Synopsis
Excerpt from The Practical Importance of the Controversy With Unitarians: A Lecture, Delivered in Christ Church, Hunter Street, Liverpool, on Wednesday Evening, Feb. 6, 1839
IN sending this Lecture to press, the author thinks it right to premise, that having delivered it from notes, and corrected it into its present form from the report of a short-hand writer, it cannot profess to be, verbatim, the same as was spoken. There has not, however, been any important change, that he is aware of; and while but a few unimportant alterations have been made, and one only additional quotation introduced, he can affirm it to be substantially the same. It is scarcely to be expected that, on such a subject, much original matter should now be elicited. The praise of originality was not, however, the author's object, but rather usefulness and edification. He has accordingly availed himself freely of the labours of those who have gone before him in the controversy, not only in the adoption of their arguments, but frequently of their words; and being aware how eagerly advantage is taken of definitions and forms of ex pression by those whose tenets are here impugned, he has pre ferred rather to clothe himself in the verbal armour of the tried veterans in this contest, than trust himself in the weaker pano ply of his own providing. He has further abstained from drawing a picture of Unitarianism in his own language, and then eriti cising that picture but has deemed it more candid and honest to let it speak for itself, in the words of its most eminent and gifted defenders. The reader will, therefore, find large quotations from Priestley and Charming. As well as other distinguished writers of their school, whose opinions may be taken as a fair specimen of those which are generally held by the body at large. It must be obvious, that in endeavouring to ascertain the doctrinal senti ments of a sect which boasts of its freedom from creeds, articles, or formularies, considerable difficulty must be encountered: it is so easy and convenient withal, for each particular member to dis claim any responsibility for what has been advanced by another.
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