would also find that if the same principles by which this qualified, half belief has been reached, were fairly carried through, they would infallibly bear men far out of the bounds of Christianity and the Bible.

When men are far gone in unbelief, this effort is hardly to be expected of them. Many a man who is finally lost in infidelity, might, by the grace of God, have been brought back to stand firm in the faith, could he, upon doubting one doctrine of the Gospel, have been prevailed upon at once to examine the principle upon which he called it in question, in reference to every other doctrine. Then he would immediately have seen the justice of the wise and learned Good's remark-that there was no intermediate ground upon which a sound reasoner could make a fair stand, between that of pure deism and that of moderate orthodoxy, as held by the evangelical classes both of churchmen and dissenters.' The fearful truth would have come upon him whole, and before the mind had formed the ruinous habit of half closing its vision, or of turning away from necessary conclusions.

There is much, however, to hope for from the men of the classes we are speaking of; for here and there may be seen one and another coming out of the by-paths of error into the open paths of truth. They may have to forego expectations of distinction and power; they may have hard things to encounter-coldness on the part of old acquaintances-sneers, which have a sting often out of proportion to the size of the insect, and, with these, and harder than these, they may have to endure false surmises as to their motives, cast on them by their friends, too, and made to stick the closer, by an adhesive varnish of smooth extenuation laid on in feigned charity and love. But all these things are easily borne after a time. And who would not bear them for the sake of that strengthening conviction of the sincerity of one's faith and love, which the endurance of evil for the truth's sake always gives a man?

Sacrifices such as these will be met more generally and quickly than they have ever yet been; for motives to this are pressingmore and more. The hues of truth and of error are fast separating; the doubtful twilight breaking; truth brightening, and error darkening. Soon there will not be a spot for the hesitating man to stand upon, nor a shred left out of which the timid man shall weave his cloak of charity to hide his own selfishness, while he is bringing odium on the open, hardy soldiers of the Faith. The two sides will soon be marked off plainly enough; the distance between them will become wider and wider-too wide for the voice of parley with error to be heard across it; the way of faith will be made more and more plain, and the sin of unbelief be stript bare of all excuse. The great question, as our author says, is speedily to be, Have we a revelation from God? And as each man decides this

for himself, so will he reject the word for once and all, or honor the Son even as he honors the Father.

May God grant us the spirit of self-sacrifice in this his cause; teach us to contend earnestly yet meekly for the truth, and pardon our infirmities when we forget his teachings.

We thank the publishers for giving us this valuable work in so convenient a form; and we shall feel our obligations increased, if the second edition-which must soon be called for-should be free from the occasional inaccuracies which we have met with in this.

We would say, in closing, that the Natural History of Enthusiasm is a work which every educated, religious man should, if possible, possess, and which every literary man should be loath to confess he had not read.

MISCELLANEOUS.

PRESENT STATE OF UNITARIANISM IN ENGLAND.

WE extract the following from the (London) Christian Observer for November 1829. It exhibits the confessions of Unitarians themselves as to the low and declining state of their affairs in the mother country. Unitarians in America are frequently boasting of the strength of their cause in England; and Unitarians in England of the splendid triumphs which the truth (as they hold it) is achieving in America. We can assure our Unitarian friends in England that the 'Spirit of Unitarianism' is the same here as there. Cælum, non animum mutant, qui trans mare currunt.'

"The last Number of the Monthly Repository, the official organ of the Unitarian body in this country, gives a most hopeless account of the state of their cause. The running title of the article is, "Unitarians rich, yet inefficient ;" and the statements in the text correspond to the title; for it is confessed that "the Unitarian Missionary Association during the last year is an almost total failure ;" that the spirit of Unitarianism is not a missionary spirit;" that of their chapels "the tale is brief and mournful ;"* that their assemblies for public worship are ill attended; that they can, with difficulty, support a single periodical publication; that their institutions for religious purposes are "few and languishing;" that," although for their numbers, the Unitarians are the richest body of religionists in

"Many of the old chapels amongst us," says the writer in the Repository, "are in a pitiable state. Of our own knowledge, we can speak of some scores, that scarcely shew signs of life. The number of hearers in them will not average more than thirty; the salary of the minister not more than £70 per annum." "One half of the insignificant stipends paid to ministers proceeds from the charity of preceding ages"-(i. e. from the endowments of the old Orthodox Presbyterians, of which the Unitarians have obtained possession.) "In many instances," "the utmost that is done by voluntary contributions, is the raising enough to defray the expenses of opening and cleaning the chapel." The writer expresses the belief that when a few sexagenarians have been conducted in decency to the grave, the doors of these chapels will be closed. "If this is not," says he, "the probable end of no few of the old Presbyterian chapels, we have yet to learn what other fate they can in all human probability undergo." Thus testified a learned, well informed English Unitarian in November, 1829.

the kingdom, they contribute the least to religious objects;" and, most painful of all, that in India itself, where they looked for most, they are without a missionary, and unable to keep up a single chapel. To say that, with our views of the Unitarian system, we quote these statements with pain, would be an untruth which no Unitarian would wish us to proffer; but we by no means bring them forward in an invidious spirit. The humbling confessions uttered by persons who wish well to a cause, with a view to stir up their brethren to promote it, are not a subject for insult, and we are far from urging them as such. But we would candidly press upon the announcers of these facts, their own dilemma, that Christianity is essentially "a proselyting religion;" so that if the tenets of Unitarianism (so called, for we by no means admit the fairness of this exclusive assumption of the term, tri-une not being trine) are not of a character to proselyte the world, they are confessed to be false. The writers escape from this suicidal conclusion by urging that their doctrines are fit for missionary purposes; but that the holders of them are not diligent stewards in dispensing them. But this comes to nearly the same thing; since it admits the spiritual inefficiency of the system, even as regards its converts."

REVIEW OF DR. CHANNING ON ASSOCIATIONS.

We find the Review of Dr. Channing on Associations, contained in our number for March, referred to and quoted with much approbation, in different and distant parts of the United States. We mention this as evidence of the interest which is felt in behalf of the benevolent operations of the day, and especially on the subject of the Sabbath. The time has not yet come in this land-God grant it never may-for the observance of the Sabbath to rest on the recommendation of a man, rather than on the law of God.

The Works of President Edwards, with a Memoir of his Life, in ten volumes. New-York: S. Converse. 1829.

We congratulate the religious public on the appearance of this enlarged, complete, and long expected edition of the works of President Edwards. The memoir of his life, with which the first) volume (766 8vo. pages) is filled, will be found exceedingly interesting. It details a great variety of incidents relating to the life of Edwards-the different branches of his family, his early history, the character of his mind, his trials and vicissitudes, his religious exercises, his studies, labors and writings, his correspondence, and the circumstances of his closing scene-with which readers, in general, were entirely unacquainted. Indeed, we have no hesitation in affirming, that the Life of President Edwards has never before been presented to the public. The tenth volume contains the Memoirs of Brainerd, the same that was published, a few years since, in a volume by itself. The eight intervening volumes include what may be termed more appropriately the works of Edwards-some parts of which have never before been published.-We feel a pleasure in inviting the attention of our readers to this great and truly valuable work.

It has been the boast of Unitarians that they place no reliance upon names; and yet no people are more fond of referring to the names of distinguished individuals, and endeavoring to sustain themselves on the ground of authority. How long and often did they lay claim to Watts? Yet it has been shown conclusively that Watts died, as he lived, a firm believer in the supreme Divinity of Jesus Christ.* Sir Isaac Newton, too, has been claimed by them with a frequency and confidence which have seemed to set inquiry and discussion at defiance. But it may well admit of a question, whether Sir Isaac Newton was a Unitarian.-In considering this question, I shall first present the evidence on which it has been pretended that he was a Unitarian; and, secondly, the evidence to prove the contrary.

The evidence to be first exhibited is as follows.

1. Sir Isaac Newton rejected the disputed passages in 1 John v. 7. and 1 Tim. iii. 16. and wrote letters to show that they ought not to be classed with the Apostolical writings.-And so have other Trinitarians rejected these passages, and on the same grounds. The subject is introduced and treated by Newton, not as having any relation to the faith and discipline of the church, but solely as a question of criticism. Addressing his correspondent, be says, "I am confident I shall not offend you, by telling you my mind plainly; especially, since it is no article of faith, no point of discipline, nothing but a criticism concerning a text of Scripture, which I am going to write about." Through the whole discussion, Newton writes just as Griesbach, or any other Trinitarian would have written, who had adopted the same views

See Spirit of the Pilgrims, vol. ii. p. 334.

History of two texts of Scripture, in Works of Newton, vol. v. p. 496.

on a mere question of criticism. He drops no expression in opposition to the Trinity, and no evidence is furnished by the letters (which were published from his manuscripts after his decease) that he was not sincerely a Trinitarian.

2. Whiston, who was well acquainted with Newton, especially in the early part of life, repeatedly speaks of him as an Arian. He informs us, that Newton considered the two witnesses in the Revelation as representing the Arians and the Baptists.* The former part of this testimony I shall consider in another place, and shall show from the manner in which Newton treated it, as well as by quotations from his works, that it could not have been true. In respect to the latter part, it is sufficient to observe, that we have the means of judging as well as Whiston. We have Newton's "Observations on the Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation," and find, on examination, no such interpretation as is here alleged. "When the primitive church catholic, represented by the woman in heaven, apostatized and became divided into two corrupt churches, represented by the whore of Babylon and the two-horned beast, the hundred and forty-four thousand who were sealed out of all the twelve tribes, became the two witnesses, in opposition to those two false churches; and the name of two witnesses, once imposed, remains to the true church of God, in all times and places, to the end of the prophecy."+This does not look as though, in the judgement of Newton, the two witnesses represented the Arians and Baptists; nor is it at all consistent with so childish an interpretation.

3. It has been said, that it was at the suggestion of Sir Isaac Newton that Dr. Clarke was led to adopt his peculiar views of the person of Christ, and to publish what he called "the Scripture doctrine of the Trinity." Thus the Chevalier Ramsay informs us, that "Sir Isaac Newton, being carried away with a fondness to refine upon the ancient heresies of the East, revived Arianism by the pen of his famous disciple and interpreter, Dr. Clarke." The same writer adds, that Dr. Clarke renounced his errors, and deeply regretted what he had done, before his death. But this whole account, it is believed, is without foundation. Dr. Kippis, himself an Arian, declares it "to be an absolute falsehood."I Whiston, in his Memoirs of Clarke, informs us at what time he (Clarke) began to hesitate respecting the Trinity, and expresses the opinion, that his doubts were the result of his own inquiries. p. 8. Mr. Lindsey also rejects the idea, that Newton had an undue influence in forming the opinions of Dr. Clarke, or that he persuaded him to publish on the subject of the Trinity. Indeed,

* Memoirs of Whiston, pp. 206, 477. Whiston also represented Sir Isaac Newton as a Universalist. See Historical Memoirs of Dr. Clarke, p. 75.

+ Works, vol. v. pp. 486, 469.

Preface to Historical View, &c. p. 14.

Biographia Brittanica, vol. iii. p. 606.