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    Greek liturgies , was called . fcof-aoMCf or subsistence , all of which are terras which pleasb most of their employers without being understood . If we do not unjustly limitthe sease of the term Unitarian , we shall be more likely to preserve it in use .: and

    that from the necessity and couveniency of the case . There is no other name which really embraces and describes the members of our congregations . They like to call us Socinians : but this term is extremely

    inappropriate , because we not only almost universally disapprove of that religious worship of Christ for which that great man contended , but not a few of us , both people and ministers , entertain more or less of the doctrine

    of the super-angelic pre-exktence of Christ , which is commonly supposed to be entirely denied by those who are Socinians . In the extended sense , therefore , of the term Unitarian , it serves a convenient and necessary use , which is peculiar to itself , aud is .

    therefore , likely to maintain its ground . But if it be allowed to become synonymous with the term Socinian , there is great reason to fear that popular antipathy will succeed in fixing on us that one of the two synonymes for which we have least liking .

    I think Mr . Clarke is also right ia disclaiming for Unitarians a denial of the divinity of Christ . For myself , as a Unitarian , I earnestly avow my belief that Jesus Christ our Lord was most truly divine ; divine in his person , as well as in his doctrine , In

    declaring thus much , I do not mean to maintain either his proper deity or his personal p re -existence - y his own nature I believe to have been properly and truly human > such as our own , sin excepted ; but I also believe that in so eminent a sense " he was in the

    Father and the Father in him / or , in other words , "the word which from the beginning was with God , and was God , had so become flesh in his person , " that he was indeed most inconceivably divine , and most justly may be called our divine Master and Saviour .

    If any should be disposed to regard these distinctions , with contempt as a mere quarrel about wot : ds , I beg to remiud them once more of the impprtanU influence of nainea , in all questions which involve an appeaV ta popular opinion . Aud surely , in a

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    On Mr . GJarJ&s Definition qf Unitarianisnu 457

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    Sir , Penzfrnce * AM tempted ; to submit a few re-I marks to the consideration of your correspondent Mr . Clarke , ( p 279 , ) in the hope that they may lessen in

    his mind the force of some of these offences which he appears to find in the conduct of his Unitarian brethren . It is in the abuse of certain names that he sees matter of complaint j and

    although lie appears to me to overcharge the case , yet I must own I feel some little sympathy with him , on the whole , and am willing to shew him that lie is not quite so much in the minority as he seems to suppose . I think Mr . Clarke completely right ia the sense which he wishes to assign to the term Unitarian , viz ., that it

    ought to designate all those who confine the names and honours of Deity to the one God , the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ , With him I judge that those who attempt to attach any more limited meaning to the word

    than this , do an injury both to their brethren and their cause . The very derivation of the word makes the true sense of it obvious to every one : the Unitarian is one that is distinguished as contending for the unity of God . So evident is this matter , that it makes

    our adversaries dislike to allow us this name ; it appears to them like a concession of the great point in dispute ; and as names are important , they grudge us the advantage of so good a oixe . We , however , claim the name ; we adopt it , and know ourselves by no other ; because we think it a just and

    true name . We contend for the unity of God in opposition to polytheism ; it is indeed possible that we may fancy polytheism where it does not exist , and this our opponents will say . Still , I repeat it , we contend against Trinitarianism on no other ground than because we regard it as polytheism . In short , Trinitarians may as properly allow us our name as continue to use their own : both parties must feel that tuese names very justly characterize the opposite points of opinion existing hetween them ; and it is inevitable that they will be taken by each party in its own sense . To us the two terms

    are equivalent to Monotheists and Intheists : to tiieijn they only & > nvey ft reference \ o that distiuqtioji in the umne Nature , which in English they eaUl Pwons , but which , in the otisAnd

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    y . XX , 3 N

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Aug. 2, 1825, page 457, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2539/page/7/