The reasons which the author assigns for the rejection of Trinitarianism, from page 46 to 53, are, to our minds, irresistible; and we would fain hope will have a great effect in subduing the prejudices so generally entertained on this doctrine. His delineation of the tendency and unspeakable value of Unitarianism, bears on it the stamp of truth; clearly evincing, that it is the reflected image of a mind that has experienced its moral power, and a heart that has deeply imbibed its sanctifying loveliness. "What,” he asks with all the eloquence of religious feeling,

"What but the strongest conviction can bind them to their unpopular belief? Overcome that conviction: prové to their satisfaction, that they are in a wrong path, and they will join the many who have entered by the broad gate, and are crowding along the royal highway. Show them a religion, with credentials from heaven, more beautiful and more easily comprehended than their own; more influential on human conduct; and more adapted to the wants, the hopes, the wishes, and all the lofty and holy aspirings of the immortal soul; and be assured, they are not such enemies to their own good as to refuse its adoption. They stand on the right of private judgment, and this right with them is not a name but a reality.

The Articles of the Church of England assert, indeed, that "Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man that it should be believed as an article of the faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation." The Church of Scotland repeats nearly the same language; and even the Synod of Ulster once responded to the sound. Dr. Drummond shows, with great felicity of expression, how they keep the word of promise to the ear, but break it to the hope and expectations of man:

"Much is said and written now-a-days in behalf of this right, particularly by some of those who are endeavouring to proselyte the Church of Rome. Mr. Maguire seems to contemplate many of their declarations respecting it as a complete fallacy. For they allow the right to be exercised only, till it leads to the rejection of the Papal authority, and then it must cease. The Church of Rome herself allows a similar right, 'till you have adopted her as your spiritual guide; and from that instant, your right is no more. Your understanding has performed its office, and is thenceforth, as some worn-out or hurtful instrument, to be thrown away! You have seen enough, and must quietly submit to have your eyes put out! The process of some of our reformers is not very dissimilar. They not only allow, they imperatively insist on, the frequent perusal of the Scriptures. But then you must read them with the spectacles of Athanasius, or Calvin; or should

you happen to take a glance with your own eyes, and get more expanded views of the perfections of God and his divine dispen.. sations, you are immediately stigmatized as a leper and heretic! You must be cut off from the covenanted mercies of God,' and doomed to dwell for ever in that dire abode, over whose gate is written, All hope abandon ye who enter here!'"

Mr. Pope, with the usual inconsistency of the advocates of Protestant corruptions, "trusts that the result of his discussion with Mr. Maguire may be, that we shall throw the Fathers overboard, and sailing in the ark of the living God, the Holy Scriptures, launch out upon the great ocean of religious truth." Dr. Drummond avails himself very happily of this suggestion of Mr. Pope's, and proposes that

"Along with the Fathers, in order to render the bark light and buoyant, he would throw out their whole offspring, both spurious and legitimate-the Westminster Confession of Faith-the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds-a thousand folios of Scholastic Divinity and dogmatic Theology-huge bales of Magazines, falsely entitled Evangelical, all war-denouncing ecclesiastical" Charges" -reams of declamations against good works-the sanctimonious cant by which fortunes and titles, with the silly women' appended to them, are led captive-the impious declarations of fanatics, that nature is under the curse of God; and their uncharitable invectives against their neighbours, misnamed sermons, and headed with the appropriate text, 'curse ye Meroz, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof.' Let all such trumpery be 'shouldered' and shovelled out. Down let it sink, ten thousand fathoms deep. As long as it remains on board, it will impede the motion of the vessel, embarrass the movements of those who should work her, and keep up the continual cry of danger.'

We hail this publication with the greatest possible pleasure. It is a noble offering at the shrine of individual judgment and Bible-Christianity. May it rouse our brethren in Ireland, to a sense of the paramount duty and necessity of buckling on the armour of a righteous and fearless profession, of what they deem to be truth. Leav ing discussions on minor and less important subjects, let them combine for the promulgation and defence of the doctrines of One only God, and his unbounded goodness— that Jesus Christ is his well-beloved Son, and the Saviour of the world—and that the spirit of Christ is the spirit of unfeigned charity-and the triumph of truth over error will assuredly be accelerated. Dr. Drummond has truly said, "All who do not embrace the doctrine of the Trinity, are ranked by their opponents in one class; and whether they be Arians or nicknamed Socinians, are all alike said to be infected with leprosy and heresy." "There are times and

occasions when silence would be criminal; and being considered as denoting either a want of confidence in the truth, or of ability to defend it, might seem to give sanction and currency to error." The present we take to be such times. A fearful responsibility now attaches itself to the Unitarians of Ireland. The path of duty is before them. Rugged it may be; but the crown of righteousness will be their reward, who tread it with Christian firmness and integrity.

The admirable appeal of Dr. Drummond to his brethren, we cannot but insert. May it prove successful.

"Let Unitarianism profit by the concessions which have been granted to her, and come forth in her panoply of Truth, conquering and to conquer. A new and a brighter era in her history has arrived. Men of learning, piety, and first-rate talents, are beginning to exalt their voice most audibly in her behalf. Her doctrine is making progress in England. It has passed the Tweed, and is forcing its way in Scotland. Glasgow, one of the darkest dens of Calvinism, has sent forth able Pioneers' to prepare her way, and they are laying a bright and trenchant axe to the root of the tree of corruption. Ireland has felt her tread from North to South. The young man of Bandon has stood boldly forth as her champion; and the sage of Belfast has advocated her cause with a force of argument, an elegance of style, and a knowledge of Scripture worthy of the reprobation of Calvinism. Dublin sleeps; but she may, perhaps, be awakened, and goaded and lashed into activity. She could boast of an Emlyn once; an Emlyn who, with a spirit like that of the ancient martyrs, dared to stand alone and assert his faith, in defiance of cruel persecution, the fine and the gaol. In our own time, CATHOLICUS VERUS has spoken with a voice most sweet and eloquent. Would that it were raised again to a higher note, and, like a trumpet, make the welkin ring! Abroad, Unitarianism is spreading like the light of heaven. The mountains and valleys of Switzerland are re-echoing her hallelujahs. The erudite Brahmin in the East has commenced her hosannah. But we must turn to the land beyond the Western . Ocean, to the land of the learned and pious Channing, to see how she can triumph when she has an open arena, and is not opposed by fashion, worldly interests, and those inveterate prepossessions of custom and education, which chain men to Popery and Calvinism in Europe. Half a century has not elapsed, since she could not boast of more than one congregation in that great division of the globe-now it is almost all her own; for in that new world, the prejudices of Europe do not find any appropriate soil. There, the religious mind has room to expand, unchecked by the noxious influences of established error. There, Trinitarianism can take no lasting root. It is fast withering away, and will soon be known only by name; for every plant,' said our blessed Lord, 'which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.' All America is turning to the worship of the one only living and true God.

"Such intelligence is exhilarating to the friends of true religion at home. Let them not despair. The great Reformation has commenced; and if they will lend their aid, it will go prosperously forward. The authors of the last Reformation only half executed their task. They did much, but more remains to be done. They did all that could reasonably be expected of men emerging from profound night, and awakening from a lethargic slumber. But their vision, long habituated to darkness, could not bear the full radiance of gospel truth. They still hovered on the confines of their ancient haunts. They wanted the eagle eye and the eagle pinion that could sustain and direct them, in more elevated flights towards the sun of righteousness. It is left to men of the present and coming age to complete the task which they began; to establish the doctrine of the Divine Unity, and make the religion of the Bible the only religion in the world.”

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THE CHRISTIAN PIONEER.

GLASGOW, August 1, 1827.

Synod of Ulster.-ON Tuesday the 26th June, the Annual Assembly of the Ministers and Elders composing this portion of the Presbyterian Church of Ireland, was held at Strabane. The Rev. Dr. Wright of Anahilt, the Moderator of the preceding meeting, delivered an eloquent discourse on Christian benevolence, from Col. iii. 16. The Synod being constituted by prayer, the Rev. J. S. Reid of Carrickfergus was chosen Moderator. On the Rev. Mr. Orr of Portaferry reading the minute, "that Mr. Porter be continued Clerk," Mr. Magill of Antrim addressed the assembly. Having read from the Fourth Report of the Commissioners of Irish Education, the following evidence given by Mr. Porter, the Clerk to the Synod:-" Will you have the goodness to state whether you are a person of Arian or Orthodox principles?—I set out in life with Orthodox sentiments; but, upon mature reflection, I was led to change those sentiments, and I am what is usually called an Arian. *** I think more young men of Newlight (Arian) sentiments come from Glasgow College, than I have known to be reared in the Institution; I account for this by supposing that Orthodox sentiments being the popular sentiments, and the creed of young men who pass through the Belfast Seminary being more open to public inspection, they are more under a temptation to avoid the means of imbibing sentiments which may mar their success in life, or to suppress those sentiments if they have formed them. Amongst us, what is called Orthodoxy seems of late to be taking the lead of Arianism. In my opinion, there are more real Arians than professed ones amongst us. Arianism being an unpopular doctrine, I have no hesitation in saying, that our Ministers, in general, are not fond of avowing it."

Mr. Magill continued, and complimented Mr. Porter for his readiness in giving his evidence; and expressed his anxiety that the mind of man should be left "free as the wind;" but he regretted that this body should have been wounded through the effects of Mr. Porter's evidence. He said that he was the sincere friend of the Belfast Institution; and regretted that it had been wounded through the Arianism of the Synod; and not by Arianism in itself. "It would appear," said he, "that we have Arians in this body; more real than professed ones. In the name of Christ, let us see who are these masked characters, who hide themselves in the waters of infidelity. It had been said, they were few in number;'-the thinking few.' He trusted they would be few indeed; like some poisonous plants, which, though placed at the distance of a thousand miles from each other, yet withered and destroyed all around them." Mr. Magill then inquired for the Arian Creed; and compared a High Arian and Low Arian, to a high-way and low-way robber-for they robbed the Son of the Eternal God of his Crown of Glory!! He contrasted the Minutes of the Synod of 1824, with the assertion that Arian principles had been progressive since 1726; and proceeded to inquire, by what spiritual free-masonry these Arians knew each other? For, it appears that our Clerk is their grand master! After stating, that unless he were to raise up his voice in the cause of the Holy Gospel of the Lord Jesus, he could not enjoy the repose of his pillow; and that this being the first time an Arian had avowed himself to be such in this Assembly, we should view it like the fabled Salamander, and crush it. He made some allusion to the people of India, Africa, and the South Seas, fixing their eyes on the Synod of Ulster; and proceeded to move, that "Mr. Porter, having avowed himself an Arian before the Commissioners of Irish Education Inquiry, be no longer continued Clerk to the body." It was seconded, without comment, by the Rev. Mr. Simpson of Dublin.

Dr. Wright of Anahilt, expressed his sorrow that the motion had been made; protested against Arian principles; eulogised Mr. Porter's fidelity as a Clerk to this body; expressed his regret that Mr. Porter had been compelled to give evidence; advocated the propriety and honesty of his telling the truth, when he was on his oath; and concluded by moving, that "though the Synod highly disapprove of, and disavow, Arian principles, yet as Mr. Porter has always faithfully discharged his duty as Clerk, he shall be retained in his office."-This being seconded,

Mr. Henry Montgomery rose, and avowed himself an Arian; and expressed his willingness that any one should take up his avowal, and deal with him as might be deemed right. Until some one had procured a patent of infallibility, he had as good a right to maintain his opinions, as others had to state theirs. Whilst some Ministers of this body think it right to join the Clergy of the Established Church, and are assisting them in their labours of conversion; and whilst ministers of both are constantly urging on their Roman Catholic brethren the right of free inquiry, -surely it would be only common honesty to grant him what