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CHAPTER XIV. 



Of the religious, social, and scientific Character of Sir J. E. Smith. 



When the religious opinions and principles of a 

 man have been such as to support him through the 

 trials of life and in the hour of death, they form a 

 part of his history deserving our notice : this me- 

 moir therefore would be imperfect without giving 

 such a statement of Sir James's as may be relied 

 upon for containing the most essential points. 



His principles were these, — "That a man can be no 

 Christian, as to faith, who does not judge for him- 

 self; nor as to practice, who does not allow others 

 to do so without presuming to censure or to hinder 

 them." 



His opinions were formed from the same source 

 whence many, with equal sincerity, derive very dif- 

 ferent ones. His creed was the New Testament, and 

 he read it as a celebrated divine* recommends; that 

 is, " as a man would read a letter from a friend, in 

 the which he doth only seek after what was his 

 friend's mind and meaning, not what he can put 

 upon his words." 



He was a firm believer in the divine mission of 

 Jesus Christ; and in maintaining the doctrine of the 

 strict unity of God, as one of the truths our great 

 Master was commissioned to teach, he considered 

 his opinion truly apostolical. 



* Whichcot. 



