Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-03-30

" even, as a denomination. profess to take the
Bible as their creed, and to submit their faith
to the decisions Of that book no, not even
the Bible as they understand ia state
ment to which we can oppose no honest de-
NAL, taken in the sense in which the writer
uses and iutends IT, For certainly, the sort
Of use, the kind OF difference, which Calvin
ism practices towards the Scriptures, is not
Enthusiastically our own. There are doubt
l"ss, very many Unitarians who use the Bible
in an orthodox spirit, and study it to disin.
ter the buried theology of the book but
characterstically, Unitarans road and study
the Bible for its general spirit and positive
history as n depository Of facts and princi-
pies which will enable them, conformity with
the light of reason and the developments of
the religious experience of the world. to make
| up their Christian creed. To say that they
do not feel the devoutest love and reverence
for the Bible, we should Judge to be a misro-
presentation but not so to say that they re-
gard it very differently from orthodoxy, as
directory of theological opinions.
The truth is, we value Cnitarianisn for
"hdt orthodoxy depreciates it, and we sup
pose its chief merits to be just where Cal
vinism finds its chief faults. We say this in
no defying or complacent temper, but in SIM
pie manliness and truth. We consider it i'm
I
nounces as our infdclity is our Christianity /;
that she is not mistaken in imagiying that
our general view Of Christianity is very dfie-
rent from hers, and, in some respects, quite
opposite to 1T and that we believe the pro-
gress of truth lies in our direction. Mr..
Worcester understands Unitarianism, we
doubt not and he thinks it (measurirg it by
his theological standards and habits of
thought) dangerous and unchristian. 1t is
So if his theology be sound and his methods
of eSegess correct and we thank him for
saying SO. Wesuppose we understand Calvin
| ism and we don't like it and we are as free
as Mr.. w orcester to say SO, md we presume he
! will thank Us for it. But we are very happy
in thinking Mr.. Worcester a Christian man
IA wonderfully Christian man, considering
| his creed-and here we think we have the
advantage of him. 1t would he SO painful to
us to think God hated him, or that God bade
us shoulder him out of our way, on the road
to a funeral so mortiiying to us to be
obliged to set up for more Christian man
than he so absolutely dreadful to look
upon him and his (millions as they are) as
good, worthy folks on the way to hell, that
we cannot but congratulate ourselves on our
Unitarian laSitv Of charity and looseness OF
! hope, and present even our very fault and
error in his eyes, rs claim to his envy, and
even an argument against hi- n""~-' ' '''''
We cannot, however, attach as much i'm.
/ rortance as many, to the standing OF Unita-
| rianism in 9 the Church. The Church-iu
which Mr.. Young dcvoutly believes-docsno, no
believe in him. We mean by the Church
| the great visible organization of Chri.ten.
| dom and as we believe full as much in the
! invisible church. which is the Christian
heart of Christendom, as in the representa-
tion of the positive institutions Of Christian
ity, we consider the sympathy which Unita
rianism has from the Christian uorld. ial
more decisive and valuable than the endorse
ments or forhearance it receives from sects
and denominations, and clorgymen. OF tn,
respectful aifectiOnate, and iraternal recog
milton and appreciation Of this Christian
world, in its literature, its life. its social ant
civic confidence, Cnitaranism has no grounc
of complaint. Historians, poets. artists
statesmen, men Of genius, and feeling, anC
popular power-thc people in their best anC
ireest hours, and in their indirect actions
all show quite as much respect, a1rcton anC
! Confidence iuI uuI JuittI iiu faith, az /, mo
rts and for its representatives even NOR
than they deserve. While this continue
and increases we can spare the countcnanc
of our Calvinstic clergy in our funeral ser
vices, and even bear without serious ncon
vcnience or hard feeling their doubts ubou
our ultimate salvation. which we know must
cost them many anxious hours and painful
emotions. For their own sakcs, would the
could be easy about us