NOTICES OF RECENT PUBLICATIONS.-Peabody's Address be- fore American Peace Society,-Miles's Discourse before Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company,-Doggett's Sermon on Transcendentalism,-Furness's Discourses be- INTELLIGENCE.-Installation at Groton, Mass.,-Cambridge Di- vinity School,-Medford Missionary Society, and Milwaukie Saint Bernhard and John Wesley, The Importance of Religion-A Sermon, The Trinity not a Doctrine of Scripture, A Sabbath Morning at Pascagoula, NOTICES OF RECENT PUBLICATIONS.—Unitarianism the Doc- trine of the Bible,-Sears's Discourse at Funeral of Deacon White, Farley's Sermon after Interment of Mr. Henry Intelligence.--Domestic Intelligence,—Address of Irish Unitarians to their American Brethren,-British and For- eign Unitarian Association,-Unitarian Meetings at Taun- NOTICES OF RECENT PUBLICATIONS.-Neander's History of the Christian Religion and Church,—The Huguenots in France and America,-Frothingham's Sermon after Funeral of Rev. INTELLIGENCE.-Domestic Intelligence of the Month,-Sun- day School Society,-Worcester Sunday School Society, -Charleston Unitarian Book and Tract Society,-General Peace Convention,-Irish Unitarian Christian Society,— Irish Unitarian Society for the Diffusion of Christian Knowledge, Ascent of Vesuvius,--Memoirs of the So- NOTICES OF RECENT PUBLICATIONS.-Priestley's History of the Corruptions of Christianity,-Child's Letters from New York,-Hillard's Discourse before Phi Beta Kappa So- INTELLIGENCE.-Ordination at Lynn, Mass.,-Ordination at NOTICES OF RECENT PUBLICATIONS.-Martineau's Endeavors after the Christian Life,-Stebbins's Centennial Discourse,- Dewey's Discourse on Channing,-Burnap's Commemora- tive Discourse on Greenwood,-Robbins's Discourse, Gray's Sermon, on Ware,-Furness's Discourse on Communion with the Unseen,—Farley's Sermon on the Lord's Supper,— Channing's Address on Prevention of Pauperism,-Pea- body's Address on Classical Literature,-Iledge's Oration on Conservatism and Reform,-An American Tract for the INTELLIGENCE.-Ordination at Meadville, Penn.,-Ordination at Roxbury, Mass.,-Installation at Nashua, N. H.,-Dedica- tion at Charlestown, N. H.,-Ecclesiastical Intelligence,- Intelligence from Syracuse, N. Y., and Western New York, -Festival of the Reformation,-Ministry at Large,—Unita- As unsightly excrescences sometimes grow on lofty trees, so do ugly vices attach themselves to the stock of religion. Of these vices one of the most offensive, though not the least common, is dogmatism. We see it in different connexions and under different circumstances. It is not confined to any one denomination of Christians, nor peculiar to any system of faith. It is a vice to which some persons are more inclined than others from natural temperament, and to which some forms of belief give more encouragement than others; but it may discover itself where we should least expect its presence. Dogmatism is not connected with religion alone. It often taints the conversation and writings of men of science; it is betrayed by many a visitor to the galleries of art; it is the bane of political discussion. In the dictionary dogmatism is defined to be "positiveness in opinion," and a more concise or accurate definition could not be given. "Positiveness in opinion ❞—a way of speaking about our own views of truth or duty, which overlooks our fallibility, and denies the common sense or common honesty of those who differ from us. Dogmatism does not reason-assertions are its arguments; does not weigh objections -but despises them; does not treat an opponent with respect or courtesy-but loads him with reproach, or overwhelms him with solemn warning. Dogmatism is self-confident, arrogant, unjust, obstinate, blind. It is the natural expression of bigotry, the sure indication of a narrow mind. This positiveness of opinion is very different from that intelligent and warm attachment to his own principles of belief which should mark every Christian. Let every man "be fully persuaded in his own mind." Having formed his opinions carefully, studiously and prayerfully, with the Bible before him, and the Divine Spirit invoked to pour light upon the eyes of his understanding, that he may see what is written in the records of sacred truth, he ought to retain his confidence in those opinions with an unshaken faith, till he shall be convinced that he has wrongly interpreted the words of Scripture. A firm adherence to what we believe to be the truth as it is in Jesus, and strenuous exertions to diffuse it throughout society, as well as an earnest and habitual endeavor to express its power in our characters, are duties enforced by every consideration drawn from the importance of this truth, the privilege of possessing it, and the necessity of a cordial and happy faith to a personal enjoyment of religion. But we may be firm, open and zealous in advocating the truth, and yet not dogmatical. We may stand by our own opinions, yet not treat with scorn the opinions of others; remembering that they may have arrived at the results by which they abide through an equally diligent study of the Scriptures with ourselves. It may indeed seem strange to us, that they should find such doctrines as they hold in the Bible. That any one, for example, should gather the doctrine of the Trinity from either the Old or the New Testament is to me as wonderful, as that men should have ever believed in a connexion between the fortunes of human beings and the influences of the stars. Yet honest and good men once thought they read their own and others' destinies in the brilliant letters of the firmament; and why may not honest and good men now think they find the revelation of a triune God on the pages of Scripture? I am bound to allow their sincerity, and they to allow mine. Humble conviction should not degenerate into supercilious dogmatism. "Why dost thou judge thy brother, or why dost thou set at naught thy brother? Let us, if we can, enlighten and persuade, but "not judge one another any more." 99 |