REVIEW OF RELIGIOUS PUBLICATIONS.

The Practical Efficacy of the Unitarian Doctrine considered; in a Series of Letters to the Rev. Andrew Fuller: Occasioned by his Publication, entitled, "The Calvinistic and Socinian Systems examined and compared, as to their Moral Tendency," To which is added, the Second Edition of an Essay on the Grounds of Love to Christ. By Joshua Toulmin, D. D. 12mo. Pages 74. Johnson.

MR.

[R. FULLER's" celebrated piece" certainly deserves the attentive perusal of those whose principles it combats; and had some of the eminent writers, more immediately alluded to in that work, come forward with their own remarks, they might, probably, have raised their reputation for candour, without any disparagement to their acknowledged abilities.

That their silence is not occasioned by any mean opinion of Mr. Fuller's performance, may safely be inferred from the concessions made by some of the most sagacious of their party; that it cannot be attributed to their dislike to controversy is evident, since that has been hitherto as dear to them as their necessary food; that it cannot be owing to their want of ability, we learn from Dr. Toulmin, who assures us they are every way equal to the contest, if they saw fit to enter the lists." The most candid construction, therefore, that can be put on this unusual reserve is, to ascribe it to an excess of modesty.

Some, indeed, have been so uncharitable as to impute it to their fear. A popular clergyman, who resides at Taunton, seems to exult at the idea, and provokingly insinuates, that "their religion has received a wound, from which it will, not easily recover Others, secing so many young Ministers, once the rising hopes of the party, renouncing their clerical order, and preferring the consistency of infidelity, to the absurdity of their Socinian creed, have embraced the same opinion. But whatever motive influenced these doughty champions, who had long defied the armies of the orthodox, to hide their heads at the approach of Mr. Fuller, the expiring cause they have treacherously forsaken, experiences a momentary revival, while the wise and amiable Dr. Toulmin, roused, perhaps, to martial ardour by their dereliction, girds on his armour for the battle.

Our attention being strongly excited, we determined to sit down and watch the progress and issue of this important combat. The Doctor, in the first two pages, makes a decent apology for presenting himself to the encounter. In the third, he respectfully accosts his opponent, and, to prevent mistakes, informs him, "that minute reply to his arguments is not intended;" that he shall

confine himself to one point, but that a point which he thinks of the most essential moment, and decisive." We now expected nothing less than an immediate thrust at the vitals of The Systems compared; but, to our unspeakable astonishment, we soon perceived that the one decisive point the Doctor intended, was to turn his back upon his enemy, and quit, with the utmost expedition, the very good ground of the controversy.

Every individual, we believe, who peruses this treatise as an an、 swer to Mr. Fuller, will feel the same surprise and disappointment, if he adverts for a moment to the matter in dispute, and the method of reasoning proposed and pursued for bringing it to a decision.

No two systems can be more directly opposite, than the Calvinistic and Socinian; yet each party maintains that his system is the true one, being exclusively countenanced by the Scriptures. How shall this point be determined? When the prophet Elijah asserted that the Lord was God, the prophets of Baal denied it, and claimed this honour for the object of their worship. Invoke then your Deity, and I will call upon the name of the Lord, replied the venerable man, and let him that answereth by fire be God. The proposal was accepted, and the controversy soon decided We cannot have recourse, says Mr. Fuller, to this expedient, but I will propose a criterion no less sure and efficacious. We each allow that the doctrines propagated by Christ, and his Apostles, converted profligates, convinced unbelievers, promoted morality and piety in general, produced love to God, candour and benevolence to men, humility, charity, love to Christ, veneration for the Scriptures, happiness, chearfulness, gratitude, obedience, and heavenly-mindedness. Now let our systems be fairly stated, and brought to the test of these Scriptural effects. Let us examine which has the greatest tendency to produce the same: let us refer to plain acknowledged facts, and see which does actually produce them, and let that be esteemed the true Scriptural system.

No proposal could be more fair, manly, or explicit; and it is generally believed, no argumentation could be conducted with greater candour or force. It was, therefore, incumbent on Dr. Toulmin, appearing in quality of a respondent, to prove, or, at least, attempt to prove, that this statement of the systems was unfair; that his reasoning on their tendency was inconclusive; or that the facts adduced by him were untrue; Instead of which, he does neither; but contents himself with asserting, that the Apostles were Socinians, because they taught (what every Calvinist zealously maintains) that there is but one God, and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who taught the doc trine of a future life; that their system was productive of good effects and, therefore, that the Socinian system must be a good one. This is the substance of his pamphlet; and this, without touching one argument, or even attempting it, he deems a sufficient reply to Mr. Fuller !!!

A Letter

A Letter on the Doctrine of the Trinity; addressed to the Baptist Society at Guilsborough, Northamptonshire.

Art. II. A Second Letter on the Doctrine of the Trinity: addressed to the Baptist Society at Guilsborough. By E. Sharman. Johnson.

THE writer of the above articles, we learn, was a member of the Baptist Church at Guilsborough, under the pastoral care of Mr. John Edmonds; and preached to a congregation at Moulton, near Northampton. Having renounced those important principles which he had professed and preached for several years past, the congregation at Moulton thought proper to dispense with his ministerial services; and the church at Guilsborough, after repeated admonitions, excluded him from their society.

The object of these Letters, is to state the objections which Mr. S. entertains against the doctrine of the Trinity, the deity of Christ, &c. and to fix a charge on the Society at Guilsborough of having violated the right of private judgment. On the doctrinal part of the subject, the reader will find little more than stale common-place objections against the leading articles of the Christian faith, dressed up in vulgar language, and supported by bold assertions, unaccompanied with evidence. There is nothing but what has been advanced to far greater advantage by former writers, and refuted by those on the other side.

If there be any thing worthy of notice, it is that which relates to the right of private judgment; and here we find much more of declamation than of argument. Mr. S.'s notions on this subject, if realized, would introduce a practice as contrary to Scripture, as it is to common sense. If he be right, Paul must have been wrong in wishing that those who perverted the Gospel of Christ, and thereby troubled the churches of Galatia, were cut off. That every man should be at liberty to form and avow his religious sentiments, without being exposed to civil penalties, is one thing; and that a Christian Society should be obliged to tolerate principles subversive of Christianity, is another. Every individual has a right to withdraw from a society, the leading principles of which he disapproves; and if, instead of declaiming against infallibility, persecu tion, and bigotry, Mr. S. had given one good reason why a society should not possess an equal right to withdraw from an individual under similar circumstances, his performance had been much more worthy of the reader's attention.

Mr. S. must have been extremely ignorant of the principles of Trinitarians, at the time he professed to embrace them; otherwise he could not have addressed his former connexions, as σε declaring that three persons, and the man Christ Jesus, are the self-existent Jehovah." Let. 1. p. 28. If such were his own declarations, when a professed Trinitarian, he could not indeed "know what he meant," nor, 'as we should think, believe what he said."

Mr. S. has ranked himself amongst the scribblers of the age;" (Let. i. p. 1.) and we must acknowledge that we cannot object to the propriety of this part of his performance.

POETRY