controversy, and that party animosity has dictated this attack on Addison's hymn, when we find that the 45th hymn of the collection at the Tabernacle, is this identical composition, which "may do well enough for a Pharisee," but which Mr. M'Gavin "never knew a humble Christian who could sing it in faith with a good conscience!" The hymn is indeed despoiled of five verses, but the remaining eight are there, and printed, verbatim, the same as in the Church of Scotland selection. We strongly advise Mr. M'Gavin, therefore, to set his own house in order, before he throws stones at that of his neighbour.

"In

This champion of pure poetical conformity to God's Word, has not yet finished his Index Purgatorius. the 16th Paraphrase, also, there is something worse than exceptionable. It is very bad;

In life's gay morn, when sprightly youth
With vital ardour glows,

And shines in all the fairest charms
Which beauty can disclose;
Deep on thy soul, before its powers
Are yet by vice enslaved,

Be thy Creator's glorious name
And character engraved.'

"This is so much the worse that it professes to be founded on the first verse of the twelfth chapter of Ecclesiastes, Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth.' There is not a word there of any period of youth when the soul is not enslaved by sin." Perhaps not, Mr. M'Gavin, if persons stop in the middle of the verse, as you have done; but read the whole, and afterwards meditate on the context, and then, can you make the same assertion? "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them." It seems to us, that the poetry is indeed a very close and accurate paraphrase of the text. We cannot avoid remarking, however, that it is the mode of quoting Scripture, of which Mr. M'Gavin has here given us a specimen, that is one prolific source of the numberless errors so prevalent in the world; and that, would mankind act as faithfully by the Bible as they do by works infinitely below it in value and importance,-judge from its general tenor, and not from detached sentences wrested from their connexion, the truth as it is in Jesus would soon have free scope, and would be justified. Mr. M'Gavin,

however, again shows his manner of quoting Scripture:"The Divine declaration, is, Every imagination of the thoughts of man's heart is only evil continually; and evil from his youth.'-Gen. vi. 5. and viii. 21. The doctrine of your hymn approaches to the Socinian figment, of the souls of youth being like a sheet of white paper!" The passages in Genesis are, vi. 5-"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."-viii. 21. "And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth: neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done." These passages contain the statement of a fact, not of a doctrine; they are averments of the actual, not the natural depravity of mankind: that they are not to be understood, without exception, is evident by the instance of Noab, mentioned in the 8th and 9th verses of the first quoted chapter,- "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord."" Noah was a just man, and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God." Mr. M'Gavin, in his quotation, has changed "was" into "is," and has by this interpolation, made the passage refer to all times, present as well as future; whilst, in its original state, it merely relates a past fact. As to the " fling" of "the Socinian figment," Mr. M'Gavin knows well enough, that it is easier to give a doctrine an opprobrious name, than to answer a solid argument: any person may call an opinion a figment," though he may not find it so convenient to prove it to be one. Mr. M'Gavin ought to be sufficiently acquainted, too, with the English language, to know that there is some difference between "youth" and infancy; if not, a dictionary would inform him. It may be a figment to say, that "the souls of youth" are "like a sheet of white paper," though certainly it is not a "Socinian" one; and yet it may be perfectly true, that the souls of infants are "like a sheet of white paper." Christian Unitarians do, indeed, reject the doctrine of original or birth sin-of native, hereditary total depravity: because they deem it to be at war with the nature of things, inconsistent with reason, opposed to Scripture, and a libel on the blessed God. And that they can give a reason for this faith which is in them, is evident, from an admirable

letter addressed, in the year 1819, to "The Protestant," by a Layman of this City; and of which, Mr. M'Gavin, we believe, has not yet deigned to take the slightest notice. We close our remarks on Mr. M'Gavin's attack on the Church of Scotland Hymns, by expressing our surprise that he should have omitted to censure that other hymn of Addison's "The spacious firmament on high," &c. We are surprised at this, not because we do not admire the hymn ourselves, but as Paine has inserted it in his works, as an example of "true deistical composition;" it would, in the view of the prejudiced, have furnished a stronger case against "the Kirk," than the hymns actually adduced. That a professed Christian, too, should, when animadverting on the poetry of the Church, have omitted to condemn the use in a Christian sanctuary, of many of the versions of the Psalms, breathing, as they do, feelings and dispositions totally opposite to those inculcated by the Saviour of the world-evincing and cherishing, as they do, those warlike and wrathful passions, which are strictly prohibited by the Prince of Peace-and should waste his pious indignation on one hymn especially, which he himself confesses, has in it "nothing revolting to the finest human feelings,”—can only be attributed to the fact, that men are but too apt, whilst they strain at a gnat, to swallow a camel.

Dr. Wardlaw and the Unitarians.

THE Edinburgh Christian Instructor for December 1826, in remarking on the Apocrypha controversy, and the conduct of the Unitarians in relation to it, observes, "Dr. Wardlaw once contended with the Unitarians in the west, and he then performed a noble service to his God and to the Church. Why is it, that he should do any thing to tarnish the laurels, which he won by fighting and conquering these adversaries to the first principles and leading tenets of the Gospel? How melancholy and humiliating, that he should be supported by such allies in this controversy!"-"It is time for the Doctor to inquire, whether, in this practical confederacy, the Unitarians have approximated to him, or he has approximated to the Unitarians! And it is of importance for him to consider, that, in any contest with that sect which may hereafter arise, they will not forget how the Bible Committee acted towards the

Sacred Record, and how that Committee found apologists, and supporters, and friends, among the keenest and most zealous of the Orthodox!" We could not forbear smiling, when we read this tirade of the Editor. It evinces so

culpable an ignorance of the subject which he treats so dogmatically, as can only be accounted for on the supposition, that he has never perused the controversy between Dr. Wardlaw and Mr. Yates. We heard the "Discourses on the Socinian Controversy" delivered, we have perused them since they issued from the press, more than once, we have also read the " Unitarianism Incapable of Vindication," and we have likewise perused Mr. Yates's "Vindication" and "Sequel." Our opinion, therefore, on the merits of this controversy, might perhaps be entitled to as much weight as that of the Editor of the Christian Instructor. But, instead of giving an opinion, on a subject on which our sentiments might be supposed to bias our judgments, we much prefer pressing on all our readers, the importance and propriety of reading both sides of this ably conducted discussion; and we leave the decision of the matter, to their own serious and dispassionate inquiry, without a single fear for the interests of truth. It may be allowed us, however, to remark, that, when a person wins "laurels," "by fighting and conquering" "adversaries," it is usual for the conqueror to retain possession of the field of battle. An Apostle has informed us, that, "if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully." Those who peruse the following extract from the Preface to the Second Edition of Mr. Yates's "Sequel," published in 1822, may perhaps be of opinion, that, as the Apostolic terms of triumph have not, in Dr. Wardlaw's case, been complied with, the period for crowning him is yet to come; and they may also conceive, that the "laurels" have long since been tarnished, even if they were ever won."

66

To one subject it is necessary for me now to advert, although I cannot do it without pain and deep regret. This is the conduct of my opponent, Mr. (now Dr.) Wardlaw. It is more than

eight years since our controversy commenced, and I have uniformly spoken of him with every expression of esteem and respect, which I thought suitable to his talents and character. This he has returned, not only with frequent contumely, but with a charge of "wilful and deliberate misrepresentation;" and although I have, in Part III. Chap. IV. of the following work, completely justified myself from this accusation, and have likewise, in the

Advertisement to the Second Edition of my " Vindication of Unitarianism," published more than four years ago, observed, that "I still looked to Dr. Wardlaw, as a man of honour and integrity," to correct his statements, he has observed a total silence. Although unconscious of any feeling adverse to his true honour and happiness, I wish to inform him, that I esteem my character as valuable as my life, and that I do not make much difference in point of turpitude between the man who attacks the one, and him who traduces the other. Indeed every one will perceive, that such behaviour as Dr. Wardlaw's must put a stop to all intercourse or respectful consideration on the part of such persons as have a regard to moral character; and this notice of it is evidently incumbent upon me as his opponent, since the force of all that I have written on my side of the controversy would be lost, if he could succeed in destroying my reputation for veracity. Let him not conclude however, that my sentiments towards him are unalterable. Let him retract the charge, which he has kept for six years hanging over me, and which nevertheless, I am certain, he does not believe; and let him do what his conscience must inform him that he ought to do, in regard to the other mis-statements and inaccuracies, which he has committed. Then, but not till then, I shall be able to respect him as an honest man. In the meantime, I leave it to the attentive and impartial reader to judge between us.

BIRMINGHAM, Sept. 17, 1822.

JAMES YATES.

It is now four other years since this was published, and he who "once contended with the Unitarians in the west," is still silent!

The Editor of the Christian Instructor exclaims, "How melancholy and humiliating, that" Dr. Wardlaw "should be supported by such allies" as the Unitarians, " in this controversy" respecting the Apocrypha! Had Unitarians formed part of a Society which professed to print the Bible "without note or comment," whilst, at the same time, it was printed with notes and comments, which the ignorant and unlearned deem to constitute a portion of the Sacred Word-had Unitarians circulated as a part of the pure Word of God, passages which the learned have pronounced "indisputably spurious"-had they bound up with the Bible that most "Apocryphal" address "To the Most High and Mighty Prince, James"-and had they, at the same time, railed at others for introducing other Apocryphal matter, and poured out a torrent of abuse on all who differed, in the slightest iota, from their Shibboleth,-there might possibly have been some grounds for this lamentation. But, instead of doing this, the Unitarians have used their utmost efforts to issue an improved text from the