pages 297 and 299) on my ac- my statement with falsehood, to count of a conversation on Catho- make good the charge, even so far lic emancipation. They charge as themselves and their own imme with misrepresenting the Cal- proved views of the system are convinistic doctrine. If I have done cerned, they are required to give this, it has been unintentionally; a direct answer to the following but I am not yet convinced that questions. 1. Do they admit or my statement of it is erroneous. deny that sinners are pardoned, Your correspondents take for and freed from all the penal congranted that I intended my remark sequences of sin, on the ground of as applicable to the whole body what Christ did and suffered for of Calvinists; but I only stated it them, independently of their beas applicable to the person I was coming virtuous characters? It is conversing with at the time. Vici- granted, they suppose, they will nus acknowledges there may be become virtuous as a necessary some who reason in the manner I consequence of their justification; have described; and though he but that is not the point now in will not admit them to be proper question. 2. Do they assert or Calvinists, but calls them Antino deny that the sinner is made righ mians, they certainly think and teous, stands righteous in the call themselves Calvinists, yea, sight of God, and is placed in the only proper Calvinists; and a safe state, on the ground of the many, who are not of their party, righteousness of another being imthink them the most consistent Calvinists. It might be well for your correspondent to inform the world what proper Calvinism is. As he will not admit the statement given of it by Gill and Brine, is there not reason to think he will object to it as stated by Calvin himself, and its most distinguished advocates, until the modern refiners of it began to reduce it to a new form and, retaining the name, and, nominally, all the old doctrines, to present it to the world in an altered and improved edition? It is pleasing to observe that persons of learning and liber- righteousness will naturally and ality, while they professedly retain necessarily follow, as the effect of the old creed, are, by their new true faith, and that unless good definitions and explanations of it, works follow, the faith is not genperhaps unintentionally and im- uine but useless. A pious Cal. perceptibly to themselves, under- vinist could not retain the doc. mining its most offensive articles, trine he believes, unless he thought and preparing the way for more it to have a good moral tendency: rational and liberal sentiments. nor could a pious Catholic re. As your correspondents charge tain the doctrines of his church, puted to him, prior to his becoming personally righteous, and that his personal righteousness is entirely consequent upon the for. mer? 3. Do they maintain or deny, that the sinner, simply by believing that Christ made atonement for his sins, and was righte ous in his stead, or by the belief of either of these points singly, is freed from guilt and the fear of punishment, so as to feel himself in a safe state in the sight of God? It alters not these positions, however much it may guard them from abuse, to say that personal An Inquirer after Truth. Reading the Scriptures in SIR, if he thought their tendency im- for not to multiply quotations, I moral. The latter, undoubtedly, shall only mention the Collect for as well as the former, thinks the the 9th Sunday after Trinity,interests of holiness consistent with " Grant, O Lord, the assistance his creed and all his proceedings of thy holy spirit, that we always in religion and I am very far think and do what is rightful, &c." from questioning the piety of either If these things are so, what is beserious Catholics or Calvinists. I come of free agency? think if your correspondents will candidly re-peruse my paper, they may perceive that I argued with On my travelling companion simply on his own ground; and that what July 2, 1812. I said was to the purpose, in talk- It has long been my wish, and, ing with him, appeared from his in some measure, my hope, that making no further reply. I meant some person better qualified than not to apply what I said, to the myself to occupy your pages whole body of Calvinists, many of would call your attention and that whom I very highly esteem, but of your readers to a matter which only to those who reason as he appears to me to be worthy of it did: and knowing that many per- in a very important degree: I sons object to the emancipation of mean the custom which prevails in the Catholics, on the same ground, some, perhaps in most, Unitarian I thought it might not be useless Chapels, of occasionally, and not to send an account of the conver. unfrequently omitting the reading sation to your valuable Reposi- of the Scriptures: a custom, tory. AN OLD CORRESPONDENT. Theological Queries. June 30, 1812. SIR, As it is a part of your plan to promote theological disquisition, I have sent you the following queries: perhaps some of your learn ed correspondents will have the goodness to solve them. Is not doing and permitting, when predi. cated of an omnipotent and om. niscient Being, precisely the same thing? Are not all events the ef. fects of his immediate operation? Does not God, in the words of the prophet, "form light and create darkness, make peace and create evil?" Is not this the doctrine of the Church of England, as contained in her articles and Liturgy? which, doubtless, has very much contributed to the notion entertained by many orthodox Chris. tians, that Unitarians do not believe in, or that they lightly esteem the scriptures. In combating this notion, very lately, in a very serious person, I was on the point of adducing the argument of the public reading of them as an essential part of Unitarian wer. ship; when I checked myself on reflecting how possible it was for that person to have occasionally attended at some chapels which I have attended at, without hearing any more of the scriptures than the text; although on the same occa sion much time has been occupied in a long desultory extempore prayer, chiefly composed of detached and trite repetitions which might well have been spared, with "Messrs. Coutts and Co. (who was deprived of his living for Pay to the Rev. F. Stone, conception of the Virgin Mary) or not believing in the supernatural advantage to the attention and checks are not common, it may devotion of the hearers. I do not amuse your readers to read the mean, however, to say that all ex- following copy of it. tempore praying comes under the above description; on the contrary, I have listened with edification and delight to some honourable exceptions to it; but the objection applies more strongly and more bearer, twenty pounds." frequently, as far as my experiIt is not merely to gratify the ence has gone, to that mode; curiosity of your readers that I and, as a natural consequence, I have sent you the above; for I prefer such as are precomposed. hope it may induce many who do I can hardly flatter myself that not believe in the supernatural this will be read without offence conception, to consider the case by some to whom it applies; but of the poor clergyman, who has this consideration shall not any fallen a victim to his honesty and longer deter me from offering it to the ignorance and want of charity you, relying on your professed imof his opponents. A similar check partiality for its admission into your will be received and faithfully apRepository, the utility of which propriated to the use of Mr. Stone, will, in my opinion, receive an if sent to Messrs. Brown, Cobb, additional proof by it. I am, Sir, AN UNITARIAN CHRISTIAN. A curious Check on a Banker, A few days ago the following check upon a banker passed through my hands, and as such and Co. Bankers, Lombard Sreet. I remain, &c. ing to bias them in the course of your Petitioners humbly beg leave such examination of the doctrines to add, that this request, as it of religion, by subjecting them, in appears to them, is grounded on the case of their dissenting from the most evident considerations of the doctrines of any established justice; and they trust that the church, to suffer death by burn. compliance of the state would yet. ing, or otherwise, or to suffer conciliate the affection of millions any corporal or pecuniary punish- of our aggrieved fellow subjects, ment, or to be injured in their re- and unite them for ever to the inputation by any disability more or terest of the empire. Under each less disgraceful. of these aspects their request That your Petitioners acknow. claims, and they hope will be ledge, with high satisfaction, that, found to deserve, the assent of this in the present reign, considerable Honourable House, as they are progress has been made towards statesmen, anxious for the safety the full restoration of the rights of of their country, and as they are conscience, by the wisdom of par- moralists determined to act imliament and the benignity of the partially on the rules of justice. king, rescinding various laws, in But, when your Petitioners conwhole or in part, which were vio- sider farther, that every attempt lations of those rights; yet, since to influence men in their choice other penal laws, not less injuri- and profession of religion by penal ous to those rights remain unre- laws, whether corrupt or compulpealed, since some of these laws sive in their operation, is contrary subject to corporal punishments to the spirit of the gospel, and or pecuniary penalties, others, as forbidden by its plainest precepts in the case of the Test Laws, in numerous passages, they hope it passed in the reign of Charles II. may be allowed them more partisubject to disgrace, disability, cularly, and with all possible car, and privation of civil rights, per- nestness, to intreat the members sons whose only offence it is, that, of this Honourable House to rein conformity with their duty, nounce the whole system of perse they have examined the doctrines cution, the long accumulation of of religion, and by such examina. ages of barbarism and discord, tion have been induced to embrace and to free an almost countless and to profess religious opinions multitude of injured individuals different from the doctrines of the from the temptation of ensnaring established church: Your Petiti- tests and the more oppressive seoners feel it to be their duty hum- verities of our compulsive intole bly, but earnestly, to remonstrate rance, by the success of such saagainst the longer continuance of lutary councils, at once restoring any of these intolerant laws, and concord and safety to the empire, they do, in conformity with the and freeing the national church premises, expressly petition this from that just reproach of Honourable House, that every retaining the support which persuch unjust law may be repealed, secuting laws may be supposed to and the Rights of Conscience may bestow, but which Christianity thus be restored to all the subjects condemns, and would disdain to of this United Kingdom, And accept. Mr Belsham's Notes on the Tol. sideration, I am clearly convinced eration Act, attached to his that it was intentional. In a sta. Fast Sermon, Feb. 5, 1812. tute, the object of which was so No statute was ever drawn up novel, and of such high importance, with greater caution and precision in which every expression must than the Toleration Act. The de- have been maturely weighed, it is sign of it is to protect lay-dissent. a moral impossibility that such an ers, dissenting ministers and dis. inaccuracy should have escaped senting places of worship from the the sagacity of Lord Somers, the. penalties of the law. The first framer of this famous Bill. And clause protects lay-dissenters, upon no doubt that great statesman and condition of taking certain oaths profound lawyer had his reasons and making certain declarations, for this alteration in the phrase. which oaths and declaration the ology. Enlarged and liberal as justices of peace, at the general his sentiments are known to have sessions of the peace, are hereby been, and ardent as was his zeal REQUIRED to tender and adminis in the cause of civil and religious ter, &c. The last clause protects liberty, he was at the same time places of worship, upon condition a warm friend to the constitution the in church and state. And he of their being certified to bishop, or the archdeacon, or the could recollect the time when both justices of the peace, and register were overturned and laid pros➡ ed in the court or recorded at the trate by the prevalence of secta. sessions, "the register or clerk of rian principles and parties. In the the peace whereof respectively is very heart of a law, therefore, hereby REQUIRED, to register the which was intended for the protec same and to give certificate therof, tion of nonconformists he retained &c. The seventh clause, which this secret check, that if ever the protects ministers and teachers of time should again occur when all descriptions, whether ordained the numbers or the power of or not, and whether connected the nonconformists should excite with congregations or not, (for the alarm, they might learn that their most comprehensive expressions legal protection was not so com are used, so as to leave no doubt plete, nor their power so great as in the mind of those who are well they might apprehend. How far informed concerning the noncon- this measure, dictated by policy, formists of that age,) obliges them was consonant to justice, is not likewise to take the same oaths and my present business to inquire. If it should be asked, how the make the same declaration as the laity, and in the same court: but nonconformists of that day per with this remarkable and very im- mitted the Bill to pass, with this portant difference of expression, important flaw in its constitu viz. which court is hereby IMPOW. tion? the answer is not difficult. ERED to administer the same." They knew the general tenor and Thus leaving it to the discretion design of the law, and were so of the court whether the oath overjoyed at the recovery of their should be administered or not. I liberty, that not being lawyers once thought that this expression they did not nicely scrutinize the If it is said that their, was inadvertent: but upon recon- terms. VOL, VII. 3 M |