This denomination of Christians argue against the divinity and preexistence of Christ in the lidlowing manner : the scrip. tures contain the clearest and most ex press declarations that there is but one God, without ever mentioning any excep tion in favour of a Trinity, or guarding us against being led into any mistake by such general and unlimited expressions. Exod. xx. 3 : " 'Thou shalt have no other God but me." Deut. vi. 4. Mark xii. 20. 1 Cur. viii. 6. Ephes. iv. 5. It is the uni tbrm language of the sacred books of the Old Testament, that one God, withotit any assistant, either equal or subordinate to himself, made the world and all things in it, and that this one God continues to direct all the affairs of men. first book of Moses begins with reciting all the visible parts of the universe as the work and appointment of God. In the ancient prophetic accounts, which preced ed the birth of Christ, lie is spoken of as a man, as a human creature highly favour ed of God, and gifted with extraordinary powers from him, and nothing more. He was foretold, Gen. xxii. 8. to be of "the seed of Abraham." Deut. xviii. " A pro phet like unto Moses." Psal. cxxvii. 11: "Of the family of David," &c. As a man, as a prophet, though of the highest order, the Jews constantly and uniformly looked for their Messiah. Christ never claimed any honour nor respect on his own account, nor as due to himself as a person only inferior to the most high God; but such as belonged only to a prophet, an extraordinary messenger of God, to listen to the message and truths which he delivered from him. He in the most de cisive terms declares the Lord God to be one person ; and simply, exclusive of all others, to be the sole object of worship. Ile always prayed to the one God as his God and Father. He always spoke of himself as receiving his doctrine and pow er from him, and again and again dis claimed having any power of his own. John v. 19: " Then, answered Jesus and said unto them, verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of himself:" John xiv. 10: "The words which I speak unto you, 1 speak not of myself; but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works." He directed men to worship the Father ; and never let fall the least intimation that himself or any other person whomsoever, was the object of worship. (See Luke xi. 1, 2. Matt. iv.
10.) He says in John xvi. 23, " And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Veri ly, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you." Christ, they say, cannot be that God to whom prayer is to be offered, because he is the high priest of that God, to make intercession for us. (Acts vii. 25.) And if Christ be not the object of prayer, he cannot be either God, or the maker and governor of the world under God. The apostles, to the latest period of their 'writings, speak the same language, re presenting the Father as the only true God, and Christ as a man, the servant of God, who raised him from the dead, and gave him all the power of which he is pos sessed, as a reward for his obedience. In Acts ii. 22, the apostle Peter calls Christ " a man approved of God," tcc. ; and in Acts xvii. the apostle calls him "the man whom God has ordained." 1 Tim. ii. 5 : " There is one God, and one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus." Had the apostle Paul considered Christ as being any thing more than a man with respect to his nature, he could never have argued with the least propri ety or effect, " that as by man came death, go by man came also the resurrection of the dead ;" for it might have been repli ed, that by man came death ; but not by man, but by God, or the Creator of the world under God, came the resurrection from the dead. The apostles directed
men to pray to God the Father only: Acts iv. 24. nom. xvi. 27, &c.
This denomination maintain, that re pentance and a good life are of them selves sufficient to recommend us to the divine favour ; and that nothing is neces sary to make us in all situations the ob jects of his favour, but such moral con duct as he has made us capable of. That Christ did nothing by his death or in any other way to render God kind and merci ful to sinners ; or rather, that God is of his own accord disposed to forgive men their sins, without any other condition than the sinner's repentance, is declared by the Almighty himself constantly and expressly in the Old Testament, and ne ner contradicted in the new. Isaiah lv. 7: "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts ; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." See also Ezek. xviii. 27. This most im portant doctrine of the efficacy of re pentance alone on the part of the sinner, as sufficient to recommend him to pardon I with God, is confirmed by Christ himself, Matt vi. 12 : " If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." But above all, the beauti ful and parable of the prodigal son, (Luke xv.) is most decisive, that re pentance is all our heavenly Father re quires to restore us to his favour.
The Unitarians of all ages have adopt ed sentiments similar to those of Pei*. gins, with respect to human nature. Of late years, the Unitarians have been very much upon the increase. They have several societies, in various parts of the country, for the promotion of their principles by the publication of books. In London they have two large and flour ishing public societi9—The one called "The Unitarian Society for promoting Christian Knowledge and the practice of Virtue, by the distribution of books." This society has lately published "An improved version of the New Testament upon the basis of Archbishop Newcome's new translation, with a corrected text, and notes critical and explanatory." Among the members of this society are to be found some men of high literary and political character. The other soci ety, established in London, is called the "Unitarian Fund, for promoting Unita rianism by means of popular preaching." The objects of which are stated to be : " 1. To enable poor Unitarian congTega-. tions to carry on religious worship. '2. To reimburse the travelling and other expenses of teachers who may contribute their labours to the preaching of the gos pel on Unitarian principles ; and 3.' To relieve those Christian ministers who, by embracing Unitarianism, subject them selves to poverty." This society has now several missionaries in various parts of the united kingdom ; and its funds are said to be in a flourishing state.
This denomination is now spreading it self in America. There are also some so cieties in France, and other parts of the Continent, of Unitarian Christians.