on experimental and devotional fubjects, and di recting their whole difcourfe to matters of mere fpeculation. Indeed, piety and virtue are in effect acknowleged to be unfavourable to the embracing of the focinian fcheme: for if "an in"difference to religion in general be favourable "to the diftinguishing between truth and falfe"hood;" and if, "thofe men who are the most "indifferent to the practice of religion, will ever "be the first to embrace the rational fyftem," it muft follow, by the rule of contraries, that piety, virtue, and zeal for religion, are things unfavourable to that fyftem, and that pious and virtuous perfons will ever be the laft to embrace it; nay, fome may think it very doubtful whether they ever embrace it at all. Serious chriftians, according to the account of Mrs. Barbauld, are the moft difficult fort of people that focinian writers and preachers have to deal with; for though they are fometimes brought to renounce the calviniftic doctrines in theory, yet there is a fort of leaning towards them in their hearts, which their teachers. know not how to eradicate. "Thefe doctrines, (the fays) it is true, among thinking people are lofing ground; but there is ftill apparent in that "clafs called ferious chriftians, a tendernefs in expofing them; a fort of leaning towards them, as in walking over a precipice one thould lean "to the fafeft fide; an idea that they are, if not true, at leaft good to be believed, and that a falutary error is better than a dangerous truth."* Secondly, Whatever virtue there may be among focinian converts, it may be queftioned whether the diftinguishing principles of focinianif have any tendency towards promoting it.The principles which they hold in common with us; namely, the refurrection of the dead and a future life, and not those in which they are diftinguished from us, are confeffedly the fprings of their virtue. As to the simple humanity of Chrift, which is one of the diftinguishing principles of focinianism, Dr. Prieftley acknowleges that, "The connexion between this fimple truth, and a regular christian life is very flight. That, 66 (fays the fame author) which is moft faσε vourable to virtue in Chriftianity, is the expec"tation of a future ftate of retribution, ground"ed on a firm belief of the hiftorical facts record"ed in the fcriptures, especially the miracles, the death, and refurrection of Chrift. The man "who believes these things only, and who, to"gether with this, acknowleges an univerfal pro"vidence ordering all events, who is perfuaded "that our very hearts are conftantly open to di"vine inspection, fo that no iniquity, or purpose "of it, can escape his observation, will not be a * Remarks on Wakefield's Enquiry on Social Worship. "bad man, or a dangerous member of fociety.' Now thefe are things in which we are all agreed: whatever virtue therefore is afcribed to them, it is not, ftrictly speaking, the refult of focinian principles.—If, in addition to this, we were to impute a confiderable degree of the virtue of socinian converts to "the principles in which they were educated, and the influence to which they were expofed in the former part of their lives," we should only fay of them what Dr. Priestley fays of the virtuous lives of fome atheists; and perhaps we should have as good grounds for fuch an imputation in the one cafe, as he had in the other.† Among the various focinian converts, Have we ever been used to hear of any remarkable change of life or behaviour which a converfion to their peculiar principles effected? I hope there are few calvinistic congregations in the kingdom, but what could point out examples of perfons among them, who, at the time of their coming over to their doctrinal principles, came over alfo from the courfe of this world, and have ever fince lived in newnefs of life. Can this be faid of the generality of focinian congregations? Those who have had the greatest opportunity of obferving them, fay the contrary. Yea, they add, that the converfion of finners to a life of holinefs does not appear to be their aim; that their concern feems to be to perfuade thofe who, in their account, have too much religion, that lefs will fuffice, rather than addrefs themselves to the irreligious to convince them of their defect. A great part of Dr. Prieftley's Sermon on the death of Mr. Robinson is of this tendency. Inftead of concurring with the mind of God, as expreffed in his word, O that my people were wife, that they would confider their latter end! the preacher goes about to diffuade his hearers from thinking too much upon that unwelcome subject. You will judge from thefe things, brethren, whether there be any caufe for boafting on the part of the focinians, in the number of "converts which, they tell us, are continually making to their principles; "* or for discouragement on the fide of the calvinifts, as if what they account the caufe of God and truth were going faft to decline. t I am, &c. * Discourses on Various Subjects, p. 93. LETTER V. ON THE STANDARD OF MORALITY, Christian Brethren, You OU have obferved that Dr. Priestley charges the calviniftic fyftem with being unfriendly to morality, "as giving wrong impref fions concerning the character and moral go"vernment of God, and as relaxing the obliga"tions of virtue." That you may judge of the opriety of this heavy charge, and whether our fyftem, or his own, tend moft to "relax the 66 obligations of virtue," it feems proper to enquire which of them affords the most licentious notions of virtue itself. To fuppofe that the fcheme which pleads for relaxation, both in the precept and in the penalty of the great rule of divine government, fhould, after all, relax the leaft, is highly paradoxical. The fyftem, be it which it may, that teaches us to lower the ftandard of obedience, or to make light of the nature of disobedience, muft furely be the fyftem which relaxes the obligations of virtue, and confequently is of an immoral tendency. The eternal ftandard of right and wrong is the moral law, fummed up in love to God with all the |