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    lead , is not common ; tfcough in this consists the genuine Jove of truth . From the ftdj < apd proper pursuit of twijth men are oftea deterred by an aversion to doubt—a dislike of haying fche judgment kept in suspense ; -whence they are led to make up their minds on the first suggestions offered . « Others again / ' our author remarks , " are unduly biassed by an excessive respect for

    authority ; by an undue regard for any belief that is ancient—that is established- —that has been maintained by eminent men / ' Errare malo cum Platone , quatn cum istjs verasentiri , implies no uncommon feeling ; and there are many who have more dread of any thing £ hat savours of aove& y ^ even when they perceive nothing objectionable in it , than of what is generally received , even when they know it to be unsound * He , however , who would cherish in himself an attachment to troth must never allow himself to

    advance any argument , or to admit and acquiesce in any when advanced by another , which he knows or suspects to be fallacious . It is not enough that our conclusions he tfcruer ^ the premises fro m which they are deduced in any particular case must be true also . Nor must we connive at any erroneous opinion , however seemingly beneficial in its results . Some Protestants object to Ahe conversion of the Catholics , and we may add , some Unitarians to the

    conversion of Trinitarians , on the ground that it may not be easy to plant iii the minds of the converted new and efficient principles in place of those removed . Some evil may result ; but do compromise ought to he made with error . In the propagation of truth , as in the communication of every other good , there will be a mixture of evil . The ensuing paragraph is so remarkable that we cite it in the very words of the Essayist :

    ** The belief in the plenary inspiration of Scripture—its being properly and literally the " Word of God / ' merely uttered or committed to writing- by the sacred penmen in the very words supernaturally dictated to them—and the consequent belief in its complete and universal infallibility , not only on religious , but also on historical and philosophical , points , —these notions , which prevail among a large portion of Christians , a / e probably encouraged or con-, nived at by very many of those who do not , or at least did not Qriginplly , in their own hcartt entertain any such , belief "

    Surely Dr . Whately bad no occasion to apologize for addressing a Christian public on the paramount obligations of truth . Several other instances are mentioped ; we extract the following : Of the same character is the belief that the observance of the Lord ' s day isv a duty to which Christians are hound by the fourth commandment . "

    Another pious fraud at which Christian ministers are too apt to connive is the notion that prevails amongst the bulk of orthodox hearers , viz . that the minister is at the time of preaching under the guidance of the Holy Spirit ; thence the chief objection they have to the use of written discourses . To the fanatics of the day—a bod y we hope and believe daily decreasing in numbers—we recommend this injui&etion :

    As we must not dare to withhold or disguise revealed religious truth , so we must dread the progress of no other truth . We must not imitate the bigoted Papists who imprisoned Galileo ; and step forward Bible in hand to check the inquiries of the Geologist , the Astronomer , or the Political Economist , from an apprehension that the cause of religion can be endangered by them . Any theory , on whatever subject , that is really unsound , can never be inimical to a religion founded on truth ; and any that is unsound may be refuted b y arguments drawn from observation and experience , without calling in the aid of Revelation . " Much as we admire the sentiments developed in the essay on Truth , and

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    510 Whatetys £ wty& * n the Writing * if & . PwdL

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Aug. 2, 1829, page 530, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2575/page/10/