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brotherly love, constitute their most plausible claim to the suffrages of the public.

But, what must that public think, when such teachers, forsaking the reasonable argumentations of controversialists, and forgetting, I will not say the charity of the Christian only, but the courtesy of the gentleman also, proceed to vulgar personalities: and, instead of encountering the book, endeavour to blacken the name and memory of the illustrious Prelate? Without a single quotation from his unanswered-yes, and unanswerable work: without a shadow of an argument in support of the assertions, Archbishop Magee is accused of "most coarse abuse," "most black misrepresentation," "aptitude in calumny."* These accusations are preached and printed by Mr. Martineau, and the Sermon containing them is referred to with approbation by his colleagues, Messrs. Thom and Giles. This is a fact, illustrative -(so far as it goes, I do not accuse the whole body)-of Unitarian charity. We, who are called uncharitable bigots, do not act thus. We assail, indeed, false principles; but we descend to no personal abuse. We would shrink, with real Christian charity (unprofessed in words), from any such unwarrantable attack upon the reputation of the dead, or wanton outrage upon the filial feelings of the living. Severity were easy here. But so is forbearance-so far as Archbishop Magee is concerned; his attainments as a scholar-his reputation as an author-his indefatigable labours as a Parish Minister, and as a Bishop; his character as a man, and his deeply deplored loss as a champion in the Church; require no defence from his children, neither are they likely to sustain the slightest damage from the attacks of Unitarian adversaries.

Forbearance, however, is not so easy, as it regards his assailants. It is practicable, nevertheless; and I would not have adverted to the subject, but for the importance of placing, in their proper point of view, our respective claims to Christian charity, "not in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth."

If we be asked, why do we, who profess Christian charity,

• Mr. Martineau's Sermon on the Bible, р. 16.

promote and prolong theological strife?-why do we persevere in controversy?-why do we not keep quiet, and allow others to be quiet also, and to go to heaven their own way?-our answer is simple: Fallen man's own way is not the way to heaven. If it were, neither redemption nor revelation would be required.

Our hearts' desire and prayer, before God, for our fellow-men, is, that they may be saved. We are as deeply persuaded, as it is possible to be of any truth, even of our own existence, that there is but one only name given under heaven among men whereby any man can be saved. From innumerable proofs, rising into moral demonstration the most convincing, we are satisfied that the Author of Creation is the Author of Christianity, - of Christianity in its Patriarchal promises, in its Jewish types, in its manifested Evangelical and Apostolic plainness; and that, since the fall of Adam, no human being has been, or can be, restored to communion with God, and conformity to the Divine image,(i. e. to real happiness), -except through the Incarnation, Atonement, and Intercession of the everlasting Son of the Father, and by the quickening energy, and sanctifying fellowship, of the Eternal Spirit, proceeding from the Father and the Son.

Our heart, and mind, and soul-our whole moral and intellectual being, with all its powers, and all its capacities, is penetrated with the most unwavering confidence in the truth of the Holy Scriptures; and the most unhesitating assurance, that the things which are bound and loosed in the declarations of this Book, taken in their most obvious and popular meaning, will be bound and loosed in the unalterable decisions of the living God, on the throne of eternal judgment.

When essential truth is rejected, -the Godhead of the Saviour, for example, we are constrained utterly to deny the existence of Christianity, and, consequently, the possibility of salvation. Rejecting the Incarnation, Unitarianism leaves a moral gulf between God and fallen man, which can never be filled up or passed over; re-union is impracticable. Rejecting the Atonement, Unitarianism leaves a load of guilt upon every man, which, in everlasting equity, will demand everlasting punishment; righteous release is impracticable. And rejecting the indwelling, sanctifying agency of the Eternal Spirit, Unitarianism leaves a fountain of corruption in every man, which will prove a worm that dieth not, and a fire that is not quenched; holiness, and, therefore, happiness, is impracticable.

These falsehoods are infallibly fatal to all who are so far deceived by the pride of fallen human reason, as really to embrace them. We may not be restrained, by any relenting tenderness or yearning sympathies of an affectionate heart, from affirming these faithful sayings of God's truth. We are aware of the repugnance with which such sayings are received; and we know something of the crucifying effort which is required in order to continue to utter them in love. If our silence concerning the danger, could annihilate the danger itself :-If, by mingling truth and error in one indiscriminate heap of mis-called charity, we could glorify our God, and save our fellow-men; with what joy should we yield to the complacent sympathies of our fallen nature, and ourselves become Liberals! But it may not be. The danger abides in full force, though we cease to mention it; and, therefore, silence on our part, is transferred from the region of charity, into the region of the most barbarous cruelty. Instead of wearing the mild and winning features of forbearance and tender love, it would assume the revolting aspect of either hypocrisy or infidelity.

It is recorded concerning the celebrated eastern bird, whose name is a proverb for folly, that when she has succeeded in hiding her own head, so that she cannot see the approaching danger, she reposes, as if in perfect security, unconscious of the exposure of her entire body. The advocates of charity, who would blot out the damnatory clauses from our creeds and Bibles, seem to partake of this ostrich folly: as if when they had blinded themselves to the danger, and succeeded in procuring repose, by getting rid of these troublesome remembrancers; they had also succeeded in annihilating the danger itself-in blotting out hell from the store-house of the righteous judgments of God, and securing an eternity of plausible liberalism.

When essential truth is concerned, it is impossible to speak too plainly, or too strongly, or too frequently. It is the grand design of Satan, with all his varied forms of temptation and delusion, adapted to the varying temper of men's minds, and the fashionable tone of the various ages of the world, and grades of society, to lull mankind into a slumber of indifference about eternity, until it is too late for them to be in earnest about salvation. And it is the grand business of the Ministers and Messengers of Christ, to rouse the slumberers, and tell them of salvation, now while it is called to-day. If we may not speak thus, let us speak no more at all. If, while the fire rages, and thousands are falling into it, we may not sound an alarm, and cry, -Awake, awake! flee from the wrath to come :-then are we watchmen no longer; our occupation, in all that rendered it effective, is at an end. If we must confine our ministrations to soft lullabys, which do not disturb the slumberers; or which, when they are in some degree disturbed by conscience, allay the incipient alarm, and soothe them again to repose; then are we transformed from being Ambassadors for Christ, into being no better than cradle-rockers for Beelzebub.

Great and gracious God! rouse, and guide, and strengthen us, thy Ministering Servants, that we may raise, and prolong, and re-echo, a fervent cry through the length and breadth of the land-proclaiming the reality and eternity of hell-testifying repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christand displaying, in the light of thy sure promise, glory, honour, and immortality of holiness and joy, to every one that believeth.

St. Jude's, April, 1839.

LECTURE VI.

THE PROPER DEITY OF OUR LORD THE ONLY GROUND OF CONSISTENCY IN THE WORK OF REDEMPTION.

BY THE REV. HUGH M'NEILE, A.M.

"FOR THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE: FOR ALL HAVE SINNED, AND COME SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD; BEING JUSTIFIED FREELY BY HIS GRACE THROUGH THE REDEMPTION THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS: WHOM GOD HATH SET FORTH TO BE A PROPITIATION THROUGH FAITH IN HIS BLOOD, TO DECLARE HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS THAT ARE PAST, THROUGH THE FORBEARANCE OF GOD; TO DECLARE, I SAY, AT THIS TIME HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS: THAT HE MIGHT BE JUST, AND THE JUSTIFIER OF HIM WHICH BELIEVETH IN JESUS."-Rom. iii. 22-26.

It is not my intention to delay you with any prefatory observations on the general subject of this controversy, but to proceed at once to that particular portion of it, the discussion of which is entrusted to my charge. It is thus stated:

"THE PROPER DEITY OF OUR LORD THE ONLY GROUND OF CONSISTENCY IN THE WORK OF REDEMPTION."

Man is ruined, and needs redemption: only God can redeem. In redeeming, he cannot be inconsistent with himself. If the Deity of the Lord Jesus be rejected, inconsistency is inevitably involved. If the Deity of the

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