"the offscouring of all things." It has "prophesied in sackcloth," with its faithful witnesses, and borne the cross of ignominy and reproach. The angry Sanhedrim, the bloody Inquisition, the dungeon, the rack, the martyr's stake, have testified to the abhorrence of men against the truth!

I do not say that the truth I hold is worthy of this glorious fellowship. But I say that its being joined in any measure to this fellowship, does not prove it false. And if it be true, as I solemnly believe it is, then let not its advocates claim entire exemption from the trials of their elder brethren. It will go on, and men will speak evil of it, and they will struggle against it, and they will lament and weep;-but it will be as if they lifted up their voice to withstand the rolling seasons, or struggled against the chariot wheels of the morning, or poured out vain tears upon the mighty stream that is to bear all before it. I say this, more in sorrow, I hope, than in scorn. I am sorry for those who cannot see this matter as I think they ought to see it. I am sorry for the unhappiness, for the honest grief, which a misplaced pity and an uncharitable zeal and a spirit of reproach and condemnation, give them. But their grief, save for its own sake, moves me not at all. I consider it as a penance for their mistaken hostility to truth, rather than a fair admonition of error. I believe, and can believe no less, that this unhappiness is simply the fruit of error. Uncharitableness must be unhappy; anger must be painful; exclusion and anathematising and dooming sincere brethren to perdition, must be works of bitterness and grief. I wonder not, that a man should weep while he is doing them; my only wonder is that he can ever do them, and not weep!

4. But I shall now proceed to consider one or two objections of a graver character. It is said, that the religion which Unitarianism teaches, does not meet the wants of human nature, that it does not satisfy the mind, that it fails as a support and comfort to the soul. I recur again to the observation, that it is perfectly natural that this objection should be brought against new views of religion, simply because they are new, and whether they are true or not; and therefore, that no strange thing happens to them, when they are thus regarded. If you take away some parts of a religion on which men have relied, you take away some part of their reliance, and they cannot feel for a time as if any thing else would be such a support and satisfaction to them. This will be especially true, if you introduce simpler, and more rational ideas of religion. The Jew could say to the Christian, "how many feasts, and holy-days, and sabbaths, and new moons, and rites, and ordinances, on which my soul relied, have you removed from me!" The Catholic could say of the Protestant "where, alas! are the masses, and the confessionals, and the comfortable absolutions, and the intercessions of saints, for him!" And things of the same import, concerning the more doctrinal aspects of religion may the Calvinist say to the Unitarian. But the Christian and the Protestant could reply to their respective opponents, "We have a reliance as sure and satisfactory as yours; and more sound and spiritual, as we judge." And so may the Unitarian say to the Calvinist. But let us go into the real merits of the case. What is a foundation and a support in religion, and whence does true comfort arise? Our Saviour speaks of a foundation when he says, "he that heareth my words and

doeth them, I will liken to a wise man"-whose "house fell not, because it was founded on a rock." Surely, Unitarians do not reject this foundation. "But our own endeavors and virtues are not sufficient of themselves." Certainly not; and Unitarians may rely as unfeignedly as their brethren, on the mercy of God, and they sincerely profess to do so. This satisfies them. To say, that it does not satisfy the demands of a different theology, is only saying that the speculations of the two classes differ. "But," it may be contended, "it does not satisfy the wants of human nature." This is a matter of which every one must judge from the feelings of his own mind. As the Unitarian experiences human nature he would say, that the simple promise of God's mercy and aid to his humble endeavors, does give all needful satisfaction. A certain theory of the divine government may not be satisfied the superstitious wants of human nature may not be satisfied; but the Unitarian believes, that its real wants are.

But I go farther; though I would say what I am about to say, with all reasonable and fair qualifications. I feel obliged to use increasing caution in all general representations. There are men too intelligent and good in every class of Christians, to be very much affected by a formal creed. Nevertheless, I have not a doubt, that there are many to whom the popular religion furnishes grounds of support and satisfaction which are not right and rational grounds. The regular plan and process of religious experience, the defined steps and dates,—an exact time and moment of conversion and the certainty of salvation after that,-the efficacy of the act of faith, distinguished as it often is from the general efficacy of a holy

life,- -"the view of Christ," and of the atonement as relieving the sinner from his burden; "the rolling off of the burden of sin," as it is often called,-the notions of a foundation and a hope and a joy, disconnected as they are from the result of long-tried virtue and piety-the idea of the Holy Spirit as alone doing the "effectual work" of salvation in man; doing it by a special interposition after all the sinner's efforts are over, and he is brought to despair of himself-these views, as I believe, furnish a fallacious support and comfort and relief to many. I would lay a weight upon man's responsibility-which is, no doubt, disagreeable to him. I would tell a sinful man, that anxiety is more becoming to him than confidence and repose. He is indeed to confide and repose in the mercy of God and the interposition of Christ; but these no more avail him, than to tell him that there is wealth in store for his industry. It is, so far as his own part is concerned—it is industry, it is working, continual working, daily accumulation, that is to make him rich towards God. I would tell him that believing is virtually the same thing as doing; and that it is this doing, this constant doing, and this alone, that can roll away the burden of sin. In short, I would say that for a sinful man to attain to the favor of God and to heaven, is the same as for an intemperate man to attain to sobriety and virtue that it is what he must do, every day and hour, day by day and hour by hour, striving, watching, guarding, praying, keeping himself under perpetual restraint, till he is redeemed from his iniquity. In other words, I would strive to represent this matter rationally; and would say, that the sinner is to become a holy man, just as the ignorant is to become a learned man, by little and 24

VOL. III.NO. VI.

little, by constant accumulations, by gaining one truth today and another tomorrow, by perpetual progress.

Now I do not deny that these things in the general are taught by Calvinists, but then I maintain that they are commonly taught in such a way, that they are so mixed up with certain doctrines, as that their pressure upon the

soul is relieved: so that a man does not feel that he is to become a Christian just as he is to become a rich man, or a skilful or a wise man. He does not feel this pressure of necessity upon him, every morning, and lie down with this anxiety every night, as the seeker of learning or wealth does. Alas! few feel this as they ought to do! But this is what we should strive to make men feel. And we ought to sweep away all doctrines that stand in the way of this. We should allow of no peace; we should hear of no summary method, no parcelling out of the matters of religious experience, that will make it a different thing from the daily, plain, practical, unwearied doing of every thing a man ought to do. No believing of creeds, no paying of contributions, no regular and stated prayers, no oft-repeated confessions, proper as these are in their place-no atonement nor election, nor special grace, nor perseverance, true as they are when truly explained—should save a man from the pressure of this instant necessity.

I conceive that the reason why Calvinism offers more support to many minds, is, that it is a more artificial system, and approaches less nearly to the simple truth. It is too much a religion of seasons and times, of fixtures and props, of reliefs and substitutions, of comforts and confidences. And I am persuaded that the Roman Catholic religion would much better answer the purpose