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come in for our share of abuse, and a writer in our pages has been subjected to a torrent of reproach and invective. We need not undertake his vindication. He himself has already come forward, in a frank and manly exposition of his views and feelings. Nor do we consider ourselves under any obligation to justify the course which we have pursued. The compliment which graced the reference to us, we shall not suffer to draw us away from the stand which we have taken on this subject. We shall not be very solicitous to relieve them of the mortification they feel, in seeing us "forfeit the claims" we have been "strengthening to public confidence." Nor have we yet determined to follow the rules which they have so carefully marked out, in word if not in example, for our future behavior. Whether our method of conducting a discussion is "the poor business of calling names, impugning motives, aspersing character, arraigning consciences, and dooming souls," we leave to others to judge. Whether we indeed "brand as the betrayers and murderers" of Christ, "those who have sought and loved him as earnestly as" ourselves, or whether we "denounce as infidels, and hypocrites, and demons, many whose lives and souls are engaged in the cause of Jesus," we are willing to have any man decide, who will carefully compare our pages with those of our censors, or who will ponder upon the language and conduct of Unitarianism, as it appears at home or abroad. That we have hazarded nothing in this declaration, our readers will readily believe, from the following collection of expressions, found among the writings of some of the most eminent of Unitarian authors, as quoted in Mr. Cheever's Letter to the conductors of the Christian Examiner. Dr. Priestly says: "As it is not pretended that there are any miracles, adapted to prove that Christ made and supports the world, I do not see that we are under any obligation to believe it, merely because it was an opinion held by an apostle." Again, "I might have another argument against both the divinity and the pre-existence of Christ, viz., FROM THE DOCTRINE OF THE MATERIALITY OF MAN. If Peter, James, and John, had no pre-existent state, it must be contrary to all analogy to suppose Jesus to have pre-existed." Says Yates, "This doctrine (of the two natures in Christ) could not be established, even by the clearest dictations of the scriptures. For the testimony of the scriptures would not prove it to be true; on the contrary, its occurrence in the scriptures would prove them to be false." The atonement has been pronounced the expedient "of a cruel, capricious,tyrannical being," involving "a principle that would disgrace any government on earth;" the cross, "a central gallows, a horrid spectacle," presenting God as a "monster;" rather than believe which, it were better to "take refuge in the less chilling creed of the Atheist." Regeneration too is denied; the necessity of con

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version is, if not wholly disclaimed, so limited to a few, more pro ligate than others, that its requirement in our ordinary christi assemblies is "without meaning." The existence of angels, t fact of a future judgment, the truth of endless punishment, are permitted to have no place in the creed of Unitarians. The o testament is declared not to contain christianity; and it is said th "men do wrong to go to it to learn the duties, the feelings and t consolations of the christian religion." And as a most decisi proof of the manner in which the gospels and writings of the ap tles are regarded, we are told by one whose occupation is to tea the interpretation of the bible, that "if Cicero had lived during th period, and had made such a record of facts as his observation a means of knowledge might furnish, the works of such a writ would, as far as we can judge, have been at least of equal val with books which remain to us." Is not such an array of fa on this subject enough? Who can help asking, if those who wr and talk thus can be believers in a divine revelation? Who c avoid feeling, that, were it not that they are in a country whe christian institutions are identified, in the minds of so many, wi the prosperity of the nation, and where they must encounter t outraged feelings of a people, who are not yet prepared to surre der their bibles, they would throw off the irksome bondage, a reject revelation altogether?* It is therefore no want of charity us, to feel, that they who treat the bible thus, are in a fatal ror, that they are setting themselves (with what candor let the methods of opposition show,) in direct hostility to the gre scheme of redemption made known in the gospel. To s nothing of the cheerless nature of such a system as theirs; make no reference to the inactivity it causes, so little calculate to spread abroad the glad tidings of salvation to the ends the earth; to pass over their hostility to revivals of religion and every thing akin to the fervent, glowing emotions of prop ets and apostles; to make no particular appeal to these ve proper grounds of decision, it is sufficient for us to know, that thei is a wholly different gospel from that which we profess to receiv and that their treatment of the scriptures, carried out at lengt

*The following fact may show how this subject is regarded by intellige foreigners. When the gentlemen who were deputed by the French governme to inspect the condition of our prisons, were on their way from Boston, a pers traveling in their company, observed in the hands of one of them, a volume the works of Dr. Channing. The French gentleman spoke highly of the p liteness and talents of the Doctor, to whom he had been introduced. He w asked if he was acquainted much with his works, to which he replied in t negative. On being pointed to one or two passages, especially to that relat to the doctrine of the atonement, he read them carefully, and then looking with a countenance marked by surprise and horror, he said very emphaticall "This is the very kind of language which brought about our French revolution

would wholly destroy all confidence in the divine revelation. We believe in a Savior, infinite and all-sufficient, through whose sufferings and death alone, exhibiting God's displeasure against sin, we can only hope for pardon; they, in one who is merely finite, but a creature like ourselves, or. at most a super-angelic created existence,-whose death is only a confirmation of the truth, and an example. We believe in the unending sanctions of God's holy law, and our exposure to them; they reject such a supposition as false. We believe in the Holy Spirit divine, whose powerful influences must be felt within us, regenerating and sanctifying our hearts, to prepare us for heaven; they disown their need of such an agent to bow their will and lead them to God,-deeming a change of heart, so far as such a fact is admitted, to occur without any such divine interposition. We believe in, and look forward to, an eternal society of holy angels,-to an eternal worship of the Lamb, who hath redeemed us by his blood, and who is ever worthy to receive bonor and glory; with them, such things are but non-entities. They have thus torn away from the bible, what we prize as its brightest glories,—the very truths in which are centered our best expectations for eternity.

The differences between us, then, are cardinal. As men, as fellow-citizens, as polished and accomplished members of a community, among them are many whom we esteem and value; nor would we detract in the least from their merit. But unless we abandon all our principles, we must, not in the language of reproach, but of sorrow and regret, declare, that in our view, they subvert the whole foundation of the christian faith.

ART. VIII.-PHILIP ON MANLY PIETY.

Manly Piety in its Principles. BY ROBERT PHILIP, of Maberly Chapel. NewYork: 1833. pp. 218.

WHAT is manly piety? The term might not unnaturally be understood to mean enlightened, stable, consistent piety,-the piety of one grown up to maturity in christian attainments, as distinguished from the feeble and unestablished faith and experience of the young christian. With this reference, Paul speaks of the evangelical ministry, as intended to bring us "all in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ : that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive." It is not, however, precisely in this sense, that the epithet manly is used by Mr. Philip, but rather as intended to fix the mind upon the

adaptedness of piety to the nature and condition of man. It d not refer us to that more elevated form of piety, by which so good men are distinguished from others; but to true piety genera as becoming to a man,--a sensitive, social, intelligent, moral bei -allied to earth, and yet made after the similitude of God,-m tal, and yet destined to endless being,-dependent, and yet free accountable, sinful and lost, and yet by redemption capable attaining a glorious immortality. There is pertinency and me ing in the epithet thus applied, in consideration of the class readers for which Mr. P's work is more particularly design It is addressed to young men, and it is intended to be a plain, miliar and practical appeal to them on the subject of religi The author would reason with them, he says, "as parents wo reason with their children, just after praying fervently for them At a period of life when, in respect to their general habits thought and deportment, they wish to appear in the character men; so, also, in respect to the highest end of their being,-the duty to their Creator,-he would persuade them to be men. H aim is to furnish an answer to those who would represent piety a weakness unbecoming a young man of noble aspiring; to enli on its side those feelings of self-respect, which are among th strongest, and, if well directed, most important incentives of the youthful mind; and show them, that, whatever there is of dignit or worth in the capacities with which they are endowed, or in th relations in which they stand, piety only can give a corresponding direction to the one, or meet the claims of the other. Thus king David, in his dying charge to Solomon, then a young man, hav ing stated various particulars in the high trust committed to him, summed up the whole in the exhortation, "Show thyself a man." So, too, God himself, expostulating with his people concerning idolatry, says, "Remember this, and show yourselves men."

In this volume, the author treats more particularly of Manly Piety in its Principles; informing us, in the preface, that a second volume will follow, on Manly Piety in its Spirit. In treating of principles, however, he has nothing to do with the technical forms of theological science. He takes it for granted, that there are certain elementary truths of religion, familiarly understood by his young readers, who have enjoyed the common advantages of christian instruction, and have not done such violence to their own reason and conscience, as to have gone over to the ranks of infidelity. These he makes the basis of his arguments, intent rather on bringing them before the mind in the light of a vivid reality, and urging them on the conscience in their practical application, than on discussing them in the abstract form, as subjects of intel lectual speculation. They are presented under the following heads-Manly estimates of both worlds, and of true wisdom:

nly views of salvation: manly faith in Providence: manly nesty in prayer: and manly views of divine influence, of reliBus mystery, and of divine holiness.

In our last number, we introduced the author to our readers, in notice of the manual on Eternity Realized; and if we now amit him to speak more fully for himself, than was then accorant with our design, we hope to make ourselves not less interestto those of our readers who have not met with the volume, we could do by kindred discussions of our own. This we all endeavor to accomplish, by giving an abstract, or such outes of his trains of thought, as may present his meaning in its proper ght, and such occasional remarks, as the truth on the subjects in and may seem in our view to demand. In general, we may oberve, that we have rarely perused a work of this kind with more vely interest. It is full of original and impressive thought; holly practical, and deeply serious. Its style is manly and vigors. The views presented are elevated, and yet they commend themselves to the common sense of mankind. It has not, perhaps, all the naked force and continued pressure of "Baxter's Call to the Unconverted," yet it is scarcely less heart-stirring, and in its form and manner is more attractive. It can hardly fail of making impressions on the reader, which will remain as subjects of frequent and solemn reflection, and aids in a life of communion with God.

1. On manly estimates of both worlds.

It is clearly a principle of piety, that the present life is not the boundary of our existence,-that it is only a brief introduction to another and an eternal state of being; and consequently, that its utmost enjoyments and sufferings are of no assignable importance, in comparison with those of the world to come. But, short and uncertain as life is, there are interests belonging to it, which it would be "unmanly" to disregard. We belong to time, as well as to eternity; and it becomes us, therefore, fairly to meet the claims of both. It is no more a man's duty to think only or always of heaven, than it is an angel's duty to think forever of the earth. Angels have both engagements and enjoyments out of heaven, as well as in it. "They all are ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation." Whatever time and thought are required for their offices on earth, must occasion an interruption of their employments in heaven. But, whether they are employed in errands of love on earth, or in swelling the chorus of the new song in heaven, their engagements are equally angelic, because they equally answer the end of their being. In both, they do the will of their Creator, or rather of him to whom, as Mediator, by the appointment "of Him, whose are all things, and by whom are all things," they are most willingly subject.

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