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goodness, mercy, and love. We grieve to see the mild and gentle spirit of the Saviour so often banished from the breasts of his followers, and the bitterness of party rancour assumed in its place. We have no higher am bition, than to be humble instruments in diminishing evils, which are so injurious to the peace of society, and so dishonourable to the religion of Christ.

We embrace our opinions upon the most serious and firm conviction of their truth. We have not been led to them without an humble and devout inquiry into the revelation made by Jesus Christ, earnest prayers to God for his enlightening influence, and the best use we could make of the powers he has given us. We should be sorry to show so little regard for our belief, and manifest so much coldness in our zeal, as not to have a strong desire, that our opinions may generally prevail,— not because our own spiritual interests will be benefitted by having numbers united with us, but because we think our views infinitely more pure and sublime, more worthy of God and the Saviour, than those usually contained in the creeds and formularies of churches,—and vastly better calculated to produce repentance, reformation, obedience to the divine laws, and to prepare us for the hour of dissolution, and the awards of a just God. With these impressions, we feel it a duty, which we owe to God and man, to promulgate our sentiments.

We believe the native force of truth would finally carry it forward; but the maxim, magna est veritas, et prævalebit, is to be received in a limited sense. Truth is powerful only when rightly directed, and made clear and convincing by proper aids. This has always been the case in all human attainments, and is no less so in the knowledge of religion. And those truths, especially,

which are at variance with the established habits of thinking, and the prejudices of men, cannot be expected to gain ground very rapidly, unless pains are taken to make them known, and to exhibit them in a forcible light. We know, that the prepossessions of other christians, strengthened by their ignorance of our actual opinions, make them look with suspicion, and even concern, on those principles, which we believe to be the vital springs of every thing valuable in faith, and holy in practice. For our own peace, as well as for the honour of truth, it is our duty to remove, if we can, the dislikes and misapprehensions of those, whom education and circumstances have made to regard us unfavourably.

Benevolence enjoins upon us the same duty. We are bound, by one of the first laws of our religion, to keep up a christian fellowship with all our brethren. To comply with this law, we must labour with all becoming zeal to take away every block of stumbling, which interrupts a cordial and friendly intercourse. Christian benevolence is not a mere sentiment, or feeling. It requires us to do something for the benefit of our neighbour. Let us confer a benefit by depriving him of his imaginary cause of offence. Let us do more. We believe the principles we adopt to be eminently powerful in establishing just rules of human duty, and strengthening the harmony of society. They accord with the laws of moral rectitude, which God has fixed in the minds and consciences of men. They breathe the spirit of virtue, love, piety, good will. Since such is the tendency of the doctrines we believe, can we love our neighbour, or seek his highest happiness, if we do not desire him to embrace our faith, and become a fellow-labourer in a cause, which we hold so dear, and which promises to him and to us the greatest possible

good? And can we better express our love to him, than by acquainting him with religious principles, which we think to be the best aids to his moral improvement, his present happiness, and his eternal well-being?

Charity is another motive for awakening our zeal. This is a virtue of so much estimation, that the Apostle says, without it we are nothing. We should not only practise this virtue, but show our love of it, where it is in our power, by making others charitable. How few among us can be ignorant, that a want of acquaintance with our opinions has caused some persons apparently to forget the obligations of christian charity, and to fancy themselves doing God service, when they were doing us an injury. Few can be ignorant, that, as in the days of Paul, "this sect is every where spoken against."

And why is this? Let us ask every unitarian, whether you are conscious, that the evil reports, which some delight to spread, and which almost all delight to hear, are you conscious, that these are true, and that you deserve to be held up to the world, as undervaluing the revealed word of God; setting at nought the divine institutions and commands of Christ; believing doctrines, which he never taught; denying a Saviour; rejecting the bible of the prophets and the apostles; and building your faith on a new one? Will you admit, that there is any thing of reason, of truth, or of charity in such reports? Why then should we not be anxious to have them done away, that all may see, how sadly they are deceived in giving heed to such idle falsehoods, and how grossly they impose on the world in circulating them? If we are remiss, and manifest no disposition to correct what we know to be false, are we not ourselves in some degree chargeable with the offence of unchari

tableness, which some of our brethren seem so prone to commit? We know the power of prejudice, and we cannot hope people will easily yield up opinions, which they have long cherished, which are strengthened by the associations of childhood, and the habits of riper years. When such opinions give rise to unchristian feelings, is it not the part of charity to enlighten the innocent, or the wilful ignorance of the persons, who entertain them, to remove the causes of their illiberality, and show, that for their own sakes, our religious principles prompt us to wish they may be acquainted with the reasonableness and justice of our cause?

In the discharge of the task before us, we shall endeavour to be guided by that spirit of candour, moderation, and christian charity, which we hope to inculcate. We shall be explicit in stating and explaining our own opinions, and free in our remarks on what we consider false doctrines, and human devices. Our plan will not admit of learned, nor elaborate discussions. If we can be simple and instructive, we desire nothing more. We do not write for the learned, nor those who are already well informed on the subject. For such we can do no higher service, than recommend to them a work, whose character is already established. We mean the Christian Disciple, published at Boston. Whoever wishes to see the cause of unitarianism supported and defended with dignity, talent, and learning, will find it done in that work. For ourselves we shall be contented to rise to the level of common readers, and common thinkers.

Our numbers will, for the most part, be composed of short, miscellaneous articles, inserted without much regard to arrangement. We propose to teach plain doctrines in a plain way; and shall be much less ambitious to gain the reputation of scholars and critics, than to

express the simple truths of the gospel with perspicuity, and make ourselves understood by every description of readers.

Abstract of Unitarian Belief.

As unitarians consider the Bible the only proper summary of religion, they do not profess to comprise their sentiments in any system of articles, or forms of human invention. They consider the language of scripture sufficiently plain. They look with suspicion on the decisions of councils, synods, and church dignitaries, because all men are subject to error and prejudice; and the history of eighteen centuries has abundantly taught us, that few have been less free from these imperfections, than the rulers in the church. While we have the written word of God in our own hands, we think it an imperious duty to consult the divine oracles themselves, and to build our faith entirely on the simple truths they contain.

For this reason unitarians have no written creeds, which they impose on their churches as necessary articles of belief. Their creed is the Bible; nor can they conceive by what authority any denominations of christians have assumed the right to enforce on the credulity of any among them more, than the Bible contains, or to require, as a condition of christian fellowship, a solemn assent to doctrines and opinions expressed in language very different from any used in scripture. To us this seems an impeachment against the wisdom and goodness of God. It implies, that he has given us a revelation, which is defective, and the leading doctrines of which we cannot understand, although they were ex

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