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versy in Massachusetts, and the recent clamours, which have been excited against certain pastors, and certain tenets; without recollecting, what we know to be the fact, that for many years, Dr. Morse, and those who have chosen to identify their cause with his character and views, knew, as well as they now do, that many of the Boston clergy, held opinions opposed to those of Calvin, and in conformity with the simple doctrines which our Saviour himself taught. They knew also, that these opinions were generally prevalent among the laity in their parishes. Yet during all this period, Dr. Morse courted their friendship, and held an intimate intercourse with the men, he now denounces as heretical. It was not till after his ambitious views on the college were defeated, and till most of the parishes in Boston, felt a repugnance to his introduction into their pulpits, on various grounds, that he became an open assailant."

It is not my business to defend Dr. Morse; I rejoice that the controversy stands, unconnected with him, or any other man. If Dr. Morse has acted inconsistently, that does not alter the doctrine of the Saviour's divinity. There will always be many side with the true doctrine, who are not always sanctified by the truth. Dr. Morse's friends represent the matter in a very different light, they say, that he has been persecuted by the "liberal party" for his faithfulness to the truth. The Panoplist review intimates as much: "The manner in which Dr. M. is mentioned in this letter, (Mr. Wells's) and the influence which he is deemed to

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have, will account for no small part of the zeal, which some Unitarians have shewn to put him down. "Worthy" conduct in a "worthy" cause!" Dr. Worcester intimates, that he has been persecuted, and driven from a settlement by "liberal men," and he says, "I have witnessed the sufferings of others in similar circumstances, and particularly of a beloved brother, in your vicinity." I suppose this means Mr. Codman. With the merits of all those circumstances I am not much acquainted, nor do I think they ought to be connected with the present question. It belongs entirely to Congregationalists, which is not the case with the doctrine of the Trinity, the Atonement, Justification by faith, &c.; these concern the whole catholick church. So is the question, which Dr. Worcester says " is now at issue," belonging to Congregationalists alone; for I believe all other churches in the world have long ago decided, what is now at issue, between the orthodox Congregationalists, and Unitarians; "Whether visible christian fellowship ought to be maintained between orthodox christians and Unitarians." Who can possibly hesitate on such a question? Be assured that Unitarians do not. And if Orthodox Congregationalists do, they must have strange ideas of Orthodoxy. Although the above is a sectarian question, Dr. Worcester introduces doctrines which concern all the faithful, in his second letter to Mr. Channing, and in which we must all agree with him. He tells us, "Jesus Christ is revealed as our Redeemer and Saviour. According to the scriptures, He is "the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world." His "flesh was given for the

life of the world;"-his "blood was shed for many for. He "was offered to bear the

"

the remission of sins." sins of many.' He was made a curse for us, and bore our sins in his own body on the tree." He "was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification." "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches. of his grace." He " gave himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God." "He appeared to put away sin, by the sacrifice of himself;"-and he is the propitiation, the expiatory sacrifice, for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." "Not by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us;" wherefore "He is able to save them to the uttermost, that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." "This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." In these and the passages to the same effect, with which the. scriptures abound, we see the foundation of all our hopes for eternity. This foundation is Jesus ChristJesus Christ crucified. Upon this divine testimony, so explicit and so abundant, we believe that the death of Jesus Christ was a vicarious atonement, a propitiatory sacrifice for sin and that in him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins; and solely on account of the

merits of his blood."*

This is what Belsham calls,

"unscriptural" and "irrational;" but when I consider what a profound veneration a "Layman" has for the scriptures, without any comment, or any thing tacked to them, I thought to myself, he must have had a treat, when reading this part of Dr. Worcester's letter; but I cannot imagine how any one, who thinks the doctrine of Atonement "unscriptural" and "irrational," can retain such a high estimation of the scriptures; for they certainly express themselves in such a way, that to say the least, they are liable to deceive many, if the doctrine of Atonement is untrue. They express, rather unguardedly, in many passages, respecting the person of Christ, if he was merely man; instance the following: "As the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son, to have life in himself. He and his Father are one. He is in the Father, and the Father in him. All things that the Father hath, are his; and what things. so ever the Father doth, these also doth the Son like

"Without shedding of blood there was (by the law) no remission, and that in the case of Cain and Abel in particular, the Apostle remarks, Heb. xi. 4, that by faith, Abel offered a more excellent, or fuller sacrifice than Cain.-If we seriously weigh these particulars, we shall see reason to conclude, that the matter of Abel's sacrifice was more acceptable to God, than that of Cain's; as better representing the sufferings and death of the promised seed, for the sins of the world. And further, as Abel is said to have offered his sacrifice in faith, (surely of the Redeemer to come, and of the redemption through his blood) and this is given by St. Paul, as the reason of his offering the more excellent sacrifice; we may infer that Cain did not bring his offering, in the same faith as Abel did, and that by presenting only the fruits of the ground, he acknowledged indeed Jehovah, as his Creator, and Preserver, but not as his Redeemer; and had apostatized from the faith of a divine but suffering and dying Saviour; and consequently, was the first Deist, that ever was in the world."

Parkhurst's Hebrew Lexicon,

;

wise. He said also, that God was his father, making himself equal with God. He is the first, and the last : It is he that liveth, and was dead, and behold he is alive for ever more; Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. For thus saith God unto the Son, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Great is the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom, and knowledge; Jesus knew all men, and needed not any should testify of man; for he knew what was in man. He knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. And when any reasoned within themselves, he perceived their thoughts. For it is he that searcheth the reins and hearts. We are sure that he knew all things; and by this we believe that he came forth from God. All power was given unto him, in heaven and in earth; and the works that he did bear witness of him, for the winds and the sea obeyed him. And there were also many other wonderful things that Jesus did, which none other man did. He had power on earth to forgive sins; and who can forgive sins but God only? As the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. And he gave his disciples power and authority over all devils and unclean spirits, to cast them out; and power to heal all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease. It is he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; and hath the keys of hell, and death. This is he that is holy; he that is true; Jesus Christ the right

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