wise are entitled to our respectful attention, we deny that they have a right to command our homage, unless so far as they are found to agree with truth. Indeed, our chief concern is, not to inquire who supported any peculiar doctrine; but upon what evidence does it rest? is it agreeable to Scripture rightly interpreted, or is it in opposition to the revealed will of God? This ought to be the chief question with us, and thus will we test our Author's argument. The whole substance of this book is embodied in the following passage:

"The doctrine of Atonement may be thus summarily stated. The Gospel recognises man as in a state of condemnation, the result of sin. God's moral law had been broken, upon the sanctity of which, that is, the depth and solemnity of the reverence, and the obedience paid to it, the well-being of the whole intelligent creation depends. It was, consequently, requisite, that in any extension of mercy to transgressors, the sanctity of the law should be upheld. In order, then, to conciliate, not God's wrath and vindictiveness, but his just, and necessary, and considerate regard to his own law, with mercy to the transgressors, Christ was appointed to suffer the penalty of their sins, in which appointment he freely and voluntarily acquiesced. And the same beneficial influences being thus secured, which would have been secured by the punish. ment of the offenders themselves, pardon was freely offered to all, who were willing to accept it on the conditions appointed.” (p. 15.)

it.

In this view of Atonement, it will be observed, that many of the most irrational parts of the commonly received Calvinistic doctrine, are avoided, and, therefore, the same objections do not exist in their full force with respect to But we think that the chief difficulty remains, viz. that it is, and must be an act of gross injustice to punish the innocent instead of the guilty. What an absurdity it is to maintain that a God of justice as well as mercy, would transfer punishment from one to another, that his wrath must be satisfied by the sufferings of the pure and the guiltless. Our Author indeed declares, that it is not God's wrath that must be satisfied, but God's law, which 'tis absolutely necessary to vindicate and maintain. Now, we utterly deny, that God's law, the immutable law of justice, viz. the rendering to every man according to his deeds, is at all vindicated or maintained by the punishment of inno

cence, nay, we hold that the very punishment of the innocent instead of the guilty, would itself be the most flagrant violation of that immutable law. Our author sees the objection and tries to obviate it.

"Another objection," says he, "is, that this doctrine represents God as unjust, since he punishes the innocent for the guilty. But in considering the government of God as carried on in the world around us, we cannot but be struck with observing that suffering is frequently the lot of the most excellent, and is, in many cases, the very result and consequence of their excellence, Howard Gied of the malady he had contracted in visiting a prison; and, in an age of persecution, the firm, upright, and conscientious man is brought to the dungeon, or the stake, while he that can shape his creed according to the command of a government, or the fashion of a court, escapes and flourishes. Paul languishes in a prison at Rome; Demas, who loves this present world, departs unhurt, unhindered to Thessalonica. (2 Tim. iv. 10.) Again it must be observed, that it is the result of that constitution of things which God has set up, that in many cases we can help others only by the sacrifice of our own ease, comfort, or relaxation. If we would release the debtor, or relieve the poor, we must diminish our substance; if we would tend the sick, we must become prisoners by his bed-side; if we would enlighten the ignorant, we must give up our time to his instruction. It may be that the debt, or poverty, or sickness, or ignorance is the result of sin, or at least of culpable carelessness: but that will not prevent or diminish the necessity of the sacrifice made to remedy or relieve it, so that for one to suffer for the sins of another, or for another's benefit, is so general, and rises so naturally out of the constitution which God has given to human nature and society, that it may be considered as one of his appointments."

If this be all the meaning which our Author attaches to the term Atonement, there was no occasion for an elaborate defence of it; for who can deny that Christ has suffered in the cause, cr, if you please, in the room of suffering humanity. That is, he voluntarily endured calumny and persecution, ignominy and death, that he might instruct men in their duty, and acquaint them with their destiny; teach them the way to obtain happiness here and blessedness hereafter.. But the Calvinistic Atonement is very different from this; it represents the Almighty as enter

taining such wrath against his creatures, because of Adam's sin, that all were doomed to everlasting punishment; which punishment they must have endured, had not the full amount of that suffering been actually submitted to by Christ. Now, doubtless, the patriot and the philanthropist endure griefs and ills for the common good, and thus may be said to suffer in the stead of those whom their valour or benevolence have freed, instructed, and comforted: but who dreams that this self-devotion is necessary to appease God's wrath? Oh no, 'tis a peculiar mark of the Almighty's love, that he raises up, from time to time, good and pure spirits, willing to toil, and labour, and suffer for the benefit of their brethren; and by far the greatest manifestation of God's love (not wrath) to man is referred to, by an inspired Apostle, in these remarkable words, which we think should go far to settle the question, "In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world that we might live through him." (1 John iv. 9.)

We had intended to enter at large into the numerous scripture proofs of this position, but as we know that a cheap reprint of a very celebrated American work on the Atonement, is about to issue from the Belfast press, we shall reserve our remarks on this strangely mystified doctrine until its publication.

CIRCULAR OF THE IRISH UNITARIAN SOCIETY.

To the Editor of the Bible Christian.

SIR, There appeared in the Bible Christian for October last, some extracts from a circular, addressed by the secretary of the Irish Unitarian Christian Society, to the ministers and elders of congregations in Ireland, supposed to be favourable to Unitarian Christianity; to which were added some valuable remarks of the Editor, showing the necessity and advantage of the co-operation thus called for. The subject is certainly highly important, and I expected that the discussion of it would have furnished your pages with many excellent articles; that, in fact, you would have been embarrassed, amidst the multiplicity of communications, which to lay before the public. Nearly five months have now elapsed, and what has been the result?

With one single exception, I have not heard of the slightest notice having been taken of the circular. If there had been any where congregational meetings for the purpose of ascertaining the feelings of the people, and of awakening their zeal by representing to them the necessity of exertion, surely we might expect to find some details of such proceedings in the Bible Christian; one most important object of which is, to circulate among our Christian brethren a knowledge of what is doing in the great cause of Gospel truth, and thus stimulate others to go and do likewise. Can you, Mr. Editor, give or procure for me and the public some information on this matter? No doubt, some flourishing statements will be forthcoming at the eleventh hour, to figure in the report at the Dublin Unitarian Anniversary in April. But 1 am a plain-spoken and rather querulous kind of person; and am very curious to know why a letter, which seems to myself so eminently calculated to draw attention to the present position of Unitarians, and which so earnestly appealed to them for sympathy and co-operation, should have so totally failed in its object. QUERULUS.

January, 1839.

INTELLIGENCE.

CONGREGATIONAL MEETING AT BATH.

THE members of the Bath Unitarian Congregation met in the Assembly-Rooms, on the afternoon of the 2d of October, for the purpose of friendly communion. Two hundred and thirty persons were present, including ten Unitarian Ministers. The choir of the Chapel sang an appropriate hymn, and, at half past six o'clock, the chair was taken by the Rev. J. Murch.

The CHAIRMAN said, it was one of the most gratifying circumstances of the meeting, that it was honoured with the presence of two gentlemen who had seceded from the Established Church. He reverenced fidelity and fearlessness wherever they were found; but when he saw men quitting for conscience' sake, an Establishment to which so many deemed it an honour to belong, and with which were connected all their own early associations and worldly interests, he found it difficult to express his feeling of respect. Two of those gentlemen were present to encourage others to follow their

example; from one he hoped to hear what first led him to release himself from the degrading bondage of the Thirty-nine Articles, and the Athanasian Creed; and by the other, he trusted they would be told some of the secrets of that prison-house, which was every year exciting more attention- the Irish Church. He gladly called the attention of the meeting to "Unitarian Confessors: honour to the men who have not allowed the tempting advantages of the Church of England to prevent a careful inquiry into the pure meaning of the Sacred Records, or a fearless avowal of their belief in Unitarian Christianity; may they receive, in this world, the sympathy of the wise and good, and, in the world to come, life everlasting."

Rev. J. GIBSON felt that he was not worthy to be called upon to respond to such a sentiment. He had been accustomed to venerate the Priestleys and Lindseys of a former generation too highly, to suppose that he could be placed in the same list. When he began to doubt, it was not so much on the subject of Trinitarianism, as on that of Conformity, which perpetually clashed with his feelings as a man, and his duties as a minister. This was the first meeting of the kind he had attended, and it delighted him to see so much earnestness in the cause of truth, blended with so much charity towards persons of different opinions. He had certainly passed through a trial; but having, in humble reliance on the Great Author of Truth, sought diligently, he could not allow any worldly considerations to prevent a frank avowal.

Rev. G. ARMSTRONG (the other clergyman) had belonged to the Irish Church, and could say, from experience, how deeply religion had been injured by the worldliness of its professors. When his friend wrote to him, to say something about the “Irish Church, or religion without worldly fetters," he remembered that there was the same connexion between the two subjects as between black and white, light and darkness, heaven and earth. He then entered into an interesting calculation, founded on statistical returns, for the purpose of showing the cost of inculcating the Established religion in different countries; and it appeared, that in Belgium the cost was 7d. a-head, in Scotland, 4s., in England, 10s., and in Ireland, (average) 16s.; in some of the more Catholic benefices, the cost exceeded £39 a-head. On these grounds, he called upon the meeting to adopt the sentiment put into his hands, —“ Religion without Worldly Fetters; Protestantism freed from the charge of a Mercenary Spirit; National Emoluments devoted to National Pur