tives, and expressing his conviction, so much was there of the spirit of God and goodness in this act, "that they both worshipped the same spirit, though the modes of their adoration and faith were different." It also appears that the Emperor Manuel Comnenus exposed himself to the same imputation of " Islamism," because he wished to correct an error in the ritual of the Greek Church, which by a laughable misunderstanding of an Arabic word, signifying eternal, "contained a standing anathema against the God of Mahomet," as being "solid and spherical."

"Solventur risu tabulæ; tu missus abibis."

We confess our unmixed astonishment at finding the "thirteen Clergymen" avowing the most undisguised Tritheism. We do not recollect in modern times so bold and unwary an admission of Polytheism as the following: "Our inability, therefore, to explain the Triunity of his Essence, can be no reason for rejecting the revelation of it contained in his Word; even if we were deprived of those shadows and resemblances of this divine truth, which may be seen in the one nature of man, communicating itself to many individuals of the species. There is one human nature, but many human persons." (p. xix.) Is this then the Unity of God which the "thirteen" maintain, viz., such a unity as subsists between three individual men? Is it their meaning that the Divine Nature is a Species containing under it three Individuals, as human nature

is a species containing under it as many individuals as there are men? Do they mean to contend, with some of the Fathers, that three men are only "abusively" called three, being in reality only one? What mercy would Dr. Whately have for such unskilful controversialists? Is this however the deliberate view of the whole thirteen, or is it only the rashness of one of them ;-for it is very important to have so definite a statement of what is meant by the Trinity in Unity.

VI. It is most incorrectly stated (Preface, p. xx.) that "Dr. Priestley, Mr. Lindsey, Mr. Belsham, not to mention earlier writers, have laboured hard to show that the Fathers of the three first centuries were Unitarians, and believers in the simple humanity of Jesus Christ." Such a labour was never undertaken by these writers, nor by any one else. It is capable of proof that the Fathers of the three first centuries were not Trinitarian in the Athanasian sense; but that they were believers in the simple humanity of the Christ, no one maintains, from the time that Platonism first began to transform Christianity into harmony with its own peculiar ideas. That Unitarians have supported this view by "hardy misquotations," is, to say the least of it, an unwise provocation from men who have in the course of this Controversy been convicted of the most careless misquotations both in their own case (see especially preface to the Seventh Unitarian Lecture), and in that of their favourite Champion (see the Appendix to the Sixth Unitarian Lecture). That the substantial

statements of Unitarians as to the Unitarianism of the primitive Church have been overturned by Bull, &c., (Trinitarian preface, p. xxi.) is a hardy assertion in the face of the following quotations from Bull himself : "In the FIRST and BEST ages, the Churches of Christ directed all their prayers ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES, TO GOD ONLY, through the alone mediation of Jesus Christ."-Answer to a Query of the Bishop of Meaux, p. 295.

"The Father is rightly styled THE WHOLE, as he is the fountain of divinity: For the divinity which is in the Son and in the Holy Ghost, is the Father's, because it is DERIVED FRom the father."-Defence, sect. ii. 8. For another quotation from Bishop Bull, see also preface, p. vi., to the Seventh Unitarian Lecture.

VII. The "thirteen Clergymen," finding that Mr. Belsham's "Improved Version" was not a STANDARD with us, and knowing perhaps that in our rejection of it as such we have been borne out by the Unitarian Association at its recent general meeting in London, yet determined to find a standard for us somewhere, have (p. xxvi.) put into our mouths, with marvellous naiveté, an appeal to Mr. Belsham's Translation of St. Paul's Epistles. We have already given up the Mr. Belsham of the Improved Version, and they, for their own easy purposes, represent us as making an appeal to the Mr. Belsham of "the Epistles." We will yield to our reverend opponents whatever consolation they may be able to derive from their imaginary triumph, in case

we made this imaginary appeal. The Trinitarians cannot divest their minds of the idea that we must have an Authority somewhere. They cannot understand what is meant by deferring to principles alone; by having no external Judge of Controversies, no shorter road to conclusions, than to submit every question to the fullest light that Knowledge and Inquiry have provided, or may yet provide. The Cæsar to whom we appeal from Mr. Belsham is not some other Mr. Belsham, or the same man in a different book, but the great principles of Criticism and of Interpretation, as recognized by competent judges of all parties.

VIII. For the faith of the Church of England, the "thirteen Clergymen" declare, that "it is alike their privilege and obligation to contend in that spirit of charity which becomes a believer in Jesus." (Preface, p. xxviii.) We shall not open former wounds, but look simply to some of their last manifestations of " Charity," in their General Preface.

1. They say of us (p. xxiii.), that " Unitarians have borne some such proportion to the Christian Church, as monsters bear to the species of which they are unhappy distortions."

2. They" decline to receive us as brethren, and to give us the right hand of fellowship," partly because our doctrinal views of Christianity are different from their own, and partly because, as they aver, we maintain our views in dishonesty, using language hypocritically. We cannot be Christian brethren," say

they," for we cannot tread the same road, even for an instant. They use the language of Christianity, without believing its mysteries. How, then, can we bid them God speed, while they are influenced by this spirit of unfairness? The words of their mouth are smoother than butter, but war is in their heart their words are softer than oil, yet are they drawn swords.'" (pp. xxiv. xxv.)

3. We are charged with deliberately opposing our own minds to the mind of God. "That such unwearied hostility," say they, " is waged by Unitarians against the mind of God, as expressed in his word, all their publications unequivocally and mournfully attest." (p. xxv.)

4. They describe us as "blasphemers against the Son of Man," and they close this peculiar exhibition of " Charity" by offering up for us the following prayer :

"O merciful God, who hast made all men, and hatest nothing that thou hast made, nor wouldest the death of a sinner, but rather that he should be converted, and live, have mercy upon all Jews, Turks, Infidels, and Heretics, and take from them all ignorance, hardness of heart, and contempt of thy word," &c. (p. xxix.)

If such is their " Charity," may we be permitted to ask, what form would their uncharitableness take?

Such is the "General Preface," which the "thirteen Clergymen" are deliberately of opinion that the issues of this Controversy, and our mutual relations to each