The no means consider equal to each other. Thus Nebuchadnezzar ordered the same kind of honor to be paid to the golden image which he set up, which he required to be paid himself; yet you do not imagine he meant that the people should regard it as equal to himself. Thus Gessler commanded all the Swiss to bow to his hat, which he hung on a pole, as they would to himself: he did not mean they should think his hat equal to himself. Thus a king or nation requires that its representative or ambassador shall be honored as itself; yet the king does not mean that his ambassador shall be thought equal with himself. question, then, is, Do the words "even as" necessarily or probably mean the same degree? They do not necessarily. Nebuchadnezzar might say, "You must honor my image even as you honor me;" Gessler, "You must honor my hat even as you honor me." They might say this without necessarily intending that the same amount of honor should be paid. Paul says to the Ephesians, "Be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven you." Well, here, he certainly cannot mean that they are to forgive their brethren to the same degree and amount that they have been forgiven by God; because scripture and reason both teach that our brother's sins against us which we forgive, compared with our sins against God which he forgives, are in the proportion of a hundred pence to ten thousand talents; i.e. (rendered into modern money), of about fifteen dollars to fifteen million dollars. This text, then, proves nothing: it leaves the question between Unitarians and Trinitarians just where it was. It may mean either the same amount or the same kind. We consider it to mean the last, and so use it. One other remark. It is highly important for us to pay to Christ the honor which is his due; but we think that this duty is often put on a very false ground. God and Christ are represented as being jealous of their honor, as being very anxious to receive honor, as being gratified with praise and worship, and being very angry if worship and praise are withheld. Some of the lowest and most contemptible passions of man are thus ascribed to the Almighty and to his Son. Because we love to be praised, because our cheek glows at the voice of adulation, because men are fond of high titles, and love to be called "Right Honorable," "Most Mighty," " Right Reverend," it is supposed that God and Jesus take the same pleasure in the same sounds. But good men can rise above this weakness, though it be the last infirmity of noble minds. No man has gone far in goodness who cannot cheerfully dispense with honor from his fellow-creatures. How much more, then, God and Christ! THE CIRCULATION OF THE TRACTS. [We very gladly insert the following communication, and hope it will receive the attention of all our readers.] To the Readers of the "Monthly:" I AM moved to offer a few suggestions, to incite you to more earnest efforts in the circulation of the Tracts of the American Unitarian Association. The Association has done a glorious work in publishing this admirable series of Tracts. They have been written by the wisest and best men our denomination has produced, and in them are ably defended and forcibly illustrated all the doctrines peculiar to Unitarians; while there are not wanting among them many earnest appeals for personal piety and practical religion. They have been widely distributed in past years, and have, without doubt, accomplished an immense amount of good; for all of which, we have reason to be thankful. But shall we rest satisfied with what they have already effected? Is their mission ended? These are important questions; because, if answered in the negative, we have something more to do than merely congratulate ourselves on good results in the past. They are not, however, difficult questions to answer. To my mind, they admit of no discussion: the reply is self-evident. Of course, these Tracts have not done all the good of which they are capable. On the contrary, there has never been a time, since the first number of the series was issued, when the world needed them more than it needs them now; when, scattered broadcast over the wide field of humanity, they would be more sure to fall into good ground, and bring forth fruit abundantly. Especially is this true in our own land, where multitudes every year are losing their confidence in the narrow and dismal dogmas of the old theologies, and are longing most ardently for a more liberal, a more cheerful and reasonable faith. Such persons need only to see and understand our views to accept them. Now, I ask, where are our views better stated than in these very Tracts? Most certainly, nowhere. Then these are exactly what are required - are they not? to satisfy the cravings of this famishing multitude, who are looking to us for their spiritual food. This being so, we, the readers of this "Monthly," clergymen and laymen, men and women, have an important work to perform, - a work which, if not done by us, will be left undone; and this work is, to circulate these Tracts. The officers of the Association have now done all that they can well do in this matter. They have published the Tracts, and have printed convenient catalogues; and they have offered to sell them at a merely nominal price, or to give them "wherever it is thought necessary." Further than this, in the last number of the "Monthly," our atention is called to three "Packages" which have been prepared, containing fifty Tracts each, which are to be sold at a price so low, that it cannot possibly cover the expense of paper and printing. Of all the various methods which have been adopted to distribute the Tracts, this, the last, seems to be one of the very best; and, if it fail of its object, it will be strange indeed. I have examined these "Packages;" and though expecting much, from my general knowledge of the series from which they are selected, I have been surprised at the importance and interest of the subjects treated, and at the amount of intellectual ability and religious force which the names of their authors indicate. Let me direct your attention to their contents, and I am confident the surprise of many of you will be equal to my own. In the First Package, "illustrating and defending Unitarian Doctrines," I find four Tracts by Channing, "The Distinguishing Opinions of Unitarians," "The Future Life," "The Worship of the Father," and "The Power of Unitarian Christianity; " six by Dewey, on "The Unitarian's Answer," "A Brief Statement of the Unitarian Belief," "Natural and Revealed Religion," " Experimental Religion," "The Law of Retribution," &c.; four by Walker, on "The Philosophy of Man's Spiritual Nature," "The Law of the Spiritual Life," "The Deference paid to the Scriptures by Unitarians," and "Unitarianism Vindicated;" two by Gannett, on "The Atonement," and "The Essential in Christianity." And, besides all these, we have "One Hundred Scriptural Arguments for the Unitarian Faith," by Rev. Dr. Barrett; "Paul a Unitarian," by Rev. Caleb Stetson; "Charges against Unitarianism," by Rev. Ephraim Peabody, D.D.; "A Young Man's Conversion from Calvinism," by Rev. Sylvester Judd; "An Individual Faith," by Rev. Dr. Ellis; and, to close our list, six by Rev. Dr. Eliot, on "The Unity of God," "Our Lord Jesus Christ," "Argument from History," "The Atonement," "Regeneration," " Retribution; " Tracts which were so much admired when first issued, they were at once reprinted in a book-form; of which work, I understand, twelve thousand have already been disposed of. I have now mentioned only about half of the Tracts that this First Package contains; and those omitted are, without exception, on subjects of vital interest, - the product of vigorous minds. All this wisdom can be obtained for fifty cents! The Second Package is equally rich in authors and titles. To prove this, it will be only necessary to indicate a few as specimens. "Unitarianism Vindicated," by Rev. Dr. Walker; "Two Natures in Jesus Christ," by Rev. Dr. Lamson; "True Grounds of Christian Unity," and "Sin and its Penalties," by Rev. Dr. Putnam; "On Profession of Religion," by Rev. Dr. Dewey; "Truths joined by God not to be sundered by Man," by Rev. Dr. Osgood; "The Coming of Christ," by Rev. Dr. Peabody; "The Faith of the Unitarian Christian," by Rev. Dr. Gannett; and two, "Human Suffering" and "The Church," by Channing. In the Second Package you will receive as much wisdom as in the first, and this likewise for fifty cents! The third and last contains Tracts on "Religious and Moral Subjects," not directly doctrinal; and does not. fall below the other two in ability or interest. Here I find one on "Delay," by William Ware; "Prejudice," by Rev. S. J. May; "Erroneous Views of Death," |