greatness of the object. The hints which I have rudely thrown out on the peculiarities, the hazards, the responsibilities of the present crisis might be extended to a volume, and ought to be written in characters of fire. Weakly as they are here presented, they cannot be wholly without force; and if any man of powerful and earnest mind perceives their justice and urgency, I leave it in charge with him to set them forth in their proper strength, and press them on the attention and conscience of the public. If I can rouse one such mind to speak to the times in the prophet-like tone in which they ought to be addressed, I shall feel that I have not ventured to lift my voice in vain. At any rate, I have attempted to perform a duty. "But all is in his hand, whose praise I seek ; .AN ADDRESS, DELIVERED AT KENNEBUNK, BEFORE THE YORK COUNTY UNITARIAN ASSOCIATION, OCTOBER 24, 1827. 13 AN ADDRESS BEFORE THE YORK COUNTY UNITARIAN ASSOCIATION. I STAND here, this evening, at the request of the Unitarian Association in this county, auxiliary to the American Unitarian Association. I therefore feel that it will be expected of me to direct my remarks to a consideration of that system of faith which it is designed to advocate and support. Any other topics would be foreign to the occasion. And I the more cheerfully address myself to these, because it not only gives me an opportunity of declaring my devout adherence to the simple and glorious truths of our faith, but also offers occasion for some general remarks, which the character of the times seems to call for, and which, I cannot but hope, may be of service to the holy cause of Christ. If, in attempting both these objects, I shall make large demands on your attention, I rely on your candor and interest in the subject, to give it patiently. You must be sensible, brethren, that it is a serious work, and one of no slight responsibility, in which we are engaged. It becomes us to enter upon it with composed and sober minds; looking without passion or prejudice for the truth, and doing and saying nothing which we should be unwilling to have witnessed and heard by God, and carried in by the recording angel at the last day. Under this impression I address you as Unitarians, who have associated yourselves for the defence and promulgation of that truth which God has revealed to you in the Scriptures, and which you regard as the light and hope of your souls. I wish, first, to remind you of the reasons you have for so regarding it, and then to offer a few suggestions respecting the temper and manner in which you should conduct yourselves in relation to it. One or two things are to be observed, before entering on the subject. First. Various views of the Christian doctrine have prevailed among the disciples of Jesus from the very time of the apostles, all professing to be drawn from their writings, and each having more or less in common with all the others. Of these, you have chosen that which is commonly styled Unitarian, because it allows no object of divine worship but God the Father. But in preferring this, be it remembered, we do not reject every thing contained in other systems of faith. Far from it. We hold much in common with those which are even most at variance with our own. We think that the essential points of the Christian system are held in common by them and by us. We therefore, of course, regard them as Christians, professing and following the same Lord. We see no insuperable obstacle to fellowship. We do not exclude them from the same table. We cannot do it for we have too much in common that is sacred and dear, and we anticipate the day when all separation shall cease, and we shall sit down together in the kingdom of God. This ought to be kept in view in all our arguments respecting those doctrines peculiar to them which we reject, and which we are too apt, very unwisely, to regard as |