». '-*eT 
 
 w 
 
 X. 
 
 ■xv: 
 
 ■■^^^■x 
 
 
 
 
 ■f 
 
 
 
Tlie I»roperly 
 
 OF TUB 
 
 HI 
 
 '' r I MY"'.'' ""■'/■ 
 
 BARTON SQUARE, SALEM. 
 
 DEPOSITED 
 
 — IN line — 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 — OF THK — 
 
 ESSEX INSTITUTE. 
 
»v. ^' 
 
 ^ .•> ' 
 
CURSORY REMARKS 
 
 REY. DR. WORCESTER'S SECOND LETTER 
 
 ON THE SUBJECT OF THE 
 
 TRINITY. 
 
 BY A LAYMAN, 
 
 The Author of the Language of Scripture respecting Christ, &c. 
 Avho believes, that " there is One God, the Father, of -whom 
 are all things, and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all 
 things — And that the Father seat the Sou to be the Saviour 
 of the world." 
 
 BOSTON : 
 
 PRINTED BY JOHN ELIOT. 
 1815. 
 
 5u 
 
 ^o,oii:i/ 
 
CURSOEY REMARKS. 
 
 WE very Avell understand what is implied and 
 meant by the term " orthodoxy/' in modern times : 
 and we well know the object of those who monopolize 
 it. By ^^ orthodoxy''^ they mean their own peculiar 
 opinions, viz. Athanasianism, as it regards the doc- 
 trine of the Trinity ; and Calvinism, as it respects 
 depravity, election, irresistible grace, &c. But it will 
 not be admitted, as Dr. Worcester aa ould pretend, 
 that such were the doctrines of the holy apostles, or 
 that their preaching was of this cast. When, there- 
 fore, the Dr. suggests, that orthodox sentiments ; that 
 is, (according to liis view) the correct and true doc- 
 trines of the gospel, are not received by Unitarians, 
 we humbly conceive he speaks without proof. This 
 is rather an artful, than an ingenuous suggestion. 
 He must and does know, that those whom he accuses 
 of heterodoxy, profess to adhere fully and entirely to 
 the plain language and meaning of the gospel ; and 
 endeavour to preach as did the apostles, rather than 
 follow Mhanasius, St. Augustin, Calvin or IJopTcins. 
 We will quote some expressions of the inspired apos- 
 tles, and see whether the Unitarians do not now use 
 similar language. 
 
 " Ye men of Israel," said Peter, in his first ad* 
 dress to the Jews, "hear these words, Jesus of Naz- 
 areth, a man approved of God among you, by mira- 
 
cles and wonders, which God did by him in the midst 
 of you all — ye have taken and with wicked hands 
 have crucified and slain ; whom God has raised up" 
 from the dead. This Jesus God has raised up, and 
 exalted to his right hand ; and liaving received of 
 the Father the promise of the holy spirit, he lias shed 
 forth this which ye see and hear ;" that is, the mira- 
 cles performed by the apostles. '^ Therefore, let all 
 the house of Israel be assured, that God has made 
 this Jesus, whom ye crucified, both Lord and Christ :'' 
 — And when they enquired, what shall we do, Peter 
 said, " repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus 
 Christ for the remission of sins." 
 
 In his second address to the Jews, when questioned 
 about the miracle he had performed on the lame man 
 at the gate of the temple, Peter said, ^^ ye men of J srael, 
 why marvel ye at this, or why look ye so stedfastly 
 on us, as though we had done it by our own power? 
 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of 
 our fathers has glorified his son (or child) Jesus, 
 whom ye denied and delivered up, &c. — God has 
 raised him from the dead ; and his name, by faith in 
 his name has restored this man — Unto you first, God 
 having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, 
 by turning you from your iniquities." Again, when 
 interrogated on the same subject, Peter said, ^' Be it 
 known unto you all, that by the name of Jesus Christ 
 of Njizareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised 
 from the dead, even by him does this man stand be- 
 fore you whole. This is the stone which was set at 
 nought by you builders, which is become (made) the 
 head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any 
 other. For there is no other name given, under hea- 
 ven, whereby we can lie saved." — Again, ^' We ought 
 to obey God, rather than man : The God of our fa- 
 thers raised up Jesus m horn ye slew ; Him God has 
 exalted at his right hand, to be a Prince and a Saviour, 
 to give repentance and forgiveness of sins." When 
 Peter was sent to instruct Cornelius, he said, '^ God 
 anointed Jesus of Nazareth with tlie holy spirit and 
 
with (miraculous) power — and God was with liim. 
 The Jews slew him, and hanged him on a tree ; but 
 God raised him from the dead. And he commanded 
 us to preach to the people and to testify, that it is he 
 who was ordained of God, to be the Judge of the liv- 
 ing and dead — to him all the prophets bear testimony 
 that through his name, whosoever believeth on him 
 shall have remission of sins." 
 
 The preaching of Paul, after his conversion, was 
 to the same effect. '' He proved to the Jews, that 
 Jesus was the very Christ, or Messiah — and preach- 
 ed to them that he was the Son of God'' — " Of this 
 man's (David) seed, God has, according to his prom- 
 ise, raised up unto Israel, a Saviour, even Jesus. — 
 And we declare unto you glad tidings, that the prom- 
 ise, which w as made to the fathers, God has fulfilled 
 the same to us, their children, in that he has raised up 
 Jpsiis igain ; as it is written in the second psalm, 
 ^ Thou art my Son, this day I have begotten thee' — 
 Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, 
 that through this man is preached unto you the for- 
 giveness of sins." His language in tlie epistles is in 
 subslance the same. He teaches, " that we are justi- 
 fied freely by the grace of God, through tiie redemp- 
 tion which there is in Christ Jesus ; whom God has 
 appointed a propitiation through faith for the remission 
 of sins." 
 
 Many of his expressions are to be considered 
 with reference to the strange, absurd and dangerous 
 tenets of the Jewish teachers, that if they conformed 
 to the ritual of Moses and observed the traditions of 
 the rabbis, they would be saved, whatever might be 
 their moral character. This, Paul laboured to shew 
 was a most erroneous and a most dangerous doctrine. 
 And that faith in Clirist, as the Messiah, and repent- 
 ance towards God for all sin, with future holiness of 
 life, were essentially necessary to salvation. His first 
 great object w as to prove, that Jesus of Nazareth was 
 the promised and long expected Messiah; and that 
 he was to be received and obeyed as a messenger 
 
from heaven : And that without acknowledging and 
 receiving him, we should be essentially defective both 
 in faith and practice. But this same apostle insists, 
 that we must walk in newness of life ; must crucify 
 the flesh with its affections and lusts ; must die to sin 
 and live to holiness, and that we must all be judged 
 '^ according to the deeds done in the body." He also 
 teaches that Christ, though a propitiation, is made 
 such by God, and " that unto us there is om Crod, the 
 Father, of whom are all things, and one Lord Jesus 
 Christ, by whom are all things — that there is one 
 God, and Father of all, and one Lord, one faith, one 
 baptism." 
 
 The apostle John declares the same doctrine. 
 '^ This we testify," he says, '' that God sent his Son to 
 be the saviour of the world." 
 
 Here is no doctrine of a ^^ Triune God/^ of ^^ thi*ee 
 ]3ersons in the Godhead^' — of ^^ infinite satisfaction^' 
 made to God, by the suiferings and death of an infinite 
 Being. It is simply this, that God in his great and 
 unmerited grace provided a redeemer for ignorant, 
 guilty men ; and that through and by him, his doc- 
 trines, mediation, sufferings, deatli and resurrection, 
 we are offered pardon and salvation, on sincere pen- 
 itence and new obedience ; and thus the hope of eter- 
 nal life is confirmed to mankind. We are therefore in- 
 different to the praise of orthodoxy. Yet we trust, we 
 are evangelical and apostolical. Christ is acknowl- 
 edged as the Messiah promised to the Jews ; by ap- 
 pointment and qualification of God, the saviour of the 
 world, the divine instructer and judge of mankind. 
 
 Dr. W. observes, that ^* the learned Dr. S. Clark 
 belie^^d in the essential divinity of Christ ;" and still 
 pronounces " his opinion to be erroneous, and of dan- 
 gerous tendency." It is well known to all theologi- 
 cal students, that Dr. Clark was not a Trinitarian^ 
 would not subscribe the Jlthanasian creed ; and was 
 considered by his contemporaries as decidedly Unita- 
 7'ian. His ideas were similar, in many respects, on 
 this subject to those of the ingenious author of ^'^ Bible 
 
News.'' He believed Christ in some sense a divine 
 person, though entirely distinct from the Father, on 
 whom he was dependent, and from whom he received 
 his miraculous and exalted powers to be the Saviour 
 of men. He supposed him possessed of a nature and 
 qualities far above human or angelic. And such is 
 the opinion of many Unitarians at present in New 
 England. 
 
 But it would seem, from Dr. Ws. remark respect- 
 ing the opinion of the celebrated divine above named, 
 that it is not assenting to the essential divinity of 
 Christ, but to a particular and human explana- 
 tion ofihe doctrine, which will entitle us to the sav- 
 ing name of orthodox. Dr. W. says, if we believe 
 Christ to be a creature, it makes no difference (in his 
 judgment) whether we admit that he was superan- 
 gelic, or merely a man. Dr. Clark, the author of 
 Bible News, and all of their sentiment, then, are as 
 great heretics as Priestley or Belsham. In fact, this 
 is the ground taken by him, and the editor of the 
 Panoplist, though they deny having confounded the 
 various classes of Unitarians. And this it is, of 
 which we have reason to complain. We complain, 
 that it is both uncandid and unjust. It is uncandid 
 to attempt to fasten unpopular opinions upon those 
 who do not hold to them, though less hostile to them 
 than others may be. It is uncandid to endeavour to 
 make Unitarians of the higher class, who believe in 
 Christ as the Son of God, in some peculiar sense, and 
 as the mediator and redeemer of men, answerable for 
 the opinions of those who consider him merely as a 
 good man inspired by God to reveal his will, and die 
 a martyr to the truth. 
 
 It is even unjust — For Dr. W. must know that Dr. 
 Price and others of his character and sentiments have 
 opposed and do oppose Socinianism ; and consider 
 Christ as having suffered and died for the sins of the 
 world ; yet by the appointment and grace of God, 
 who was pleased to ordain this method for the recov- 
 ery of sinful men. 
 
8 
 
 Dr. W. will perhaps claim Dr. Doddridge as a 
 Trinitarian. We admit that he was generally classed 
 with them ; yet he explicitly declined using many 
 phiases introduced by Trinitarians, as unscriptural ; 
 and had christian charity for those who he knew de- 
 nied the doctrine of the Trinity. When one of his 
 church was accused of being an Avian, and anti-cal- 
 vinisticy with a design to censure and excommunicate 
 him, Dr. Doddridge declared, " he fully believed the 
 person accused a sincere, pious christian ; and soon- 
 er than have him censured for his peculiar faith, he 
 would give up his place and living.^^ 
 
 If Dr. W. means any thing, by contending, that 
 those who do not believe in a Trinity , in the essential^ 
 ly infinite perfections of Christ, and his entire equality 
 with the Father, do not receive the doctrine of atone- 
 nient and reconciliation for sin by the mediation and 
 sufferings of the Saviour, then he must admit and be- 
 lieve that God suffered, that the infinite Deity died 
 on the cross. This, we think, he will not — But will 
 tell us, that, in consequence of the union of the divine 
 and human nature in the person of Christ, though the 
 man or human nature only suffered, yet there was an 
 infinite atonement made for sin. Indeed, he has said 
 this : and so have jlthanasians and Trinitarians for 
 many centuries. This is not new. But we ask for 
 the ground and proof of this notion in scripture ? and 
 we ask further, how any Trinitarian can show, that 
 there was greater merit or value in the sufferings of the 
 man Christ Jesus, because the Deity had resided in 
 him, and had been united to him, than in the suffer- 
 ings of a super-angelic Being, of great dignity and 
 powerj as the Arian Unitarians represent Christ to be? 
 The passage quoted by Dr. W. and repeated, from 
 Philippians, " that Christ thought it no robbery to be 
 equal with God," it should be remembered, admits 
 a very different translation from the one in our com- 
 mon version ; and that the argument and meaning of 
 the apostle rather requires it. Christ, who was in 
 the form or image of God ; that is, full of grace and 
 
9 
 
 truth, of divine wisdom and power, did not vainly 
 clainif or pretendf or boast to be equal with God, (aU 
 ways ascribing his great ability, his doctrines and mi- 
 raculous power to the Father) but humbled himself 
 for our sakes and became subject to death, &c. 
 
 Dr. W. says much of persecution ; and pretends 
 there is as great evidence of a persecuting spirit among 
 Unitarians, as Trinitarians or the ortliodox. He 
 ought to know, and, we think, cannot but recollect, 
 that all the difficulty and obstacles to a free inter- 
 course and communion are with his religious 
 friends. Unitarians do not refuse to hold communion 
 with Trinitarians. They often assist to ordain them : 
 and they have never called upon the people to Avith- 
 draw from them and be separate. This is the very 
 jet of the late dispute, l.^he editor of the Panoplist 
 openly and expressly denounced the liberal, or Uni- 
 tarian clergy, as so grossly heretical that good people 
 ought to withdraw from them ; and the people were 
 called upon to do so accordingly. And this is the 
 bigotry and persecution, of which we complain. It is 
 the same spirit, which, in other times, has lighted the 
 fagot around the body of the supposed heretic. Not 
 only the liberal clergy, but those of the laity, who are 
 real protestauts, who call no man master, except 
 Christ, and who prefer the word of God to the words 
 and tenets of men, enter their protest against such 
 spiritual tyranny ; against this claim to infallibility, 
 this assumption of the prerogative of heaven. 
 
 We think the Trintarians and the high Calvinists 
 to be in error, to have mistaken the sense of scripture ; 
 to be unduly governed by human creeds and confes- 
 sions of faith. We lament this ; but believe it consis- 
 tent Avith piety and goodness, and wish not to censure 
 or disturb those who are of this opinion. But, it can- 
 not be denied, that there has long been a plan among 
 the highly orthodox, to render those odious who do 
 not subscribe to their creed. They would not hang 
 pr burn. But they do excite prejudices against, and 
 2 
 
10 
 
 misrepresent the opinions of the liberal christians, as 
 they are generally denominated. They attempt to 
 destroy the confidence of people in their teachers, by 
 calling them heretical, socinian, &c. "Whether this 
 is not as unchristian as burning, let the intelligent and 
 candid determine. 
 
 The apostle Peter speaks of some " who denied 
 the Lord who bought them." Dr. MV. insinuates that 
 the Unitarians do this. The editor of the Panoplist 
 had made the same uncandid suggestion. It is wish- 
 ed to ascertain whether either of them have the temer- 
 ity to make such a charge direct. The apostle says 
 nothing of a Trinity, or of a Triune God, or of three 
 persons in the Deity. All this is mere modern refine- 
 ment. But in his time, there were those who denied 
 Jesus to be the Christ, or Messiah. Some who 
 taught Christ was merely a spirit, and never in reality 
 suflered on the cross. Some, who supposed Christ 
 was one Being, the Son of God another, and the only 
 begotten, another still. They were visionary, licen- 
 tious, profligate, impious men, who rejected the 
 gospel, and the claims of Jesus of Nazareth to the 
 Messiahship. These he justly condemns. But here 
 is nothing about the Trinity. This is a fiction of 
 more recent times ; and has grown out of the strange 
 theories of subtle and unintelligible metaphysicians. 
 
 With as little propriety does Dr. W. pretend that 
 Unitarians, who receive not his notions of a Trinity 
 and of infinite atonement for sin by the sufferings and 
 death of an infinite Being (though it is only the hu- 
 man nature he will admit could suffer) are alluded to 
 by St. Paul, when he speaks of some in his day, wlio 
 preaclred another gospel. He had reference to Ju- 
 daising christians, as is evident from perusing his 
 epistle to the Galatians, who taught tlie perpetual ob- 
 ligation of the ceremonials of the laws of Moses, and 
 insisted that all the Gentiles must be circumcised and 
 observe every ritual enjoined in the Jewish code. 
 This was a doctrine different from and opposite to the 
 
ii 
 
 preaching of the apostle, who only required repent- 
 ance towards God, faith in Christ as the IMessiah 
 long expected, and a holy conformity to his precepts. 
 In the close of his letter, Dr. W. expresses a wish, 
 that we may decide on this great question, not hy pre- 
 judice and party spirit, but by reason j conscience and 
 scripture. x\ll Unitarians, all liberal christians, we 
 presume, will say " Jimen^' to this sentiment and 
 wish. The Dr. liowever, has taken up much time in 
 condemning those, who exercise reason in interpreting 
 scripture : and complains, that any ^ ortiiodox' opin- 
 ions are rejected, because they appear irrational or ab- 
 surd. He says the Unitarians exalt human reason and 
 wisdom above the word of orod. I will not pretend to 
 justify every thing said cr written by those who call 
 themselves rational christians. The true protestant 
 principle is, to exercise our reason in construing 
 scripture, and to nidge of its general, obvious and 
 uniform sense, by co^aiparing diiferent passages, and 
 by an interpretation, according to common sense. At 
 the same time, if any thing is clearly and fully as- 
 serted, to reeeiva it, by faith, ou the authority of the 
 inspired writer. 
 
 The argument of Dr. W. and other orthodox 
 clergymen proves too much : For it would oblige us 
 to receJve the doctrine of the infallibility of the Romish 
 church, and of transubstantiation. For it is express- 
 ly said by Christ, in reference to the sacramental 
 bread, " this is my body ;'' and of the wine, " this 
 is my b'ood" — and " except ye eat my flesh and 
 drink my bloo 1, ye have no life in you." The diffi- 
 culty of the doctrine must not prevent our receiving 
 it. Though it is contrary to reason, philosophy, and 
 common sense, yet, according to the argument of Trin- 
 itarians we must believe in transubstantion. For 
 we must not use our reason in judging, or deciding on 
 the subject. There is no text in the bible, which as- 
 serts the doctrine of the Trinity, so plainly, so express- 
 ly, as the above does the change of the bread and 
 wine into the real flesh and blood of our Lord, 
 
We acknowledge that Christ was the special rep- 
 resentative, messenger, or agent of the Most High, to 
 display the divine character and power ; to instruct 
 and redeem^the world. Highly figurative expressions, 
 therefore, are used in speaking of hiin, of his dignity, 
 power, wisdom and divinity. But we should always 
 recollect, that it is expressly declared that all his 
 ability and wisdom were imparted to him by God, his 
 Father, the Sovereign Loid of heaven and earth, for 
 the glorious purpose of reforming and saving man- 
 kind. 
 
 We have no hesitation in saying, that the bible 
 does not expressly and explicitly teach the doctrine 
 of a Trinity ; or of three persons in ihs Grodhead, or 
 Deity. The dogma is adopted by some theologians 
 by way of inference or construction. They reason on 
 the subject, and undertake to shew, that certain pas- 
 sages establish the doctrine. But unitarians have the 
 game right to examine and compare scripture, and in- 
 terpret for themselves. And the man who judges and 
 condemns his brother /or his opinion, is rash and dog- 
 matical ; and so far is influenced by an anti- christian 
 spirit. 
 
 Dr. W. complains, that Unitarians arc too general 
 in their expressions, when v. ilting on tLe character of 
 Christ, that they are not sulilcicntly particular, dis- 
 tinct and precise. And he considers it so great a 
 fault, that it renders tlism unfit to be teachers of 
 Christianity. But if they ftie as particular and dis- 
 tinct as the apostles were, this should satisfy us. In 
 their preaching to Jews and Gentiles, we find nothing 
 said about a Trinity — nothing of the calvinistic no- 
 tion of an infinite atonement by the sufferings of an 
 infinite Being. They taught, (as Unitarians do now) 
 that Jesus of JSTazareth was the Christ, the Messiah, 
 long promised in the Jewish scriptures ; and, that, 
 though he had been put to death, God raised him 
 up, and exalted him to be a Prince and Saviour, to 
 dispense pardon and immortality. The Unitarians be- 
 lieve with Peter, that ^^ Jesus was the Christ, the Son 
 
13 
 
 of Grod" — and " taught the words of eternal life" — 
 with Mary, that " he is the Messiah or Saviour, who 
 was to come into the world/*' They believe he is a 
 sufficient Mediator and Redeemer, having been en- 
 dowed by God with all proper qualities and attri- 
 butes for that great work. 
 
 We cannot but observe, that Trinitarians appear to 
 us very indistinct, various and confused in their lan- 
 guage on the subject of the present controversy. It 
 is well known, that there are various systems and the- 
 ories among them touching this doctrine. '^ AVhat, 
 indeed, is Trinitarianism, but Soeinianism involved 
 in mystery ?" as the able author of Bible JVews ob- 
 served. We think there is great obscurity and indis- 
 tinctness in their writings on this subject. They talk 
 about an infinite atonement being made by the suffer- 
 ings of Christ, merely as man, in consequence of the 
 Deity having been united to him — For they will not 
 assert that God suffered. This appears strange and 
 irrational ; and we think it unscriptural. The scrip- 
 tures speak of Christ as being sent by God, and sin- 
 gularly endowed and assisted to be our Saviour, and 
 as dying for our pardon and salvation. But the pe- 
 culiarities of Calvinism, or Trinitarianism, are mere 
 opinions, or conclusions of certain divines, by them 
 adopted in their reasonings, on different texts of scrip- 
 ture 5 and by no means necessary to be believed in 
 order to be a christian, any further than they appear 
 to our deliberate judgment to be supported by the 
 word of God. We are willing to leave the subject, in 
 some sense as unexplained and incompreliensible ; and 
 to speak of it in the language of scripture. We be- 
 lieve, that " the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour 
 of the world" — And we trust in him, as the Redeem- 
 er appointed and qualified by God, to direct, instruct, 
 guide, and save us. 
 
 Unitarians wish not to dictate articles of faith to 
 others ; nor do they condemn those called '' orthodox" 
 for avowing their opinions. It is the positive and 
 dogmatical conduct, the censorious, exclusive spirit. 
 
14 
 
 which Trinitarians often discover on a subject con- 
 fessedly mysterious and incomprehensible, which we 
 consider reprehensible. We see not that they have 
 authority to be the sole interpreters of scripture ; or 
 to insist that others should admit their particular ex- 
 planations of passages of high and difficult import. 
 And we complain, that they should denounce those as 
 ^^ heretical,"'' as '•^ having another gospel," as " deny- 
 ing the Lord who bought them," who cannot subscribe 
 to the creeds and declarations of fallible men. This 
 spirit is much to be regretted. It ought, we think to be 
 opposed. It is contrary to the spirit of protestantism. 
 And we consider it the duty of all those who wish to 
 maintain the present happy degree of christian liber- 
 ty in New England, to bear testimony against it. 
 
 The liberal party, as they are denominated, deny 
 not this liberty to their brethren of different senti- 
 ments. They consider the bible the standard of faith 
 and rule of conduct : and allow every one the right 
 to construe and explain for himself, so that he be not 
 licentious and immoral. We believe the Unitarians 
 have as great respect for, and are as much influenced 
 by the declarations of the bible, as those called " or- 
 thodox," who form creeds and articles of faith in the 
 words of "• human wisdom," and condemn all who 
 liesitate to subscribs to them. We are willing others 
 should have formulas of faith, and fix upon certain ar- 
 ticles of doctrine, as a system or guide for themselves : 
 but must claim the same right and privilege on our 
 part. We fully admit the authority of inspired scrip- 
 ture. What is highly important and essential, we be- 
 lieve to be very intelligible and plain. What is mys- 
 terious and difficult to be understood, we leave for 
 every one to consider, and to receive according to his 
 own judgment and understanding. And we think the 
 *^ orthodox," who undertake to explain Hie mysteries 
 of religion, and to dictate particular modes of belief, 
 are justly chargeable with a departure from the ^* sim- 
 plicity which is in Christ," and with substituting the 
 words of man for the language of inspiration. 
 
^^2^ 
 
 ^^^ 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 
 ^