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in which these" doctrines "are revealed." What the ideas are which he affixes to such language; what he understands by the terms revealed and revelation, we presume not to define. Does he believe that light and obscurity, that discovery and concealment, are the same thing? If there exist any conventional relation between words and the objects signified by words, a divine revelation is complete, so far as it professes to be a revelation: although it makes no disclosure of truths of a certain class, yet its disclosure of those which come within its limits is unreserved. To intimate that a revelation from God is, as such, partial and obscure, what is this but to reflect injuriously on the Divine Attributes? What is it but to misstate, we will not say, misrepresent, the claims of revelation and of its records? We conjecture that Mr. Carpenter has not justly informed himself of the import of the term mystery in the Bible. Has he yet to learn that it never signifies there, whatever be its sense when employed elsewhere, something unintelligible but an event or design hitherto kept secret ? What is mysterious, according to its Scriptural meaning, with which alone we have at present any concern, is that which has been in no degree revealed: once revealed, it ceases to de mysterious and obscure.*

Of the whole of Mr. C.'s argument under his first head the following consideration is destructive: an apostle of Jesus Christ + declares it to be practicable for all Christians to come in the unity of THE FAITH [or, as Archbishop Newcome translates the words, in the same faith]" and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, &c." This passage is even found in the chapter whence our author selects his text; though it seems not to have gained his attention. Now Paul was no visionary, no enthusiast, but well acquainted with the Gospel and with human nature.

In Mr. Carpenter's judgment, it is not desirable that Christians should think alike on religious doctrines. And he trusts (7) "that it will be no difficult matter to establish the truth of the assertion;" though, he confesses, it will not be readily allowed by " the

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bigot who is violently attached to his own system or his own party," and by "the zealot who will compass sea and land to make one proselyte."

The imputation of bigotry we should be extremely grieved to incur: and our zeal, we would hope, is "according to knowledge" and associated with charity. At the risk however of falling under this well intentioned author's censure, we demur to his unqualified proposition, and must own that we are dissatisfied with his reasoning.

"If," observes he, "it were necessary to salvation, or if it were at all desirable, that men should think alike on religious subjects, the All-wise and Merciful Creator would have ordered things differently from what he has done."

Doubtless, the interval is very wide between what is "necessary to salvation" and what is "at all desirable." Arguments therefore which apply to one of these cases, do not always and of course, apply to the other. Great care must be employed in reasoning from human imperfection to the design and proceedings of the Deity. We read, in a volume not less revered by Mr. C. than by ourselves, that "the living God would have all men to come to the knowledge of the truth." Now is not this declaration more clearly significant of the divine purpose than any evidence besides? Shall we oppose to it the preacher's inference from a gratuitous assumption? A diversity then of religious opinion among mankind, is rather attributable to their not studying the Scriptures with impartiality and diligence than either to the diversity of their minds or to an imagined obscurity in revelation itself. There are some respects in which unity of faith would be exceedingly "desirable."

Not more satisfactory is Mr. Carpenter's second argument: "as a variety in the natural world is pleasing, so. also is a variety in the moral world;" whence he concludes "that it is not desirable that all men should think alike" (8).

But the analogies of fancy must not be substituted for the exercise and the reasonings of the judgment. "That diversity which is found in the

1 Tim. ii. 4. iv. 10. je

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vegetable creation," and in the animal kingdom, possesses just as much connexion with the variety prevailing "in the religious sentiments and opinions of mankind" as the revival of nature in spring does with the resurrection of the human body. In both instances there may exist, or appear to exist, a mutual resemblance; which however will not furnish, in either case, an argument to the sound philo sopher or divine. These supposed analogies are far more obvious to men of a particular cast of imagination and taste than they are to persons of another temperament and they supply us with little, if any, assistance in the investigation of important truth or in ascertaining the rule and measure of human duty.

Mr. C. (9) is desirous of communicating to his hearers and readers his recent pleasure, at Bristol, in seeing "the great number of people whom he met or who overtook him in going to different places of religious wor ship" And it is curious to perceive him assigning as the cause of his satisfaction at this spectacle not so much the variety as the unity of their sentiments. The pious and benevolent preacher exclaims, "How pleasing and animating the thought! These persons are all going to worship the same God, through the same Mediator. They are all going to partake of that bread which cometh down from Heaven, and to drink of the same fountain of living waters, though at different streams." Evidently, Mr. Carpenter's admiration and delight were awakened rather by the union of these several inhabitants of Bristol in points of primary moment than by a regard to the dissonance in their creeds and discipline! He should either not have introduced this fact in illustration of his subject or have introduced it in another part of his discourses.

His third plea for diversity of sentiment among Christians is that it "has produced and doth produce several good effects" (10). And, undoubtedly, the Providence of God renders human imperfection instrumental to valuable purposes. This admission, nevertheless, will not prove the desirableness of variety of religions opinion; although it is a very powerful argu. ment for the exercise of mutual candour and forbearance. The Supreme Ruler causes the wrath of mau to

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praise him even vice itself gives scope for the cultivation and improvement of moral dispositions on the part of those who lament it's ascendancy and experience it's injurious effects; yet we must not thence infer that it is desirable for some persons to be the slaves of fierce and lawless passions.

The preacher endeavours to shew (17) "that Christians do think alike on the most important articles of religion," that "they agree in their. belief of those truths which are of the greatest moment," and that "their difference in other points is not so great as they are ready to imagine."

Among the truths which are of the highest moment Mr. C. ranks one which we consider as perfectly unscrip tural, and in the belief of which, all Christians, most assuredly, do not agree. In paraphrasing the verses with which his text is connected, he gives the following gloss on part of the apostle's language:"Him who is the Father of angels and men; who is over all, Supreme in majesty, pers fection and dominion; even above him who is the one Lord of Christians; by whom he made the world.”

Now although this be the preacher's creed, and, as we conclude from p. 20, his worthy colleague's "Mr. Scott," we cannot receive it without and against the testimony of the Sacred Writers: and we are grieved that Mr. Carpenter has in this instance not only added* to the words of Paul, but has even numbered the tenet asserted in this unauthorized exposition among "the principal and most important articles of the Christian faith." This conduct is the more extraordinary as in another passage (53), he recom mends that we be "satisfied with the use of Scriptural language on controversial points" and as he admits (pp. 30, 36, &c.) the decline of his own, that is, of the "Arian," denomination, of the zeal and the numbers of those who regard Christ as under God, "the Maker and Governor of the world," and, as, nevertheless becoming an infant, and liable to all the wants of mortality" (31).

The writer before us allows that "there is a real difference in the · religious sentiments of Christians" (21), and, in our turn, we concede to

Rev. xxii. 18.

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him that sometimes their diversities of this declaration we are convinced. of opinion are only verbal and ap- Not less confident is our persuasion parent. Those we deem to be least that all classes of Christians profess reconcileable to each other which the same creed: and we heartily wish regard the object of worship, and the that "other foundation" would "no popular doctrine of atonement or vica- man lay!" rious satisfaction, which, it seems, however, Mr. Carpenter does not hold (26, 67); though he more than once employs this term, never used in the Christian Scriptures, and leaves it unexplained.*

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is something good in all the different denominations of Christians as well as something defective." He praises the soi-disant" orthodox or evangelical denomination" for their zealous attention to the instrumental duties of religion, which, nevertheless, he adds, some of them are too apt to substitute "for the weightier matters of the law,' such as fidelity, integrity and mercy." Passing over, for the present," the middle party," he tells us, what is strictly true, that the body of Unitarian Christians has also it's excellencies and defects: "It is distinguished," he is pleased to say, "for honour, probity, integrity and liberality, but is less exemplary for it's observance of the instrumental duties of religion than the opposite party." A charge still more serious, we imagine, in Mr. C.'s estimation, and certainly in our own, succeeds ::

"Of late years it [the Unitarian denomination] has manifested a great proselyting zeal, and some, I apprehend, are more solicitous to make converts to their grand doctrine of the Unity of the Godhead, than to teach men to fear God and keep his commands; though many, I know, make this their great object, and are of a truly serious spirit." 26, 27.

It is a very small thing for us to be judged by this preacher, or by man's judgment: he who judgeth us, is the Lord. The grand doctrine of the Unity of the Godhead, so prominent in the Scriptures, so neglected, obscured and corrupted in human creeds, poseesses an importance which demands no ordinary measure of "proselyting zeal." Still, the dissemination of it is an object of inferior moment to that of teaching men to fear God and keep his commandments. He then who accuses the Unitarians of making the latter only a secondary end, ought to produce strong evidence in support of so weighty an accusation nor will his hearers or his readers admit it on his bare assertion or intimation.

In his portrait of Unitarians Mr. C.'s pencil is unfaithful, and his colours are inappropriate :

"They are often superstitiously afraid of superstition; and while they are obliged to acknowledge that there are mysteries in the works of creation, and in the dispensations of Providence, they feel a great aversion to the word mystery when applied to the dispensations of divine grace."

He would have expressed himself with more discrimination, and with not less of equity and candour, had he subjoined, that their aversion from the word mystery, as here employed by Mr. Carpenter, arises from their fir conviction that this language has no such use and application in the volume of Revelation; and that their alleged superstitious fear of superstition, is really a dread of adopting, in their theological discussions, terms and ideas which cannot be discovered in the Scriptures.

But the pictura is not yet finished:

They are too prone to look down with pity or contempt on those who believe that the Gospel contains more than they are willing to allow [read, than they are able to find]. And though they are happily free from that uncharitable spirit which consigns persons of different sentiments from themselves to future punishment, yet some of them are not altogether free from that supercilious and dogmatical spirit which arises from the pride of human reason."

A supercilious and dogmatical spirit may proceed from other and additional causes-v. g. from the temper or the creed which says, Stand by thyself; for I am holier than thour Men who stigmatize the exercise of human reason, may evince, in that very act, the pride of reason: and the advocates of mysteries, in the unscriptural sense of matical and supercilious as those who that expression, may be quite as dogtheir own commentators. are willing to make the Sacred Writers

On the Methodists our author bestows a mixture of panegyric and of censure: but the former is the principal ingredient. The Established Church he regards (29) as "tolerant in it's practice and useful in it's institutions." her sons a very singular and equivocal And then he pays this Church and compliment:

"The private sentiments of it's members are various. Some are Calvinists and others

Arminiaus. Most of them are Trinitarians, not a few Arians, and some perhaps Soci nians. But they obey the exhortation of the Apostle, Hast thou faith? Have it to thyself."

Say rather, they in practice pervert and misapply it, as much as Mr. Carpenter does by his quoting it in res ference to this matter. Certain, too, we are that, whatever apostolic ex

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hortation they either obey or disregard, they do violence, by this diversity of opinion, to the articles and the spirit of the Church of England. If we ask, for what purpose were those articles framed, and subscription to them enjoined, the reply must be, for the avoiding diversity of opinions, and for the establishing of consent touching true religion. This consent however a religious establishment cannot secure, canpot indeed produce: and that variety of sentiment among it's officiating as well as it's private members which Mr. C. appears to eulogize, betrays it's weakness and manifests it's evil ten

dency; that unity of spirit and that bond of peace of which he here boasts, are not in truth preserved — and, while the restriction of articles continues, they cannot be preserved (as existing controversies prove they cannot) except by the aid of some other bond, that of ignorance or of insincerity.

If the Established Church be tolerant in its practice, we are indebted, under God, for her tolerance to the progress of knowledge, inquiry and rational freedoni, and to the spirit of the Bri tish constitution: if her institutions are useful, they are those of them which she maintains in common with almost every Christian denomination. To obtain the approbation of a consistent Nonconformist, she must be reformed in a degree that we cannot expect to witness.

Concerning the denomination to which himself belongs, Mr. C. allows (30) that it has it's defects as well as it's excellencies, that it has conformed too much to the world, and that it has declined in it's zeal, and consequently in it's numbers. But he tells us that there are still many highly valuable and respectable characters to be found in it. It's zeal, we conclude, has not been a "proselyting zeal!"

In our author's judgment, 66 every system of opinion has it's difficulties as well as it's advantages:"

"The candid and thoughtful Calvinist must allow that his system in appearance is somewhat harsh, and militates against the justice and goodness of God. candid Trinitarian must allow that there are many passages of Scripture which speak of the Son of God as a derived being and

The

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dependent on his Father. The candid So+ cinian must concede that it is not very easy to reconcile soute declarations of the Gospel with the notion of the simple hu manity of Christ: and I, as an Arian, am ready to acknowledge that my system is not free from difficulties. Indeed the idea of that exalted Person whom, under God, I regard as the Maker and Governor of the all the wants of mortality, appears to some world, becoming an infant, and liable to

so strange that they cannot embrace it."

Very strange, and even wonderful, it appears to ourselves! Yet this is not the reason of our refusing to embrace it: for could Mr. C. prove this tenet to be the doctrine of the Scriptures, it should instantly be the subject of our faith. The whole paragraph might provoke and warrant animadversion: but we are not particularly disposed to extend the limits of this

article.

In the third sermon the preacher makes these further remarks on the religious denomination to which he belongs, and in which he would comprehend the Presbyterians and moderate Independents (36) :

"When I call to mind the illustrious names and characters which have adorned

this body of Christians, the two Henrys, with Watts and Doddridge; Chandler and Barker and Pickard; Price and Farmer and Furneaux; Towgood, Urwick and the two Worthingtons, with others that might be mentioned; I feel it an honour to belong to this denomination of Christians."

The grouping is somewhat incongruous. Not stopping however to take critical exceptions, we acknowledge the high respectabilty of these names: and, with a zeal of admiration not ins ferior to Mr. Carpenter's, we could eulogize almost every one of these cha racters. If names were concerned, and not evidence, such an array would be truly formidable.

Our author goes on:

"When I consider the numerous and flourishing congregations which belonged to this respectable body from the beginning to the middle of the last century, and the greater or less decline of almost all those congregations since that period, I ask, whence arises this decline? It cannot be from death. That has equally attacked other societies. Has it arisen from persecation? No: for except in a partial and solitary instance, we have had the full liberty of worshipping God without molesta

* Neal's Hist of the Puritans (edited tion. The temples of the living God have by Toulmin), I. 160,

been open to us, but our hearts have been