely upon the Scriptural account of the faith

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which is necessary to constitute a Christian, with steady and assured confidence, we may make our stand upon these passages. Whoever is conscious to himself, that he believes the articles of faith which áre here mentioned, may be certain, that, in so far as faith is concerned, he is a Christian. Now Unitarians readily and joyfully admit the truth and importance of these opinions; whatever else, therefore, they be lieve or disbelieve, they are Christians.

- Nothing can exceed the abuse and calumny which have been poured on Unitarians for the sentiments with which they are believed to regard, and the manner with which they are said to treat the sacred Scriptures; although there is no class of Christians which entertains for them a greater reverence, which has done more to defend or which is continually do ing more to explain them. Have they not writtent more in defence of divine revelation, than perhaps all other Christians put together? Are they not always to be found in the foremost ranks against the common enemy? They fight the battles of Christianity-they fight them manfully-they fight them successfullyand the reward of their labours and successes is the ingratitude, and sometimes even the execration of those, who ought at least to respect and thank, if they cannot imitate them. It is the object of Unitarians to point out, not the defects of the constitution of Christians but, its beauty, and its all-sufficiency; to take off the attention of Christians from Confessions of Faith, and Assembly's Catechisms, and to fix it upon

the words of Jesus Christ, and the testimony of his Apostles. I might easily express in my own language, what I know to be the sentiments of Unitarians on this subject, but I could not possibly do it with the precision and energy with which it has been stated by the memorable and most excellent Chillingworth, in a passage which has extorted universal admiration, and to which we think we cannot too frequently direct the attention of our fellow Christians.

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"Know then Sir," says that great man in his answer to a popish antagonist," that when I say the religion of Protestants is in prudence to be preferred before yours, as on the one side I do not understand by your religion the doctrine of Bellarmine or Baronius, or any other private person amongst you, nor the doctrine of the Sarbonne, or of the Jesuits, or of the Dominicans, or of any other particular company among you, but that wherein you all agree or profess to agree the doctrine of the council of Trent; so accordingly, on the other side, by the religion of Protestants, I do not understand the doctrine of Luther, or Calvin, or Melancthon, nor the confession of Augusta or Geneva, nor the catechism of Heidelberg, nor the articles of the Church of England, no, nor the harmony of Protestant confessions, but that wherein they all agree, and which they all subscribe with a greater harmony, as a perfect rule of their faith and actions, that is, the Bible. The Bible, I say, the Bible only is the religion of Protestants. Whatsoever else they believe besides it, and the plain, irrefragable,