troversy, and Dr. Law's Appendix to his Theory of Natural and Revealed Region. The Light of Nature Pursued, by Edward Search, Esq. is a curious work relating to this subject, and has been lately republished, as well as an abridgment of it. It contains ingenious illustrations: the author's real name was Tucker; he died in 1775.

Had not Necessity and Materialism been more of a philosophical than of a theological nature, they should have received a minuter explication. Sufficient, it is hoped, has been said on these subjects to give the reader some idea of the nature and tendency of the controversy which has been agitated respecting them. Those persons who sit down to read treatises on such abstruse topics will wretchedly waste their time, provided they do not possess habits of close thought and attention.

SOCINIANS.

THE Socinian takes his name from Faustus Socinus, who died in Poland, 1604. There were two who bore the name Socinus, uncle and nephew, and both disseminated the same doctrine. The Socinian asserts, that Christ had no existence until born of the Virgin Mary; and that, being a man like ourselves, though endowed with a large portion of the divine wisdom, the only

objects of his mission were to teach the efficacy of repentance without an atonement, as a medium of the divine favour-to exhibit an example for our imitation-to seal his doctrine with his blood-and, in his resurrection from the dead, to indicate the certainty of our resurrection at the last day. The simple humanity of Christ, which forms a principal article of their creed, is founded on passages of Scripture, where the Messiah is spoken of as a MAN, particularly the following: 2 ACTS xxii. Ye men of Israel, hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a MAN, approved of God among you, &c.-17 Acтs xxxi. Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that MAN, whom he hath ordained, &c.-1 Tim. ii. v. There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the MAN Christ Jesus.-At the same time it must be acknowledged that neither the Trinitarian, nor Sabellian, nor Arian denies his humanity; though they do not hold it in that exclusive and simple sense of the word, for which the Socinian contends. On this account it is, that the Socinians have received, on some occasions, the appellation of Humanitarians.

Between ancient and modern Socinians, however, a considerable difference obtains. The miraculous conception, and the worship of Christ, both allowed by Socinus, are rejected by most of

the modern Socinians. Dr. Priestley distinguished himself in a controversy on this subject with Dr. Horsley, the late bishop of St. Asaph. Dr. Priestley had published his two principal theological works; the one to prove that the first Christians were Unitarians, entitled The History of Early Opinions; the other to account for the origin and spread of what is commonly called the orthodox doctrine, entitled A History of the Corruptions of Christitianity. On one or both of these publications, the Bishop animadverted; and to these animadversions Dr. Priestley made several replies. It is difficult to trace the origin of the Socinian controversy. John Campanus is said to be the first of the Reformers who distinguished himself on this side of the question. Next Michael Servetus, a Spanish physician, whom Calvin persecuted even to death; for in the year 1553 he was committed to the flames, by persons who had themselves just escaped the fangs of the Romish church, and who at least had nominally erected the standard of religious liberty. "It is impossible (says Dr. Maclaine) to justify the conduct of Calvin in the case of Servetus, whose death will be an indelible reproach upon the character of that eminent Reformer. The only thing that can be alledged, not to deface, but to diminish his crime, is, that it was no easy matter for him to divest himself at

once of that persecuting spirit which had been so long nourished and strengthened by the Popish religion, in which he was educated. It was a remaining portion of the spirit of Popery in the breast of Calvin, that kindled this unchristian zeal against the wretched Servetus." See the Life of Servetus, just published by Mr. Richard Wright of Wisbeach, where the tragedy is detailed with all its circumstances of brutality. Having mentioned the persecution of Servetus by Calvin, truth, on the other hand, requires it to be mentioned, that Socinus has been accused of persecuting Francis David, who, on account of his rejecting the worship of Christ, was cast into prison, where he died. The persecuting spirit, discoverable in some of the Reformers, diminishes the respectability of their characters; and the only apology that can be made for them is, what has been already mentioned, that the nature and foundation of religious liberty were not then fully understood.

The Socinians flourished greatly in Poland about the year 1551; and J. Siemienius, Palatine of Podolia, built purposely for their use the city of Racow. A famous catechism was published by them, called the Racovian Catechism; and their most able writers are known among the learned by the title of the Polones Fratres, or Polonian Brethren, "Their writings were (says

Dr. Maclaine) republished together in the year 1656, in one great collection, consisting of six volumes in folio, under the title of Bibliotheca Fratrum. There are, indeed, in this collection, many pieces wanting, which were composed by the most eminent leaders of the sect; but what is there brought together is nevertheless sufficient to give the attentive reader a clear idea of the doctrine of the Socinians, and of the nature of their institution, as a religious community." An account of these several authors, as well as of the persecution of Francis David, will be found in Dr. Toulmin's Life of Socinus.

But the Socinians have appropriated to themselves the appellation of Unitarians; and by this name they are now more generally distinguished. Though to this appellation they have no exclusive claim, yet it is somewhat more correctly descriptive of their religious tenets than that of Socinians, since they renounce many of the opinions of Socinus. The Arians, if not the Trinitarians, it must be remembered, are equally strenuous for the divine unity, and to deny this fact is an indication of bigotry. See Lindsey's Historical View of Unitarianism, Dr. Toulmin's Life of Socinus, Hopton Hayne's Scripture Account of the Attributes and Worship of God, and of the Character and Offices of Jesus Christ, and Mr. Belsham's Answer to Mr. Wil