1831.] REVIEW. Channing on Unitarian Christianity. hours be spent in works of labour and industry; the boys to mend their own clothes and shoes-clean knives and shoes-to use the needle and hammer, as well as the penalso to be employed in out-of-door work, such as digging, gardening, hedging and ditching, and ploughing, when an opportunity offers. "That the girls be employed in needlework, washing and ironing, mending their own clothes, in the business of a dairy, and in such practices of housewifery as may fit and recommend them to good services."p. 24. Mr. Burgoyne, in p. xi. admits that the political economist deprecates the increase of population, as a sure result of the allotment system; and says as soon as that "the 15,000,000 of acres are enclosed, cultivated, and made productive, he [the political economist] shall have full permission to preach the necessity of emigration.” Now, although we admit that the allotment system is an improvement when discreetly exercised, we know that the story of "hens laying golden eggs" is not a matter of history, but of fable. Ireland is of itself, in our opinion, a testimony of the folly of encouraging an indefinite population, by saddling it upon the land. Our own statement of the favourable side of the question is too exaggerated to bear experimental proof. The measure, as in action in Ireland, has produced most enormous sacrifices from the poor (viz. renting land at Sl. an acre! and so forth); and thus by not allowing farmers, professionally so called, to have profit enough to form an intermediate rank, has divided the people only into extortionate landlords and suffering paupers. No revenue can be derived, as in England, from such a population, because there is no consumption of exciseable articles, as is general throughout this country with all ranks. Farmers would be extirpated, and he who imagines that to live among lots of paupers is a blessing to himself, and a benefit to the country, talks inconsiderately. It is a positive absurdity to suppose that the residence of a man, wife, and family, on an acre of potatoe ground, places him in the garden of Eden. It is plain, from an excellent statement in the Naturalist's Journal, that he is much better off than he would otherwise be, and may by pruGENT. MAG. May, 1881. 433 dence save a small capital, which he may improve; but from hence cannot be inferred realization of the story about the woman and her milkpail, which, in her ecstatics, she kicked down. No one with his eyes open can look at Ireland and not see the perilous prospect; and no one who is acquainted with statistics can be ignorant, that in those countries alone where territory far exceeds population, can agricultural labour be made a remunerative trade. Encourage emigration and adopt the allotments also, say we. Objections to Unitarian Christianity_considered, by William Henry Channing, D.D. IN the work before us, there is a display of temper rather commendable and amiable, but evidently proceeding from self-satisfaction in the infallibility of the dogmata of the Unitarians; an infallibility, as they presume, which enables them to treat all opponents with pity only. Fortunately they have here placed the leading dogmata in such conspicuous positions, that we can level a philosophical rifle at them, and see whether they are bullet proof. The first dogma (adduced p. 4) is this: "We maintain that Christ and God are distinct beings; two beings, not one and the same being." Το They found this dogma upon the ob- 434 REVIEW.—Channing on Unitarian Christianity. possibility of the Trinity. The grub, the caterpillar, and the butterfly, one and the same being, make an actual trinity in unity, co-existent; but, because it is composed of matter, it is as such subject to mutation, and insusceptible of simultaneous action in its three several modes of being. Even, however, in its material state, had it so pleased the Creator, it might have easily displayed all its three characters at once. The Unitarians allegate further, that if God the Son be identified with God the Father, as one and the same being, the former is made, as it were, a great pneumatic machine, which concentrated all deity, and when he came upon earth, left the universe an exhausted receiver; and because such a circumstance could not possibly happen, they infer that Christ and God must be distinct beings. But if common atmospheric air proves that both concentrated locality and self-expansive ubiquity may co-exist, how can such an union of properties necessarily imply distinctness of being. They say further, that Christ, as God the Son, must necessarily have had a beginning. Now this again we deny. Volition must precede action, but they are both coetaneous as to creation or birth. We have no room to be diffuse, and have avoided Scripture; for if we can thus find in the doctrine of the Trinity no other phenomena than what are known to exist in natural philosophy, we ask by what authority is belief in the Trinity stigmatised as (in p. 5) "irrational and antiscriptural?" What are the laws of natural philosophy but those of Providence? and in reasoning by analogy from those laws, we affirm that the Unitarians ground their superficial unphilosophical positions upon principles such as time, locality, number, birth, death, &c. which can have no manner of relation to deity. They do not judge of that by its indispensable attributes. They use measurement to ascertain weight; they illustrate chemistry by arithmetic. In pp. 7-9, they say that we talk nonsense if we call the sacrifice of Christ, suffering only as man, an infinite atonement for infinite sin. We admit the indiscretion, and believe that it has been committed; indiscretion, we say, because nothing created [May, can possibly be infinite. Atonement cannot be admitted for a moment as made by pure Deity. If Christ died, as man, it was only to show that he could not die, as God. Evil cannot also be infinite; because under such an assumption, it would be possible to infer that the whole universe, nay God himself, might be without good. As to the Fall, at which Unitarians sneer, it is positively capable of analogous proof. It is historically true, that when Pitcairn's Island was visited in 1814, there were forty-six inhabitants under Patriarch Adams, and not a germ of discord or vice in the place; but that, before 1819, after a fellow named Young had discovered the art of distilling spirits from the tea-root, precisely the same results ensued as are said in the bible to have been consequent upon the fall. As to the biblical narrative of that event, Dr. Wheeler lays it down as a postulate in theology, that the plain, literal, and grammatical sense of scripture be considered, not only as the true, but the only true sense in revealed history, unless it shall appear, that parabolical or allegorical interpretation was intended by the historian, from some absurdity or contradiction in supposing the literal only to prevail. Now we do not interpret the Fall according to the letter; in the æra of Moses it was a legitimate part of history to narrate incident in a figu rative manner; and the Mythe is not necessarily to be deemed a fable, but a parabolical description of some real event or events; and although it may be, if literally interpreted, erroneous, it is still not the mere vagary or unauthorised fiction of a poetical fancy. who knows that the serpent was elevated by Moses (Numb. xxi. 8) as a symbol of present life; and is also acquainted with the Ophites or serpent worship; the Naag King; the Sathanas of India; and the miraculous properties ascribed to trees by the Sabæans; and reflects upon the object of Moses, and his symbolic meaning of the serpent, as the present life, and the tree which had the power of conferring immortality, as eternal life, may not only see the materials which formed the account of the Fall, but Theologic. Lectures, i. 118. * He + See Tuffaell and Lewis's translat. of Muller's Dorians, i, pref. v. 1831.] REVIEW.-Trial of the Unitarians, imagine the meaning of the parabolical illustration. A literal construction of a story, which insults the Almighty by representing him as walking in the garden in the cool of the day, is, to say nothing of the profaneness, utterly inadmissible. We therefore think that Moses' account of the Fall is not a picture, but a hieroglyph; like the Apocalypse, many parts of Ezekiel, Daniel, and the other prophets, and our Lord's parables. It matters not, that raree-show men among religionists think that they do God service by spoiling the Bible, through literalizing its fine hieroglyphs, and degrading beautiful allegories into Chinese dragons. Philosophers hold such persons to be only mountebanks. The Unitarians complain further (p. 17) that their theory has been called "a half-way house to infidelity," and that travellers are recommended not to stop there because the liquors are dangerously adulterated. We rather conceive the real case to be this. A man knows that he may walk from London to its antipodes (Australia) as safely as a fly on the ceiling. The Unitarians having elevated a huge mimic globe, invite him to walk round it in the same manner as he could the earth, and promise him equal safety; "No," says the man, "I won't. I shall fall off and break my neck." Having from conscientious motives uniformly vindicated Trinitarianism, and seen our very phrases quoted in this pamphlet, we have felt called upon to state such a scanty portion of our reasons, as was suited to our limits. The Unitarians are not ladies, who expect it as a compliment due to the sex, that we should say "black is white." Therefore we solemnly declare, once for all,* with an audible voice, and from our hearts-that we prefer the Holy Baptismal Trinity, of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, to the ridiculous Unitarian Duality of a mere King and Prince of Wales a steamcarriage which they think is to carry them on as speedily as a Liverpool railwayer. With regard to the charges laid against the Unitarians by Calvinists and other crazy people, concerning moral preaching, future punishments, and their (the Unitarian) representa We expect to be insulted. Wherever the Unitarians cannot command, they insult. 435 tion of the Almighty as a paternal and benevolent being, we shall only say that we know the low taste of such assailants. It is the same taste as that of the vulgar for murder-stories and dying speeches. We must, however, do that taste the justice to own, that we consider it an evidence of the Fall; for most certainly our first parents had no taste for murder stories; and the hideousness of the Fall is most conspicuously exhibited among the ferocious vulgar often, as conspicuously as it was in Cain himself. As to Dr. Channing, the author, his writing is that of a well bred, well tempered man; but the Unitarians, although they are insufferably arrogant, are not in general ignorant or vulgar men. They think that they have discovered the philosopher's stone; and accordingly give themselves airs. The Trial of the Unitarians, for a libel on the Christian Religion; post 8vo. pp.312. THE Unitarians have often tried themselves, and accordingly have given in a verdict of honourable acquittal; but that others have not done so is manifest. That, however, is of no moment; for the modern fashion is, in matters of politics and religion, to take no notice whatever of confutation, but to persist in the repetition of the errors: e. g. in political bustles, it is a known fact, that the grossest calumnies respecting private persons, however false and denied, are nevertheless_reiterated. The motive is obvious. The purposes of the party would be defeated, if the objections were admitted. Every man who regards his own safety should, however, feel a warm and honourable indignation at such flagrant proceedings. We cannot, unwilling as we are to wound the feelings of any persons, do otherwise upon questions of principle than act with consistency and integrity; and more especially in this instance, where denial of the Divinity of Christ may be reasonably presumed to induce proselytes to commit the sin against the Holy Ghost.+ Every philosopher knows, that man cannot understand his own nature, much more that of Deity, and that predication upon that subject is gratuitously assumptive. Every Christian also knows, that to add to or diminish from the + We speak seriously.-Rev. 436 REVIEW.-Divarication of the New Testament. text of Scripture is expressly forbidden. Both these violations have been committed in support of the Unitarian notions, and have been repeatedly exposed and confuted. Even Hume has admitted that there can exist no contradiction, philosophically, to the doctrine of the Trinity. We are taught, too, that all Scripture was written by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, because it should be deemed infallible. But the Unitarians say, that they will admit nothing which is not cognizable by their own human reason? Are the laws of Providence cognizable by any human reason whatever? Does not the very principle of a reveated religion imply matters to which human reason cannot reach? Is the character of revealed religion to be tried by that of natural religion? In short, from this excellent confutation, which we warmly recommend to all Christians (properly so called), we hesitate not to affirm that the tenets of the Unitarians tend to alienate the people from belief in the sacred Scriptures (see p. 295), and that "their principles only serve to shelter and cover Deists and others, who arraying themselves under the guise of Unitarianism, screen from public view and public odium the indecencies of a more odious infidelity. There is nothing, indeed, in the system to captivate the affections of the soul; all is cold and comfortless-composed of unsatisfactory quibbles, gross distortions, and crooked criticism, which, though the coin of an ingenious mint, is base and worthless; a system is, that only flatters a false pride of sophism, at the expense of all that is pious, all that is good in philosophy.”— P. 293. Divarication of the New Testament into Doctrine and History. By Thomas Wirgman, Esq. Author of Principles of Transcendental Philosophy, and the articles Kant, Logic, Metaphysics, Moral Philosophy, and Philosophy, in the Encyclopædia Londinensis. Part I. The Four Gospels. 12mo, pp. 100. THE Unitarian body has lately (to "been use a phrase of Shakspeare) punched full of deadly holes," by the Trial of the Unitarians," and other works among them. This Cant with a C, certainly does not imply skill in logic or metaphysics, but Kant with a K, denotes the founder of a German school of abstruse philosophy, whose hierophant in this country is Mr. Wirgman, a very masterly and subtle dialec [May, tician. We shall therefore extract his Vindication of the Trinity, because it will tend to give our readers a complete notion of the mode of argumentation proper to the Transcendental school. "It is absolutely impossible for man to think of oneness—it is a complete nonentity, consisting neither of matter, form, nor connexion of these two elements. Hence, when the human mind cogitates, it must think of something. But a thing which is composed neither of matter nor form, is positively nothing. Consequently, the word thing always implies a compound of three elements in one-a triad of principles, or, in fact, a TRINITY IN UNITY. Secondly, if we think of a material object, it is quite evident that it must consist of matter, or parts, which fill up space, and occupy time, that is to say, the thing must be an object of experience, and can only be known by its addressing the senses; for instance, a house, & horse, a tree, and so on. The materials of which the thing consists, as the bricks which compose the house, are the matter; the arrangement of these parts of matter constitutes its shape, as round, square, or oval, and is the form of the house. But this form could not be given to nothing; hence the necessity of the matter; and neither of these can be annulled without totally annihilating the thing, with this inseparable condition-that these particular bricks constitute this identical house with this determinate form. So that these two elements necessarily imply connexion a third; and the three together, constitute the thing called a house. This reasoning applies to the whole of nature, and quite exhausts the entire mundane system, which is composed of au endless series of triads. Now, as matter is divisible ad infinitum, it must consist of an infinite number of parts; and no one part, strictly speaking, can exist by itself, otherwise the division would not be infinite the least number of parts that can be connected is two; but if these two parts were not connected, there would not be a thing. The elements here are two parts, and their union; making three necessary elements, noue of which can be annulled. It is quite obvious, that every object of nature which fills up time and space, conforms to this law of a Trinity in Unity. Let us carry this parity of reasoning to mental things, which exist in time only. Thus all mathematical figures equally conform to this law: take a line for instance; it consists of parts in connexion, and is, in fact, a series of triads; for the smallest possible part of a mental line must consist of two mathematical points and their union—a triangle must consist of three lines, united at three points, yet forming only one conception. A circle consists of a centre, periphery, and radius→→ 1831.] REVIEW.-Bp. of Chester's Practical Exposition, &c. three necessary elements, none of which can be annulled. This law holds with all mental operations, as substance and properties in connection constitute a thing; cause, effect, and the necessary dependence of the one on the other; for that is no cause which has not produced an effect, and there can be no effect without a cause: so that all mental things obey this law. We have only to ascend one step higher in the scale of reasoning, and carry this notion of a trinity in unity to the infinite, and the Christian doctrine will be fully displayed." "Infiuite nothingness is a nonentity. Therefore, if the mind of man is to be occupied with a rational thought, it must think of an infinite something; but this must consist of some infinite parts, or it would be an infinite nothing. Now the least possible number of infinite parts that can be united is two, but unless these two are connected by a third, they could not constitute an infinite something. Hence, even in the infinite, the same process of reasoning is required to constitute a thing, namely, three elements united in one, or a Trinity in Unity."-pp. xxii.-xxv. The plan of this work, from which the term "Divarication is used, is to show, that "by disencumbering the principles of the Christian religion from historical facts, their universal adoption is facilitated;" For the author says, by way of axiom, that "Historical facts may be doubted, but that true religion being of a spiritual nature, must be independent of historical facts."P. xl. Practical Exposition of the Gospels of St. IF things are hard to be understood, illustrations are indispensable; and this is sufficient to show the utility of comments. Indeed, no man who has not an interest in concealinent of the real meaning, will object to them, unless it be some conscientious person who dreads the comment, lest it should be more regarded than the text. Human error may thus, he thinks, supersede Divine authority. This is however only a matter which may, but does not necessarily mislead; and it does not appear from Coke upon Littleton, and similar works, that the Law of the land has ever been seriously perverted; and what blunders would 437 professional men make, without such aids? The purport of this work is given in the title; and it would be below its merits to say that it is not as well executed as intended. We shall take our extract from a difficult text, that regarding submission to injury, and returning evil for good. It shows the imperious necessity of judicious com ments. "Public justice, public duty, and in many cases, important private interests, must of course make exceptions to the latter of those rules. Christ himself appealed to the law against the injustice with which he was smitten. One of the officers which stood by, struck Jesus with the palm of the hand, saying, 'Answerest thou the High Priest so? Jesus answered him, lf I but, if well, why smitest thou me (John have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; xviii. 22)?' And St. Paul thought it not inconsistent with his Christian patience to ask, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned (Acts xxii. 25)?' So likewise with respect to alms-giving, the same Apostle proves to us that this duty is intended to have limits, and to be practised with such discretion, as not to injure the morals of individuals, or the welfare of the community; when he lays should eat his own bread;' and that if down a general maxim, that every man any will not work, neither should he eat.'' Still it is certain, that impressions strong like these: resist not evil; let thy cloak be taken from thee: yield to those who compel you unjustly: give to him that asketh thee:-expressions like these would not be used, if the danger were not the other tient, when suffering wrongfully, too eager way, namely, that we should be too impato seek compensation, too tenacious in maintaining supposed rights, and too apt to look about for reasons why we should not give to him that asketh." The Characters of Theophrastus illustrated by Physiognomical Sketches, to which are subjoined Hints in the Individual Varieties of Human Nature, and general Remarks. 12mo, pp. 154. "GOOD sense," says Stuart, "consists in that temper of mind which enables its possessor to view at all times with perfect accuracy and coolness all the various circumstances of his situation, so that each of them may produce its due impression upon him, without any exaggeration arising from his own peculiar habits. But to a man of ill-re gulated imagination, external circumstances only serve as hints to excite |