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THE REMARK OF THE PANOPLIST, SO TRULY APOSTOLICK, THAT THE UNITARIANS PRAISE ONE ANOTHER."

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I do not wonder that they are so partial to this sally of wit, it has all the qualities of this production of Attica, except brevity. It is so rare a quality too among the orthodox! and it is so precisely suited to the solemnity and awful nature of such a subject!

I was convinced, last summer, when the same writer caught this idea, and run it down through several octavo pages, that he valued it too much to let it sink into oblivion. I had no doubt, that, like the murdered Starrett, it would "re-appear." I am not mistaken; and much as I pity the temper of the editors of the Panoplist, I have yet so much of a christian spirit, that I would not willingly deprive them of the pleasure of repeating this truly Attick jest every year, if I did not owe something to truth.

It is admitted, that certain men who agree in denying the truth or the importance of a particular dogma, and in the excellence of a catholick spirit, do praise one another.

To make this a reproach, (and if it is not a reproach it should not have been introduced, for it cannot be believed that on so solemn a question, as that of the Unity of the supreme God, orthodox men would indulge in ridicule and levity, and wit,) if it be a serious reproach, it should have been accompanied with the proof, that the persons charged denied this praise to others, or that those who were praised, were undeserving of it.

I do not see that any due praise is withheld from the orthodox party. I presume they do not expect us to allow that the superiour learning, or fairness, or candour of some, whom they put forward, is the ground of their selection. Full credit is given by us to the learning and character of the Calvinists. They do not, I conceive, insist,

that their peculiar sentiments shall be acknowledged as the result of their pre-eminent spirit of research, or acquaintance with sacred literature; neither can we feel obliged to consider their intolerance and censoriousness the effect of their piety and benevolence. I think it quite enough in favour of the best of those persons, who promote division, and awaken hateful passions against honest men for being honest, and preferring the Bible to a formula, to allow their anathematizing spirit to be consistent with virtue, but not to be a part of it. With regard to others, they cannot claim more charity than they give.

As to learning, we do not deny the metaphysical powers of Edwards and Hopkins, and the ingenuity of Dr. Emmons; and do not dispute the reputed or known abilities of the Andover professors-but that critical learning, which is applicable to the interpretation of the scriptures, and that literature, which serves to illustrate and adorn religious and moral truth, as is well known, has been in very little repute among the high Calvinists in this part of the country. A regard to the credit and influence of the sect, and the effect of their institution, is doubtless causing a change in this respect, and will probably cause an abatement of their bigotry. On the other hand, will it be denied that the praise bestowed on the Unitarians is well deserved? Will any man question the personal virtue of such men as Lathrop, Channing, Thacher, and the great body of the liberal clergy?

Our country is too much given to self-commendation I admit. But when the orthodox shall produce such works as the writings of Belknap, or the sermons of Clarke, and Buckminster, and Freeman, and so much learning as is found in Everett's answer to English, we will admit that they are as much entitled to praise. At present we cannot compare Morse's Geographical works, or his sermons, such

as we have seen of them, or even Dr. Worcester's letter, with those respectable productions of our country.

But as to this habit of praising one another, you are extremely disingenuous in not feeling and acknowledging the motive. It is to bear up these victims of your vengeance against your slanders, that such things are said. You are the majority. With all the insolence of conscious strength, and with the malignity of enemies, you are assailing, not their opinions and christian standing only, but their probity in the discharge of their function; and when a friend is induced by your calumnies to speak of them with respect, you call it praise.

How consistent is this course in men, who arrogate to themselves en masse all the christianity and all the virtue in the country!! How consistent in men, who sometimes promote to offices of the highest honour those whom they themselves despise, and whom the publick have long since condemned. Let us then hear no more on the subject of the self praise of the Unitarians, until you are prepared to shew that it is ill-deserved. I can see no reason why I should not praise a learned man, because he happens to agree with me, in a doctrine, upon which men of sense, in all ages, where there was freedom of opinion, have been found prone to agree.

HARVARD COLLEGE.

A large proportion of the Review in the Panoplist is devoted to an attempt to render odious the officers of this institution, and to withdraw from it the confidence of the publick. Aware, however, of the hold it has upon the affections of the people, they have thought it necessary to profess a regard for it.

This is, in truth, rather suspicious. The reputed editors of the Panoplist, and authors of the Review, are Alumni of

other colleges, and one or more of them sent into this state, for the purpose of punishing and pursuing the college for refusing to become sectarian. It is remarkable, that almost all the sons of our Alma Mater should be so outdone in filial respect and tenderness by these strangers, whom she never knew! This foreign patriotism, however popular in our country, is attended with some inconveniences. I wish these volunteers in supplying the defects of our mother's own children, had a little different way of shewing their regard. They love her so well, that if she will only give herself up to their views, and cease to consider the peculiar dogmas of their creed as subjects of inquiry and discussion, but will declare them to be first principles, and suffer no liberty upon these points to any of her officers, they will admit, that she is as great a blessing to the publick, as she was in good old times! These generous keepers of their neighbour's vineyard would have it thought, that there is a great change in the theological character of the college, that is, of its superintendents and officers, within the last twenty years. Every one knows, that for sixty years, at least, this institution has been distinguished as the temperate region of theology; that the five points, and other points of violent theorists and zealots for orthodoxy, have never been inculcated, and that the Calvinists and Hopkinsians have always considered Harvard College as a place, where a man, instructer or pupil, might refuse to wear their badges without any forfeiture of reputation or influence.

The Panoplist editors and Reviewers admit, that the college has been, in many points of view, the pride and glory of our western world. Its excellent benefactors they allow to have been pious men, and they agree, that it has been the nursery of a long and illustrious train of civil and religious characters. But they omit to state, that the liberal Hollises are amongst its benefactors; that Mr. Adams, the

president of the United States, and Gore, and Parsons, and Ames, and a multitude of others, who are its present, or have been its late supporters, are ranked in the class of liberal christians. They omit to state, that Clarke, and Belknap, and Osgood, and Porter, and Kirkland, and Channing, and Buckminster, and Thacher, and Norton, and Everett, and others are among its pupils, who have been more distinguished than almost any who preceded them.

They say, we shall resort to a clamour, that the interests of learning are in danger. We shall take no such course. We say that all the charges against our Alma Mater are false. That true religion, pure and unadulterated christianity, is the great object of her pursuit. She maintains, that christianity can be well understood and firmly supported only by diligent, and fair, and impartial inquiry.

The college was originally devoted to "Christ and the church," and at no period of its history did the Christian religion engage there so large a proportion of academick instruction.

At the present day, the study of the christian religion forms the most prominent part. There is, however, no attempt to disseminate Unitarian or any other sectarian principles. The minds of the youth are left to the operation of free inquiry. The books which are taught, Butler, and Paley, and Grotius, are the works of men eminent for their piety, and read and approved in orthodox seminaries.

The Reviewers speak of the munificent founders of ancient times. The whole records of the University cannot furnish an example of such a donation, as the late noble endowment for a professorship of Greek; one of the main objects of which is to aid in the critical examination of the holy scriptures.

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