Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-04-24
A Reply to the Rev. Mr.. Ecob ana
the Rev. Samuel URjOhn.
Br PHILIP s. 1HAcHER.


We did not provoke the unjust and untrue
public assertions of these clergymen, VIZ
th.t Unitarians s.donf 6eiiere in asy resHr-
yees;on, nor ia CRsist either rery MICA ana
sit Is ,erong to pafronise an orgdH'Sd''0"
.rhieh denies Christ"
think it dne to the cause of truth, as well
as to the interest awakened in the puoiic
mind bv these assertions. to protest against
such INTERPRETATIONS So that they may not
persevere in the repetition of miscellaneous
prejudicial to our denomination. III the
purity aud disinterestedness of their lnfen-
tons in making such remarks entertain no
doubt, and therefore write without any
ssaeetuM heoiogieum," and will not say any
thing sneeringly or contemptuousiy OF sucn
as do not endorse our views.
Not few of those who say We deny the
resurrection resemble those people at Ephe-
sus who shouted for two hours and none OF
them knew what they were shouting about.
The ablest Unitarian writer's defend 1.-THE doc
trine of the resurrection" See the works OF
Claiming, Peabody, Ware, Furness. walk
er. Dewey, Moves, Norton, Judd, Lams0n,
Livermore &c., &c. Only few clergymen
doubt the Historical resurrection" but ALL
believe in Pauls doctrine of = spirifMal res
direction Mathew Arnold, is an Episcopa-
liam. and therefore no authority for Unitarians,
and Mr. Savage is a graduate from the VI
thodox church.
To say that we s'deny Christ is very alb
surd, because any well informed man knows
that the most scholarly works ever published
in defense of christianity, were written by
Untarians. To mention only few distin'
guished writers, there are Clement of Rome,
Torful.
liam, Origen, Eusebius, John Locke, Newton
Priestley, Norton. Martineau, and host OF
other mighty names. They have been edu'
eating all the time the very men who say that
we s'deny Christ" and their works have en-.
tered every religious denomination and caused
revolt against the old dOgmas. Instead OF
s.denying Christ" we regard christianity as
the purest vision of heavenly beauty that has
dawned upon the human spirit, the sweetest
hope that can lift the shadows from mourn
ing hearts, the grandest psalm that was
ever sung by an inspired soul. We differ
from other churches in our Interpretation OF
the Gospel. but not more than they differ
from US, and, as no church can claim any in
fallibility of Interpretation which any other
may not claim with equal reason, If our diff
fering from them proves that we ''deny
Christ" then their differingfrom us will also
prove that they "deny Christ" We simply
DENY the doctrine of the Trinity, because it is
of heather origin, unreasonable and unscrip-
tural. 1t degrades our lofty conception OF
God to say that he was born in a manger and
wrapped in baby-clothes Jesus grew in
wisdom Could the Omniscient God increase
in wisdom? BY trying to make Jesus both
God and man he is made neither. For a man
who is finite, cannot be infinite at the same
time. The Son cannot be the Father. If
Jesus was God and the Son of God, then he
must have been his own father! That there
should be three persons each of whom is God,
and yet, that they should each be part of
God is exceedingly incredible. Three per-
sons must be three Gods. There is not one pas
sage in the Bible which teaches the Deity Of
Christ. OF II passages in the New Testament
where the Father is styled one or only one, there
is not single passage in which Jesus is so call
ed. There are 800 passages in which the Father
is called called God, and not one in which Je-
sus is so-called. There are 80 passages in
which we are taught to pray to God, and not
one where we are taught to pray to Christ.
There are 800 passages in which the Son is
declared to be subordinate to the Father,
such as: ''The Father is greater than L.
1.-The Son can do nothing of himself" 81
came not to do mine own will" We believe
Jesus to be the grandest person of the ages,
and that his influence will descend down the
coming centuries, blessing them. and filling
them with the music of higher life. What
his life ras that let ours be, then we shall
rise to purer modes of being, and be caught
up into finer thought of God.