writings of the same character, particularly English and German, to correct calumnious statements," to retain counsel to discuss legally questions relating to religion," and to provide the means of educating such young men as shall appear called by their talents and taste to defend religion."-"The patrons of the Association are the Holy Virgin and St. Peter. It will cause a mass to be said annually. The associates are invited to say an Ave Maria each day, followed by this prayer, 'Saint Peter, intercede for the Church and for France.'"-Amongst the members of the General Council, we see the name of Marshall Prince Hohenlohe. Is this the miracle-monger? A French journal, the Courier Francais, calls the announcement of the Association, the "Proclamation of the League," and asks, "What defence is needed for the Catholic Religion, in a country where it annually receives sixty millions of francs, where the Bishops crowd the Chamber of Peers and the Sovereign's Council, and where the troops are at the order of the clergy whenever they institute processions? It is not religion which is to be defended, but the supremacy of the clergy and of the Roman Theocracy "-While the press is thus free, there is little to be apprehended from associations for the support of the power of darkness.

The French Bishops have addressed a Protestation or Remonstrance to the King on the late ordinances by which the Jesuits are excluded from the office of teachers in the national schools, and the power of the ecclesiastics generally is much narrowed. The tone of these spiritual lords is exemplarily humble. They complain of the "scarcity of priests," and anticipate that the new laws will aggravate this calamity!

THE Rev. W. L BOWLES, the poet and vicar of Bremhill, Wilts, of which parish and the vicinity he has just published a very pleasing account, has been appointed to succeed Archdeacon Core, the traveller and political historian, in the Canon Residentiary Stall in Salisbury Cathedral.

CORRESPONDENCE.

Communications have been received from Messrs. Turner and

Jevans.

Mr. R. Mills, of Chard, has favoured us with his religious history, under the title of "Orthodoxy renounced and Unitarianism avowed," which we shall have great pleasure in laying before our readers in the next number.

The Trowbridge Congregation are dissatisfied with our determination not to insert their "Further Reply." We have reviewed the matter, and remain of opinion that with reference to both parties, and to the common cause of religious truth, "the controversy had better cease."

THE

CHRISTIAN REFORMER.

No. CLXV.]

SEPTEMBER, 1828. [Vol. XIV.

ORTHODOXY RENOUNCED AND UNITARIANISM AVOWED.

Chard, June 22, 1828.

SIR, WHILE the leaders of the different religious sects called orthodox, by representing the sentiments of Unitarians as of the most awful and dangerous character, are almost as successful as they could wish in deterring their timid and unthinking adherents from fair inquiry, and preventing their liberation from the trammels of spiritual servility and prejudice, it must be gratifying to the friends of truth and mental freedom to hear of any instance of happy deliverance from such ignoble subjection; and conceiving it to be the duty of those who, unawed by the senseless cry of heresy and fearless of the false alarms of sectarianism, have seen reason to abandon the popular system of theology in favour of sentiments less indebted to tradition and human authority for support, to make a public acknowledgment of the same, I offer no apology to the readers of the Christian Reformer in relating a few particulars to this effect concerning myself. I have no desire to obtrude the details of my case on public attention with a view to attach any importance to them further than they may serve the cause of true Christianity by exhibiting, in a striking point of view, the baneful effects of opinions which cramp the energies of the soul, and exemplifying the salutary tendency and operation of a free use of the understanding in religious investigation. Should you think them not adapted to this end, you can lay them aside; but should you think otherwise, the insertion will also give me the pleasure of reflecting that I have done something towards making just amends for the injury I have joined to inflict on a worthy class of Christians, whom, through ignorance of their principles and character, and the illiberal tendency of my former opinions, I had long thought it my duty to despise and degrade as enemies to the true faith, but of whose honourable acquaintance I now much regret that my

silly conduct should so long have prevented me discovering the worth.

About sixteen years ago, having my thoughts (or rather my imagination) seriously engaged on religion, I proposed myself a candidate for baptism, with a view of joining a Calvinistic society with whom I had been accustomed to attend from my childhood; and after the usual ordeal of a rigid examination as to my experience, was baptized and admitted a member. At this time my concern was more about the supposed privileges and duties of my new social station than respecting doctrinal opinions, nor had I much knowledge of those distinctions and differences which I have since found to agitate and divide the religious world. Had I continued in this comfortable ignorance, perhaps it would have preserved me from the pernicious influence of that illiberal spirit which too much accompanies an undue importance attached to articles of faith, and proves a root of bitterness to many; but like a person who, after long incarceration, can better appreciate the worth of his freedom by its contrast with his former condition, I have learnt to set the higher value on truth by wandering far in the mazes of error, absurdity, and attaining truth through difficulties and conflicts. Connected as I was with some of the veterans in the field of Calvinism, it was not in the nature of the case that I should pass on uncontaminated with their doctrinal mania;* accordingly, in a few years I became initiated into the grand mysteries of the system, and embraced all the dogmas by which it is distinguished with an implicit and a zealous attachment, and with that prostration of the understanding to an imagined supernatural tuition which usually attends such a faith. Believing my creed of the most essential importance, it will be no marvel that I should have evinced that feeling of uncharitable exclusiveness towards those of oppo

* One considerable means of bringing me into an acquaintance with what is called high Calvinism, was the reading a periodical publication called "The Gospel Magazine," which, for vulgarity of style and literary blundering, was only matched in the dogmatical perversity and acrimonious invective of its correspondents and editor. The latter, while he affects to take the chair of criticism by bringing before him the theological productions of the day, under the name of a Review, and with an air of self-complacent competence to pass judgment on them, not only betrays his defective knowledge in the rules of English composition, but even in the common elements of

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site sentiments, which it is the peculiar tendency of such a persuasion to impart and cherish; nor will it be wondered at that, under the influence of the soul-contracting views I had imbibed, I should have been led to consider every thing in the religious experience, character, and devotions of my fellow-professors of Christianity, which did not range within the compass of my favourite scheme, or approximate to the established standard of what is called a work of grace," as spurious and pernicious. Such was really the case; and, with shame I confess, that I have often joined to designate as hypocrisy and self-righteousness what, I am now persuaded, was piety, genuine as that of my own, or any of the party to which I belonged. Not to be acquainted with those sublime doctrines of orthodoxy, as I thought them, was, in my view, to be in a deplorable state of blindness and condemnation, however sincerely devoted or moral the conduct; and those who had the audacity to oppose them by controversy, I supposed must be actuated by diabolic influence, and be greater foes to God and truth than the most irreligious and profane. Hence it may be judged what I thought of Unitarians (or, as they were called by the orthodox, Socinians). In fact, my ideas of these reputed heretics were the very counterpart of the picture drawn of them by the uncandid and bigoted preachers and writers who, with fallacious reasonings and misrepresen tations, pretended to refute them. By the false and fearful colouring in which they portrayed the monstrous ism they affected to combat, I could not but think it a system which betrayed the greatest stupidity in its abettors; and I wondered, since it appeared to be so near akin to Deism, that its advocates should concern themselves about reli gion at all!

Such are the deleterious consequences of embracing religion with the renunciation of common sense, and of receiving a farrago of theology which requires us to become what, in the common concerns of life, would unfit us for performing a rational action, or understanding the simplest. proposition: such the noxious effects of a scheme of divinity by which it is attempted to bring infinite wisdom in contact and accordance with idiotism, and to set the perfections of God at variance with those self-evident truths of his character which the nature and fitness of things in creation demonstrate. But these are not all the bad results of this false system. I can bear experimental testi

mony that it proves to a mind really serious, a fruitful source of UNHAPPINESS, although it is often affirmed (and supposed to be presumptive proof of its truth) that much consolation is derived from it. That there are many pious Christians of the persuasion alluded to, I am ready to allow, and I admit there are some amongst them who are in a great degree free from those disconsolate impressions to which the greater part are subject; but no thanks to their creed for this, for it is in proportion as this is lost sight of for a happy interval, and something more like simple Christianity predominates, though unconsciously, in the mind. There are also a few of the comfortable class belonging to this sect of believers who are so from a delusive, but confident, assurance of their being of the number of God's special favourites, and profess to have attained this grand and desirable secret by means of some violent heavenly impulse, or forcible application of a scripture promise. But recollect this is the indulgent lot of only a scanty number; for the greater part are destined to grope for a certainty of their interest in the book of life, like the blind men against Lot's door, or to wade their way through the labyrinths of doubt, distracted with anxiety to have the point decided, and fettered with burdens of spiritual criteria, professedly descriptive of true conversion, which involves them in increasing mental embarrassment.

To say nothing of the perplexity and confusion of mind occasioned by the complicated and unintelligible character of the leading points of orthodoxy, the undefinable phraseology by which they are expressed, and the numerous formidable difficulties with which they are attended, notwithstanding the metaphysical subtilties employed to remove them, their belief is connected with such inexplicable notions respecting what is called "the work of the Spirit," and "saving faith," as occasion the most harassing feelings of fear and despondency; nor will all the prescribed specifics of what is called experimental preaching afford an effectual remedy to these religious maladies. This I unhappily had to realize, in common with my fellow-travellers in the same course; and did not the necessary brevity of my narrative forbid entering into particulars, I could fully exemplify and illustrate the truth of my statement, which, perhaps, on some future occasion, I may. In the mean time, should what I have asserted appear doubtful, I would refer to the manner in which the preachers of those