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divest my mind of the idea , that had some of them lived in the primitive ages of the church , with their present dispositions , they would scarcely have been honoured with the " crown of martyrdom j" or had they been contemporaries with Luther and Socinus
and Servetus , that they would have materially aided the cause of the Reformation by the boldness of their preaching and writing . But where can be the consistency of extolling the memory of confessors and martyrs , if our own conduct be just the reverse of theirs ? In so doing we tacitly condemn ourselves .
If my humble advice could be of any service , I would say—Let those who perceive the necessity of making a fearless avowal of unpopular truth , be under no apprehension of offending
the rich , lukewarm members of their congregations , or of losing a pupil or two ; for though the adoption of a manly and zealous course may at first draw forth , the bitter calumnies ~ of
enemies and the coldness or desertion of professed friends , yet time and perseverance will © vereome these evils ; and a temporary inconvenience or loss , under such circumstances , will , in one way or another , be amply compensated in the end . But let the result be
vvhatever it may , none of these things ought to intimidate us ; for our great Master , whose example we are com * manded to follow , was buffeted and spit upon , and treated as the offscouring of the earth ; and persecution in a good cause is always honourable . I am afraid it has not unfrequently
happened that ministers , in their advanced age , have had too much reason to regret their having , kept in the back ground the doctrines of the gospel . It k a well known feet , that many congregations have gradually become
extinct , m consequence of ministers never preaching their doctrinal sentiments ; and it ought not to be a matter of astonishment to hear of Calvinists being chosen to succeed such
Unitarians .. Perhaps it would be too much to expect that many old ministers will deviate from their accustomed track ; but it unquestionably behoves all who are young and active € t to be up and doing , " that they jnay never have to lament a want of zeal and fortitude in the best of causes . S 1 LVANUS GIBBS .
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P . S . Allow me to submit the expediency of re-printing , for the use of our Tiiact Societies , Dr . Priestley ' s histories of the Corruptions of Christianity , and Early Opinions concerning the Person of Christ , uniformly with the last 12 mo edition of his Institutes .
1 he Greek and Latin quotations , not being of general use , might be omitted , in order to render the works as cheap as possible . I would also beg to observe , that no book is more wanted to put into the hands of new converts , than a good history of Unitarianism , from the earliest to the present time .
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Sir , February 1 , 1821 . WHE N I sent you my paper upon the spurious books of the New Testament , [ XV . 448 and 525 , ] from an aversion to religious controversy ^ which so commonly produces sourness of temper , I determined not to be dragged into such a situation , by any opposition that might be made to it .
Two of your Correspondents , under the signatures of Cephas fXV . 666 and 709 ] and Euelpis , £ XV . 714 , ;) have thought fit to unite against the opinions I have advanced , and Cephas has brought forward a string of arguments which I shall decline going into the
particulars of , not because they appear to me unanswerable , for I think them all capable of a full and complete reply ; but to escape from a controversy , where I rather wish to leave the matter to the candid and impartial judgment of our readers .
Before your correspondents went into any particular arguments against my opinions , it appears to me they ought to have done one of these two things ; to shew , first , that the evidence I produced in favour of the authenticity of Luke's writings is not wellfounded , and that lie was not entitled
to any preference ; or that the Gospels of Matthew and John are supported by evidence equally strong , and , therefore , entitled to equal credit ; but they have not done either . There is an insinuation in the paper of Cephas , that I am an unbeliever in disguise ,
endeavouring to undermine Christianity ; this insinuation it behoves me to repel ; and probably I cannot do it better tbau by remarking upon a passage or two of his , winch appear to me of such importance to the interest of Christianity as to deinaiul notice .
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On the Spurious Books of t / ie New Testament . 227
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), April 2, 1821, page 227, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2499/page/35/
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