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Scripture. The first of these contains scriptural arguments in support of our views as to the use of reason in religion, the power of man to do the will of God, original sin, election and reprobation, the supremacy of the Father and the person of Christ, and on the doctrine of atonement. "The Familiar Illustrations" are intended to assist the unlearned in the interpretation of those passages on which Calvinists and Trinitarians mainly rely as proofs of their opinions on the subjects above enumerated. Any one who is fully acquainted with these two pamphlets, and is capable of applying in other instances the principles of reasoning which they exemplify, will read the Scriptures with great improvement, and will seldom be at a loss when called upon to give a reason for the hope that is in him, or to shew why he rejects the reputedly orthodox interpretations of the word of God.

I will mention only one other suitable work for this plan of instruction; its title will sufficiently explain its purport and design.

6. Dr. Carpenter's Grounds of Dissent from the Established Church. All the books now enumerated, including Turner's Abstract, may be purchased for about 4s. 6d., so that, by the payment of a penny per week for twelve months, a valuable compendium of religious knowledge may be obtained. Happy would it be for us, and for the world, if every member of every Unitarian church were in possession of them, and if their substance, their principles and spirit, were fully and practically imbibed.

I will only add further, reverting to the management of a class of young persons, that the method pursued by the ladies thus meritoriously employed at Bridport,* of selecting passages from various works, which blend instruction and interest together, ought by no means to be overlooked. It is not only allowable, but useful, thus to consult the appetite for variety which is natural to man, and especially to the youthful mind. May the blessing of Heaven attend the efforts of those who are engaged in this great and holy work; may their number be multiplied and their success be complete!

G. B. W.

* Vide Christian Reformer for May, pp. 190, 191.

The Treasures of the Deep.

[From "The Forest Sanctuary; and other Poems." By Mrs. HEMANS. 8vo. Murray, 1825.]

1st.

WHAT hid'st thou in thy treasure caves and cells?
Thou hollow-sounding and mysterious main !
Pale glistening pearls and rainbow-colour'd shells,
Bright things which gleam unrecked-of and in vain.
-Keep, keep thy riches, melancholy sea!
We ask not such from thee.

2nd.

Yet more, the depths have more! What wealth untold,
Far down and shining, through their stillness lies!
Thou hast the starry gems, the burning gold,
Won from ten thousand royal Argosies!

-Sweep o'er thy spoils, thou wild and wrathful main!
Earth claims not these again.

3rd.

Yet more, the depths have more! Thy waves have roll'd.
Above the cities of a world gone by!

Sand hath filled up the palaces of old,
Sea-weed o'ergrown the halls of revelry.
-Dash o'er them, ocean, in thy scornful play!
Man yields them to decay.

4th.

Yet more, the billows and the depths have more!
High hearts and brave are gathered to thy breast!
They hear not now the booming waters roar,
The battle thunders will not break their rest.

-Keep thy red gold and gems, thou stormy grave!
Give back the true and brave!
5th.

Give back the lost and lovely!-those for whom
The place was kept at board and hearth so long,
The prayer went up through midnight's breathless gloom,
And the vain yearning woke 'midst festal song!
Hold fast thy buried isles, thy towers o'erthrown ;
But all is not thine own.

6th.

To thee the love of woman hath gone down;
Dark flow thy tides o'er manhood's noble head,
O'er youth's bright locks and beauty's flowery crown;
Yet must thou hear a voice-Restore the dead!

Earth shall reclaim her precious things from thee!
Restore the dead thou sea.

Letters from the Rev. R. Wright, to the Unitarians in the North-east District.

LETTER IV.

Trowbridge, July 4, 1826.

MY CHRISTIAN BRETHREN,

ONE subject on which I think it necessary to address you, relates to persons who may be friendly to you, who agree with you in the doctrine of the Divine Unity, and the natural goodness and mercifulness of God, and in approving of the moral parts of Christianity; but who do not admit the divinity of the mission and office of Jesus Christ, or the reality of the miracles recorded in the New Testa-ment. This class of Unbelievers, while they give evidence of their integrity, and shew by their fruits that they are influenced by good principles, certainly deserve not only candid, but liberal and kind treatment. It would be extremely unjust to confound them with the scurrilous revilers of Christ and Christianity, and those who cast off all religion, and who shew by their fruits that they wish to shake off the salutary restraints of the gospel, and the obligations to a virtuous and benevolent course which it imposes. Such a description of Unbelievers as I refer to appears not to have existed in the days of Christ and the apostles, and probably never would have existed where the gospel was known and its privileges enjoyed, had not Christianity been greatly corrupted in doctrine, spirit and practice. The unbelievers we read of in the New Testament, if not hypocrites, were worldly-minded, corrupt and bad men; hence the severe language used by Jesus and his apostles respecting them; but as our Lord has given us but one rule by which we are to judge of men, i. e. as we judge of trees, by their fruit, it must be unauthorized, and a violation of that rule, to call those whose conduct is

virtuous and benevolent, bad men, though they reject what we believe to be true and highly important. He alone who searcheth the heart, and is acquainted with the secret motives and hidden springs of action, can tell how far the unbelief of such persons as I am speaking of, and theirerrors, are involuntary, and arise from insuperable circumstances; or how far their rejection of what we deem most true and valuable involves culpability: it belongs to him, not to us, to judge them; for us to do it would be presumptuous and wicked: and the New Testament assures us, that at the last day men will be judged and rewarded or punished, not according to what they have believed. or disbelieved, but according to their works. It is wrong for you to censure and condemn, or to use uncharitable language respecting any persons, in particular if they be virtuous in their conduct. Harsh language and uncharitable treatment will do nothing towards convincing Unbelievers; but will rather tend to strengthen them in their unbelief, and to dishonour Christianity, so far as indulged in by its professors. I beseech you, my brethren, carefully to guard against this evil.

It has been a charge against Unitarians that Unbelievers attend some of their places of worship, and are mixed up with their congregations; this charge has been brought against some of you: hence I have thought it proper to consider it in these Letters, and to give you such advice as seems to me most proper in this case.

1. I consider the charge itself, though not altogether unfounded, to exaggerate the matter, and to place it in an unfair light, by supposing that Unbelievers are to be found in no Christian congregations but those of Unitarians. If it be an evil it is not the less so because it exists not exclusively among Unitarians; but when the reputed orthodox so represent it, the motive seems obvious; it is with a view to scandalize the Unitarian doctrine and its professors as favourable to Infidelity. I am far from deriving pleasure from a knowledge of the evils which exist among other denominations of Christians; but I have known Unbelievers to exist among other Christian congregations, of Dissenters and Methodists, to say nothing of the Esta ́blished Church, as well as those of Unitarians; though they have been less open in expressing themselves, because the same liberty has not been admitted among the former as among the latter: consequently doubts have

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been concealed, and scepticism has been more reserved, and dissimulation sometimes practised.

2. If it be granted that Unbelievers more commonly attend Unitarian than reputed Orthodox places of worship, a reason may be assigned for this which is not disreputable either to Unitarianism or its professors. Unitarianism has not produced the Unbelievers which are found in the congregations of its professors; those congregations as such are too modern in England, and its legal profession too recent, for this to have been generally the case; it is well known that most of the Unbelievers who come among us were bred in reputed Orthodoxy, and have been led by identifying the dogmas of Orthodoxy with the Scriptures to become Unbelievers: this, at least, first led them to question the truth of Christianity. Many such have been recovered by the knowledge of Unitarianism to the faith of Christ; others have said, that could they be convinced that Unitarianism is identical with the New Testament, they should be Christians. Virtuous Unbelievers, who would otherwise be driven from all public worship and religious instruction, attend Unitarian chapels, because, though they believe not all they hear, their reason is not revolted, nor their feelings shocked; and to such places they can take their families with some degree of satisfaction: this may prevent that deterioration of character which a total neglect of public worship and religious instruction would produce, in some good degree counteract the influence of speculative unbelief, and if it do not issue in their recovery to Christian belief, may be of essential benefit to their families, who might otherwise be brought up without any religion. It certainly is no dishonour to Unitarianism that it retains some degree of the attention of virtuous Unbelievers to religious worship and Christian instruction; and if their unbelief should continue, it cannot be the fault of Unitarianism, as faith in Christ is constantly maintained as an essential part of it.

3. As, for some reason or other, Unbelievers are found among those who attend some of your places of worship, it is of importance to consider how you ought to act towards them; and, in doing this, it is proper to take into view what are likely to be their motives in attending. I am speaking of Unbelievers who are upright and virtuous, so far as can be known by the general tenor of their conduct; and recollect that Christian charity requires, that

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