"nurfe and that the priest have taught," can never : I am, Madam, &c. LETTER LETTER XXI. Animadverfions upon Mr. Wilberforce's account of the Unitarians-Conclufion. MADAM, THE prospect of rest after the toil of a journey is not more pleasant to the weary traveller, than to me, and probably to my readers, is the near approach of the conclufion of my tafk. I request indulgence therefore but for one epiftle more; and then, "having "completed my strain, I will return to obscurity*.” Mr. W. proceeds, p. 476, to animadvert upon the Unitarians; and first, he apologizes to his orthodox reader, p. 475, for "conceding the term to the class "of perfons" who maintain the proper humanity of Chrift. Mere words are never worth a difpute; and if the worshippers of three, or of three hundred,equal, infinite fpirits choose to call themselves Unitarians, they have my free confent, provided they allow me to use the word in what appears to me to be its proper sense, and to apply it to that description of perfons to whom alone, in my judgment, it belongs. A Unitarian, according to the idea which I annex to the term, is one who does not afcribe to a derived Being any attributes, works, or honours, which reafon and re • Explebo numerum, reddarque tenebris, velation appropriate to God. He therefore is not a Unitarian, in the proper fenfe of the word, who either reccives Jefus as truly God; or who, in words denying his divinity, regards him as the delegate of the Father in the formation and adminiftration of the world; or, laftly, who offers any kind of religious addreffes to him. The doctrine of the Divine Unity is indeed fo clearly revealed both in the jewish and the chriftian fcriptures, that all chriftians profefs to believe it in some sense, though the majority hold principles totally repugnant to it. Mr. W. in the plenitude of his chriftian charity, obferves, p. 474 "that the account which has been given of the fecret but grand fource of infidelity, may perhaps justly be extended, as being not fel"dom true in the cafe of thofe who deny the fun“damental doctrines of the gospel," in other words, his own peculiar opinions. Now, the account given of the fource of infidelity, p. 472, is this: "It appears plainly that infidelity is generally the offspring of prejudice, and that its success is mainly "to be afcribed to the depravity of the moral cha"racter." Such, it feems, in Mr. W.'s eftimation, is the true account of the general fuccefs of that doctrine, which was embraced by Newton, Lardner, and Jebb, and by many others, of the moft fplendid talents and unfpotted characters, who have devoted their time to the study of the fcriptures, and who are greatly his fuperiors in every branch of facred literature. literature. "This fuccefs is mainly to be ascribed "to the depravity of the moral character." Surely, this gentleman will, upon reflection, for his own. credit, retract his harsh and unjust cenfure, which breathes a spirit fo inconfiftent with that humility and candour which he every where profeffes. What right can Mr. W. have to invade the province of the Omniscient Judge, and to arraign his fellow-fervants, and fellow-christians, of "moral depravity," because they strictly adhere to, what they believe to be, the genuine doctrine of their common Master, and refolutely reject all opinions which in their judgment are unauthorized, and untrue, by whatever epithets they may be dignified, or by whomfoever they may be embraced, defended, or imposed? In the fame spirit of charity, Unitarianifm is reprefented, p. 475, "as a fort of half-way house be tween orthodoxy and infidelity." And truly, whatever might be the intention of our zealous author, I, for one, am far from being offended with the quarters he has affigned us; regarding them as a proper medium between ineligible extremes. Nor am I ashamed even to avow, that, of the two, I would rather approach the confines of cold and cheerless 'fcepticism, than the burning zone of merciless orthodoxy. For, upon the principles of infidelity, at the very worft, all events take place at random, and my chance is as good as that of another man. But if Mr. W.'s fyftem be true, the universe is under the govern K 2 government of OMNIPOTENT MALIGNITY; than which no confideration can be more painful and alarming. At this half-way houfe we are told that a perfon travelling "from orthodoxy to infidelity fometimes "indeed finally stops; but not unfrequently he only paufes there for a while, and then purfues his pro “ grefs." Now, having myself been a resident in it for fome years, I may be fuppofed to know a little more about it than Mr. W. And I can from experience affure that gentleman, that it is a very fafe, pleasant, and commodious dwelling, in which if he would venture to take up his abode, he would notbe difpleafed either with his entertainment or his company. To enjoy the fituation however to the greatest advantage, he must cease to look at objects through the false medium of a fervid imagination, and must view them in the fober light of reason and truth. "When he becomes a man, he must put "away childish things." He will indeed lofe fome of his prefent visionary raptures; but the want of these will be abundantly compensated by the enlargement and fimplicity of his views, by the increased strength and comprehenfion of his mind, and by the proper direction of his religious affections. Our author is mistaken if he means to reprefent the majority of those who enter this manfion as only fojourners, “pausing for a while, and then pursuing their progrefs to infidelity." Some, it must be confeffed, |