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rect or not, there remains to us and to our fellow-Christians, sufficient common ground to allow us to recognise each other as sharers in the same title, that of Evangelical Christians. Nor do we, in taking this position, undervalue the importance of those points in which we differ. We may illustrate our own claims best by comparing them with the views taken of Christian fellowship by different societies, which recognise each other as Evangelical. The Episcopalian contends,-at least such is the ground taken by many eminent men of that denomination, that an individual cannot properly be admitted to the ministry, except by a bishop, who has himself received ordination from other bishops, the line of succession being uninterrupted back to the times of the Apostles. The Baptist, on the other hand, considering immersion as required by the Saviour, and that this can only properly be received by those who are old enough to comprehend its meaning, regards of necessity, those who have been consecrated by sprinkling, or in infaney, as not properly baptized. Thus the Episcopalian, if standing on the ancient ground of his church, regards the Baptist as not ordained,—the Baptist regards the Episcopalian as not baptized. Yet with this wide difference between them, so wide that it would seem as if all the ordinances of religion in each of these sects must be looked upon by their brethren as utterly invalid, yet do they recognise each other as Evangelical Christians, fellow-servants of God, fellow-disciples of the Saviour. My allusion to these highly respectable denominations is in no spirit of unfriendliness. It has been made, only to illustrate the position which, in this discourse, I claim for our own denomination; and I trust that every liberal NO. 177.

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minded Christian of every sect, would rejoice to find, that on whatever points of doctrine he may still feel compelled to differ from us, he is authorized to extend to us the right hand of fellowship, of brotherhood in feeling, and of warm coöperation in the great cause of God and man.

But why, it may be asked, should attempts of this kind be made? Why seek to bring into nearer union denominations which are so widely different? I have no wish to deny, that one great reason is, our hope, that as unfounded prejudices against us are removed, a more ready access may be found for those truths, which, as we conceive, we peculiarly hold, to extend themselves among our fellow-Christians. And who is there, however much opposed to our opinions, that would confess a desire to resist their progress by the weapons of misrepresentation and uncharitableness? This motive however, is not the only one by which we are influenced. We see the exertions of our brethren of every name in the common cause. We witness their zeal in the missionary enterprise; we see them active in every good work in our own country; and in proportion as, from these causes, we respect and love them, in that proportion do we feel more deeply our own insulated position. We perceive, too, the incalcula ble injury done to the cause of Christ by the divisions which exist among his followers; the ground given for the attacks of infidelity, and for the still more dangerous progress of indifference. We know that uniformity of religious opinions is not to be attained, at least in our day; but we hail the signs of a better union, a union of religious feeling, and religious effort. In the great battle to be waged against wickedness under the standard of the Redeemer, we claim our station, not as an insulated and

almost neutral detachment, but with the main body of our brethren, shoulder to shoulder, hand with hand, and heart with heart.

The word Evangelical means Gospel. It is needless for our present purpose to go farther into its signification. Evangelical Christians then, are Gospel Christians; Christians who reverence the Gospel; Christians in the Gospel sense of the word. We proceed to state the grounds on which we claim to be thus considered.

First, then, we claim to be evangelical Christians, because we acknowledge that creed which alone our Saviour and his early disciples required. What that creed was, we may learn from the circumstances attending the baptism of the Ethiopean nobleman, as recorded in the eighth chapter of Acts. When, having been instructed by the evangelist Philip, the Ethiopean desired to receive the ordinance of baptism, he was told, "If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." This simple confession of faith was regarded as sufficient, and the inspired teacher administered to him the initiatory rite of the Christian church. If this creed was sufficient in the days of Philip, why is it not in ours?

John, the beloved disciple, in the fourth chapter of his first epistle, gives to his brethren directions by which to distinguish between the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. From his language we select the following expressions; "Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God." "Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God." At the beginning of the next chapter are the words, "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God."

When our Saviour addressed to his disciples the ques. tion, "Whom say ye that I am?" Peter answered, "Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God." Was this declaration of belief considered insufficient by the Saviour? Not such is the conclusion we draw from his reply. "Blessed art thou," he exclaimed, "Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven."

Brethren of other denominations, our faith is the same which has thus received the sanction of evangelists and apostles, and even of our Lord himself. Does not their example authorize you to receive us to Christian fellowship? To quote but one passage more, "This," said our Saviour," is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." We adduce this passage not at present, in its controversial bearing,-though as a declaration of the supremacy of the Father, it appears to us too plain to be easily misconstrued; but surely, if it be, according to the Saviour's own definition, life eternal to know the Father as the only true God, and Jesus Christ as having been sent by him, Unitarians cannot be far from the kingdom of heaven.

Passing along the stream of time, from the days of our Lord and his Apostles, we find a confession of faith, simple as our own, considered as sufficient by believers in general, during the first three centuries. I refer to that venerable formula, the Apostles' creed, a work of unknown authorship, but so ancient, that Ruffinus, a writer of the fourth century, supposed it to have been the production of the Apostles themselves. It is expressed in the following words.

"I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He went into the place of departed spirits; the third day he rose from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the Holy Catholic (or Universal) Church; the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen."

This ancient Creed expresses the sentiments of Unitarians generally in the United States. A few indeed may question the doctrine of our Lord's miraculous birth, or that of the resurrection of the body; and most of us probably conceive that our Saviour's coming to judge the quick and the dead, is rather to be figuratively than liter. ally understood. But the creed in its essential portions describes our faith. It links us to the primitive evangelical church, in which it was considered sufficient. Can our brethren, some of whom still profess their faith, sabbath after sabbath, in the same form of words, deny to us the name and character of evangelical Christians?

We claim that character, secondly, because we hold, in common with our brethren, to the great distinguishing doctrines of the Gospel. It is not necessary here that we should prove our entire agreement with any denomination of our fellow-believers. Differences, and important differences there are, between our brethren and ourselves; but we cannot regard these differences as sufficient to exclude either party from the character of gospel Christ

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