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and bigots have recently attempted to make the public believe that the terms Deist and Unitarian are synonymous; but there is an essential difference. The Deist rejects, and the Unitarian admits the Divine Mission of Christ! In other words the former pronounces him an impostor; the latter, with Lardner at their head, have written most ably in behalf of the evidences of Christianity. Unitarians of every description believe Jesus to be the Son of God, the accredited organ of heavenly communication--the Saviour of Mankind; For a confirmation of this statement, see a variety of papers in the "Christian Reformer," and in the "Monthly Repository." This latter journal is commencing a New Series from January 1, 1827; with the addition of a Review, which the editors promise to conduct with impartiality. It is to be no longer under the care of a single individual, who has superintended it since its commencement in 1805-but it will be brought out under the inspection of a committee appointed by the British and Foreign Unitarian Association, in Walbrook. This is deemed an improvement. Reviews and magazines in the religious world are too sectarian: enamoured of party, they are forgetful of the enlarged and generous spirit of our common Christianity.

NECESSARIANS.

Some few Arians, and most Anti-trinitarians, add to their creed the doctrines of Necessity, Materialism, and Universal Restoration, though these tenets are by no means peculiar to them. Towards the close of this Sketch will be found an explanation of Universal Restoration; some account shall be here given of Necessity and Materialism.

The doctrine of Necessity regards the origin of human actions, and the specific mode of the divine government. It teaches that all actions, both good and bad, are strictly necessary—thus every circumstance cannot be otherwise than it is throughout the creation of God. Much controversy has there been on this abtruse subject. Collins,

Priestley, Toplady, and Crombie; Palmer, Price, and Gregory, are authors most distinguished in the controversy, the four former being for, and the three latter against Necessity. The opponents of Necessity strenuously maintain that it destroys all virtue and vice, whilst its advocates declare it to be the most consistent mode of explaining the divine government. Dr. Crombie, in an able treatise on this subject, thus states the scheme of philosophical necessity: "that every thing is predetermined by the Divine Being-that whatever has been must have been-and that whatever will be must be; that all events are preordained by infinite wisdom and unlimited goodness-that the will in all its determinations is governed by the state of mind--that the state of mind is in every instance determined by the Deity—and that there is a continued chain of causes and effects, of motives and actions, inseparably connected, and originating from the condition in which we are brought into existence by the the author of our being." But Dr. Doddridge remarks, that "those who believe the being and perfections of God, and a state of retribution, in which he will reward and punish mankind, according to the diversity of their actions, will find it difficult to reconcile the justice of punishment with the necessity of crimes punished! And they that believe all that the Scripture says on the one hand, of the eternity of future punishments and on the other, of God's compassion to sinners, and his solemn assurance, that he desires not their death, will find the difficulty greatly increased." It should be remembered, however, that the Necessarians do not believe in the eternity of future punishments, but in the doctrine of universal restoration; and so far they are to be commended for their consitency. But it is not for us to determine, on so profonnd a topic, where the truth lies; and it is remarkable, that the perplexity of the theme harrassed angelic minds, according to the representation of Milton :

Others apart, sat on a hill retir'd

In thoughts more elevate, and reason'd
Of providence, fore-knowledge, will, and fate;
Fix'd fate, free-will, fore-knowledge absolute;
And found no end-in wandering mazes lost!

MATERIALSTS.

The doctrine of Materialism respects the nature of the human soul, and the mode of its existence. It teaches that the soul is not a principle independent of the body, but that it results from the organization of the brain, though in a manner which will not admit of explication. This doctrine is thought by its advocates to be not only more philosophical, but to point out more fully the necessity and value of a resurrection form the dead-which is a leading doctrine of Christianity; and they contend that on this alone the sacred writers (1 Cor. xv. 15, 16, 32, &c.) build all their hopes of a future life. Materialists deny any intermediate state of consciousness between death and the resurrection. Drs. Price and Priestley had a friendly correspondence on this article; and though Dr. Price was no materialist, yet he did not hold with an intermediate state. Those who deny the existence of an intermediate state, are sometimes called Soul-sleepers. Mr. Locke suggests the idea of a certain unknown substratum that may be capable of receiving the properties both of matter and of mind, viz. extension, solidity, and cogitation; for he supposes it possible for God to add cogitation to what is corporeal, and thus to cause matter to think. But, in spite of these philosophical speculations, the common man will exclaim with the singular Sterne, "I am positive I have a soul, nor can all the books with which Materialists have pestered the world ever convince me to the contrary!" See Archdeacon Blackburn's "Historical View" of this controversy,and Dr. Law's Appendix to his "Theory of Natural and Revealed Religion." "The Light of nature Pursued," by Edward Search, Esq. is a curious work relationg to the subject, and has been republished, as well as an abridgment of it, by Mr. William Hazlitt. The author's real name was Tucker; he died in 1775, at his seat near Dorking, Surrey.

Had not Necessity and Materialism been more ofa philosophical than of a theological nature, they should have received minuter explication.

II.

OPINIONS RESPECTING THE MEANS AND MEASURE OF GOD'S FAVOUR.

Christians having ascertained whether Christ be equal with God or an angel, possessing an existence previous to being born of the Virgin Mary-or a human being, under the the guidance of inspiration---next proceed to consider the extent of the blessings of the Gospel, and the manner in which they have been conveyed to us. This circumstance also has been the source of endless contentions. Even the Methodists themselves split into two great parties concerning it, and the controversy between their respective leaders, conducted with acrimony, has scarcely subsided. We shall attempt the delineation of this class of opinions with brevity.

CALVINISTS.

The Calvinist adheres to the doctrines which Calvin taught at Geneva, about 1540, where he was professor of divinity. His real name was Cauvin, but, putting the term Calvini to his "Commentary on Seneca," published at Paris, 1532, he was thence denominated Calvin. And it appears, from Bishop Jewel's "Defence of his Apology for the Church of England," that the term Calvinist was, in the first instance, applied to the reformers and the English Protestants as a matter of reproach by the church of Rome. The tenets of Calvinism are, predestination, original sin, particular redemption, irresistible grace, and the perseverance of the saints. These, in the theological world, are termed the Five Points; and frequent have been the controversies agitated respecting them. As the Calvinists differ among themselves in the explication of these tenets, it would be difficult to give a specific account of them. Generally speaking, however, they comprehend the following propositions: 1st. That God has chosen a certain number in Christ to everlasting glory, before the foundation of the world, according to his

immutable purpose, and of his free grace and love, without the least foresight of faith, good works, or any conditions performed by the creature: and that the rest of mankind he was pleased to pass by, and ordain them to dishonour and wrath for their sins, to the praise of his vindictive justice. 2dly. That Jesus Christ, by his death and sufferings, made an atonememt only for the sins of the elect. 3dly. That mankind are totally depraved, in consequence of the fall; and, by virtue of Adam's being their public head, the guilt of his sin was imputed, and a corrupt nature conveyed, to all his posterity, from which proceed all actual transgression; and that by sin we are made subject to death, and all miseries, temporal, spiritual, and eternal. 4thly. That all whom God has predestined to life, he is pleased, in his appointed time, effectually to call by his word and spirit out of that state of sin and death, in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ. And 5thly. That those whom God has effectually called, and sanctified by his spirit, shall never finally fall from a state of grace. Some have supposed that the Trinity was one of the five points, but this is a mistake, since both the Calvinists and Arminians, who formed the synod of Dort (where this phrase, five points, originated) were on the article of the Trinity generally agreed. The prominent feature of this system is, the election of some, and reprobation of others, from all eternity.

The Calvinists found their sentiments of election on the expression of the Saviour, respecting his having chosen his disciples out of the world; and more particularly on certain terms used by the apostle Paul, in his Epistle to the Romans. To the epistolary writers, indeed, they more frequently refer than to any other part of the New Testament. The chief advantage of this system, in the opinion of its advocates, is, to produce in us a reverential awe when we look up to God, and a profound humility when we look down upon ourselves.

To the Calvinists also belong more particulary the doctrine of atonement, or that Christ, by his death, made satisfaction to the divine justice for the elect, appeasing

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