Often have I heard it said by advocates for the Socinian scheme--True!
we are all sinners; but even in the Old Testament God has promised
forgiveness on repentance. One of the Fathers (I forget which)
supplies the retort--True! God has promised pardon on penitence: but
has he promised penitence on sin?--He that repenteth shall be
forgiven: but where is it said, He that sinneth shall repent? But
repentance, perhaps, the repentance required in Scripture, _the
Passing into a new mind_, into a new and contrary Principle of Action,
this METANOIA,[63] is in the sinner's own power? at his own liking? He
has but to open his eyes to the sin, and the tears are close at hand
to wash it away!--Verily, the exploded tenet of _Transubstantiation_
is scarcely at greater variance with the common sense and experience
of mankind, or borders more closely on a contradiction in terms, than
this volunteer _Transmentation_, this Self-change, as the easy[64]
means of Self-salvation! But the reflections of our evangelical author
on this subject will appropriately commence the Aphorisms relating to
Spiritual Religion.
[63] Μετανοια, the New Testament word which we render by Repentance,
compounded of μετα, _trans_, and νους, _mens_, the Spirit, or
practical Reason.
[64] May I without offence be permitted to record the very appropriate
title, with which a stern Humorist _lettered_ a collection of
Unitarian Tracts?--"Salvation made easy; or, Every Man his own
Redeemer."