Freedom of investigating truth commenced with the Presbyterians, among whom were more learned theologians, and a more liberal church discipline, than among the Independents or Baptists. The ecclesiastical synods of the English Presbyterians, however, were never able to accomplish much, and they at length fell into disuse. The unitarian faith was not suspected of being disse. minated among them, till the year 1718, when the Rev. James Peirce, minister at Exeter, who prosecuted the undertaking of Locke by a very learned commentary on several of the Epistles of Paul, was compelled, by the intolerance of some of his presbyterian brethren, publicly to declare his dissent from the commonly received doctrine of the trinity. Many imitated his example; and to prevent further discord, a council of dissenting clergymen in London was resolved upon, and more than a hundred were present. Here the attempts of those, who wished to impose subscription to the doctrine of the trinity, as it is expressed in the First and Second Articles of the English church, were frustrated. The opinions of Peirce, who inclined to Arianism, were not so far confuted by this contest, as to prevent their further dissemination; but, on the contrary, as the examination of one truth leads to the discovery of others, the greater part of the Presbyterians in the western were induced to examine the subject more thoroughly, and the result was a conviction, that the trinity has no foundation in scripture. Emlyn was an Arian, but Manning rejected the doctrine of the pre-existence. See Life of Emlyn, p. 13. The works of Emlyn, in three volumes, are valuable. The two first volumes contain several articles, written with great perspicuity, in defence of the doctrine of the divine unity. The last consists of sermons. A very circumstantial account of the persecutions he suffered for his opinions is prefixed to the first volume: He died July, 30. 1741. ED. counties of England came over not only to the Arian faith, but to all the doctrines of unitarianism.* The writings of Lardner contributed very much to the diffusion of these sentiments among the Presbyterians. In his work on the Credibility of the Gospel History, he has left a lasting monument of his erudition, industry, and candour. In his letters on the Logos, and in his sermons on Philippians, ii. 6, he has proved himself an equally powerful antagonist to the corrupters and the opposers of christianity. Almost all the Presbyterian Dissenters from the Church of England now profess the unitarian faith, if we may take the words in such a sense as to comprise all, who hold to the deity of the Father only. The English Baptists have almost from their origin been divided into the Particular and General Baptists. The first adopted the sentiments of Calvin, and the latter those of Arminius. The General Baptists having rejected the doctrine of the trinity, the common test of orthodoxy, serious controversies followed, which gave rise to another secession. The larger part of them now profess the unitarian faith. A party has lately sprung *Peirce's paraphrase is after the manner of Locke's. His notes are much more voluminous and learned. In his Dedication, prefixed to the Paraphrase on the Epistle to the Colossians, he says, "I am more indebted to Locke, than to any man, for what understanding I have in St. Paul's Epistles, and whose admirable rules and example, I have, the best I could, endeavoured to follow." The notes on the Epistle to the Hebrews in particular, discover great learning and critical research. This was a posthumous work, and at the time of the author's death was finished only to the 34th verse of the tenth chapter, with a small part of the twelfth. It was continued and completed by Mr. Hallett. Peirce left also several valuable Dissertations on diferent parts of scripture. Locke's Paraphrase and Notes extend to the Epistles to the Galatians, Corinthians, Romans, and Ephesians; and Peirce's to the Colossians, Philippians, and Hebrews. Er. sense. up, also, among the Particular Baptists, who call themselves Unionists, and are unitarians in the Sabellian Robert Robinson, a distinguished baptist, became towards the close of his life a unitarian, although he had before written a defence of the Deity of Christ, which is reckoned one of the best that has ever appeared.* Robinson had native eloquence; not polished, nor such as would always please the refined taste of the learned, but full of thought and feeling, aided by a good voice, expression, and gesture, and peculiarly adapted to inflame the minds of his hearers with the love of religious liberty, which he so ardently cherished. The Independents were much more circumspect in their measures to impede the progress of religious improvement. Always prepared to impose creeds, or fulminate censures, they fortified their pulpits and societies against every species of new doctrine. They even initiate their children into the mysteries of the trinity. They have thus always remained nearly in the same condition. By continual controversies, however, they have gradually acquired a use of language, which is not obviously so much at variance as formerly with the words of scripture. Hence, some of their ministers and most learned men have become unitarians. After this manner Dr. Watts, the distinguished poet and f *This work was called "A Plea for the Divinity of Christ." A full account of the success with which it met among the dignitaries of the Established Church, as well as the leading Dissenters, may be seen in the Eighth Chapter of Dyer's Life of Robinson. Proposals were made to him, after this publication appeared, to accept of preferment in the Church, but he firmly rejected them. When Dr. Ogden addressed him, "Do the Dissenters know the worth of the man "Robinson replied, "The man knows the worth of the Dissenters." The Plea was answered by Lindsey, in a work entitled, "An Examination of Robinson's Plea." ED. theologian, whose hymns are used to this day in the religious services not only of independents, but of almost every other denomination of christians, deviated in his old age very essentially from his former opinions. Dr. Priestley, one of the few philosophers, who are destined to be celebrated not only in their own age, but throughout all future ages, was born and educated for the ministry among the Independents. After discovering the errors with which he had early been imbued, he rejected them, joined himself to the unitarians, and laboured with great earnestness to recall others, who had fallen into the same errors, to a better faith; nor are we more indebted to any one for the success, which has attended the doctrine of the divine unity, and for its inreasing diffusion at the present day. Priestley possessed many qualities, which fitted him in a peculiar manner for the arduous task of a reformer; an understanding, which seemed prepared to grasp all subjects with equal facility, indefatigable labour, a mind unmoved by danger, a most ardent love of searching for truth, and an admirable talent of communicating his knowledge with ease and clearness. Even his enemies allowed him to be a great man; and those, who knew his benevolence, his candour, his goodness of heart, and above all, his piety, by which he was accustomed to refer all things to God, and to acknowledge his providence with gratitude in prosperity, and with humble submission in adversity,-those who knew him in this char acter not only saw that he was great, but felt that he was the best of men. Notwithstanding he laboured with more success in his physical researches than scarcely any one of his time, he would not suffer the glory he thus acquired to seduce him from nobler pursuits. Believing no employment so honourable, as that of defending the truth of christianity against the skeptical spirit of the age, which was accustomed to regard every thing ancient as unworthy of credit; and being peculiarly qualified by his knowledge of sacred literature and christian antiquity, he devoted himself to the noble work of restoring the religion of Jesus to its primitive purity. It is lamentable, that such a man should experience the ingratitude of the country, which had been so much adorned by the fame of his genius and his discoveries. During the political commotions in France, Priestley was unjustly charged with a desire of promoting excitements in England. This rumour being secretly spread abroad kindled the rage of the people against him; and even under the very eyes of the magistrates, whose duty it was to restrain thể populace, his house was attacked, the doors burst open, and his library, philosophical instruments, and manuscripts were committed to the flames; and his own person scarcely escaped in safety. When he reflected, that it would be in vain to appeal to laws from which he could expect no redress, he resolved on seeking a voluntary exile in America, whither he went in the year 1794, and where he died a few years afterwards, forgiving the injuries of his country, and joyfully cherishing the christian's hope. There are very few Englishmen, it is fondly believed, who will not blush to read this short memorial; and if it be lawful to look into futurity, we venture to predict, that still fewer will be found among their posterity, who will not look back with regret and astonishment to this indelible reproach on their country's gratitude.* * Priestley's residence in America was chiefly at Northumberland, Pennsylvania, where he died on the 6th of February, 1804. He |
