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devil, the miraculous conception, the reverence the scriptures,-and that by plenary inspiration of the scriptures, and the right of private judgment they were even materialism and necessity have justified in interpreting them differently been brought forward. I had no other from others. The audience was more choice, thus circumstanced, than an respectable in appearance than any I open avowal of all my sentiments. I had yet had. have, therefore, frankly made it. The consequence has been such as I expected. The whole town is moved by it. Every place of worship rings with the cry of heresy: cautions, warnings, threats, prayers, tears and outcries are used to stop the dreadful evil. Even the learned archdeacon, incumbent of St. Mary's no evangelical man himself-has joined the evangelical alarm, and honoured me expressly with a cautionary sermon to his genteel audience.

In the evening our place was so crowded that I had again difficulty to get to the pulpit. The stairs, pretty large and wide, were also filled. The counting-house was likewise occupied by many. Above thirty went away, not being able to get within hearing. I preached on Mat. ix. 13." I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." It is thought that 400 persons were present. I described repentance as a practical thing, turning from sin to righteousness-proved that sinners and righteous persons were distinct characters in scripture-that Christ came to call the former to repentance, as 1st, idolaters; 2d, ignorant and openly immoral Jews; sd, hypocritical pharisees, all the worse for their religionthat the gospel was intended for the same purpose now-that the righteous were moral persons, who feared God and worked righteousness, and as doing this were accepted of him-Christ did not call these to repentance, they did not need it. But he called such to the full knowledge of God's favour by his gospel, and to the rich hope of eternal life.

"Dec. 13.

Afraid of incurring expences which, from the unsettled state of things here, might ultimately fall on the Fund, nothing decisive had been done concerning the theatre, when your last letter ar rived. On receiving it, I felt myself en. couraged to request a meeting with some of the friends to confer about procuring the theatre: but, happily, this was rendered unnecessary, for Mr. S. shewed me a large workshop of his, he is a carpenter,-which, if I thought it would do, he should be glad to hear me preach in. I accepted it immediately. Another person, a boat builder, who had heard me, but never spoken to me, sent to offer a boat-house, which he said he would make as convenient as The most deep and profound attention possible. Thus I had choice. The prevailed in the audience, most of whom carpenter's shop is best situated and consisted of persons who seldom attend largest, fifty feet long, twenty-three any place of worship." wide, open to the roof, with a countinghouse, which I call the vestry, opening into it. With his work-benches, toolchests, deals, &c. he fitted it up in great taste: A branch drawing up and down in the middle-Sconces, candlesticks, and table for singers, stools, chairs, and an excellent pulpit of rough wood. This place I knew not of till Friday evening, There was only Saturday to circulate notice of my preaching, and this was done so effectually, though only verbally, by my friends, that on Sunday morning we had a larger congregation than I have had on any Sunday morning since I have been at Reading. I preached on Acts xxiv. 14. "After the way which they call heresy so," &c. I described heresy in its innocent and noxious senses-proved that no sincere man can be, in the bad sense, a heretic; shewed that Unitarians believe and

"In order that the Committee may form a correct idea for themselves, it is necessary that I take a retrospective view of circumstances, and also state present appearances at this populous town.

1st. The original design of Mr. S. or those who acted with him, was to unite the Cudworthians, the Universalists, the Arminians, for there are some few such, and other semi-orthodox nondescript characters, together on a broad and liberal plan, so far as to preach on general subjects in which they all agreed, but by no means disavowing or even in the least trenching upon the grand Unitarian doctrines. This method continued while I used the Cudworthian meeting, where I preached seven sermons that gave the most entire satisfaction to all the above parties, and

attention of the non-professing part of the town. I was therefore determined to preach somewhere. Several places were offered. I chose, as most convenient, the large shop of Mr. S. a carpenter, in London Street. Here I have preached four Sundays, and though the weather has been cold, and, last Sunday, very wet, yet the congregation has continued to increase, and, in the evening, the place is greatly crowded indeed, though perhaps not twenty religionists attend in the whole congregation.

even some Calvinists who attended were also that my ejectment had roused the as much pleased as any others. For ought that I can see I might have preached seventy times seven discourses in the same manner, and with the same success, but the genius of Calvinism exerted itself to prevent so good a work. The heads of all the above parties, and many of the individuals among them were visited, and their prejudices, and their fears, and their ignorance, were all wrought upon, till they were terrified exceedingly about my principles. They were told that I denied Christ, that I called him an idol, that I had declared I would destroy him; that I denied the inspiration of the scriptu.es; that I did not believe man had a soul; that I denied all future punishment, did not believe there was any hell, totally denied the being of the devil, and that it was doubtful if I admitted that there was either a God or a heaven. These fearful reports worked some days in secret, and it is even but lately that I have understood their number and extensive operation Their effect, however, on the minds of ignorant religionists, you may well conceive of without a description.

2d. The consequence of these reports was that I was excluded from the Cudworthian meeting: the owner of it say ing, that he fully approved of every thing which he had heard me deliver there, but as I did not believe the Deity of Christ and the doctrine of atonement, I must preach there no more refusing at the same time to discuss these points with me, because, so he said, "I was too weighty for him in argument." About the same time most of the Cudworthians, Universalists, and Arminians, &c. forsook me, after giving me a sum to pay travelling expenses. Except Mr. S. and Mr. D. I had hardly a religionist left to encourage me. But three days before I was dismissed from the Cudworthian meeting, Mr. W. C. my present kind and generous host, had invited me to take up my dwelling in his house, else I believe I must have returned home immediately; which was what the orthodox intended when they threatened to drive me out of Reading.

3d. Thus circumstanced I looked about me, and found that ten or twelve poor Unitarians and a great number of sceptical persons, some of them of good character, had attended my preaching, and my conversation parties. I found

4th. As I had no place in which to give a lecture on a week evening, I delivered lectures to different classes of persons, two, three, &c. and once even four times in the week, in private houses. I began with about twenty persons in a company. The numbers have increased to thirty, forty, and even fifty, yet still select and respectable. I read most part of all these lectures, and all of some of them. A few orthodox or semi-orthodox at first attended them, but have now left me, except two or three, for they say, "I am capable of deceiving, if it were possible, the very elect." Consequently I have gotten quite a new school. My method is this: I neither sing nor pray, but begin by a short address on the rights of conscience, or on the use of reason in religion, or on the sources, nature, and effects of deism, or on the excellency of revela tion, &c. &c. I state my subject, and read the whole, or enlarge extempore on particular parts. After I have done, conversa ion follows. Objections are made, or questions are asked, or some other interesting subject is discussed. Here are persons who some of them tell me that they have not been to any place of worship, except on a public occasion, for five, or seven, o ten, or fifteen years. A few of these have been in the habit of reading their Bibles attentively, others not at all. One of them told me, after a lecture last week, that he had not opened his Bible for eight years past till since I came to Reading, and he believed he never should have opened it again had I not come.

Among my present public hearers and attendants on my private lectures, are also some steady respetable churchmen, tradesmen with families. These have never concerned themselves further about religion than to go to church and

They are desirous of putting the Fund to no expense; but if the new converts should drop off, and the few hearty friends should feel themselves oppressed, they then hope that some assistance will be afforded by the Fund."

preserve their moral character. About 3d. That they will bear the travelling six or eight of them now search the expenses of the ministers. This they scriptures with great attention: four of mean to do by way of trial for one them tell me that they neither knew nor year. cared any thing about religion further than to preserve their credit in society: that they never could understand any thing about Christianity, it was to them mystery and darkness, but they were content that the parson knew all about it, or at least, that he said he did so, although they often doubted whether he knew more than themselves. These are not yet weaned from the church. They have character and interest at stake, they say that I bave spoiled all that holy lethargy which they used to enjoy at church; for they can no longer worship any but the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. I have good hope of these, because of their steady and virtuous habits.

In this state Mr. Vidler left Reading, after staying several weeks. He was soon succeeded by Mr. Wright, who spent four Sundays there. During this time he had the happiness of superintending the formation of an Unitarian congregational library; towards which many books were contributed by your committee. In March, Mr. Bennett also devoted a month to this infant cause, most acceptably and successThere is also another interesting class fully employed. Within these few of persons who now begin to attend me. weeks, Mr. Vidler has paid a second These are young men, some of whom visit to Reading, and the following is possess considerable intelligence. A the brief statement of things as he found few of them have some literary attain. them after some months absence, and ments. Where intelligence and attain- as they are now. ments unite, I find a strong inclination to deism is predominant in them. This is the natural effect of the stupefying absurdities of orthodoxy. I hope I have been so happy as to reverse a state of incipient deism in two of them with whom I have freely conversed, and as they are both virtuous, sensible, and rather learned also, I have the best expectations of them.

From the above account you will see both what has been, and what is, the state of Unitarianism at Reading.

The congregation in the morning is from 100 to about 130 persons. In the evening as full as the place can crowd. I think it can hold 300, but every avenue is filled, so that there is, probably, nearer 400, among whom I have scarcely more than one who has been under a religious profession.

The friends have concluded on consideration of your letter,

1st. That they will continue to meet in Mr. S.'s shop. He has generously offered it gratis, on Sundays only, for two years, or until they can get a better place.

d. That there shall be a boardinghouse appointed for the ministers who may suceed me, the expense of which they will jointly defray, together with expense of candles, and other incidents.

"May 11, 1812.

"In my late visit to 'Reading I made the following observations.

1. That the morning congregation which is composed chiefly of the most steady friends of Unitarianism, consisted on an average of about a hundred persons.

2. That the evening congregation, among which are many inquiring perSons, as well as many curious and idle ones, consisted on an average of at least two hundred. The number of the evening congregation is not so large at this season of the year as during the winter months.

3. That of about thirty families with whom I was acquainted in my first visit, and with whom I had more or less conversed upon various topics of Christian doctrine, and of whom I had formed a hope of their perseverance in truth, there is not one family which has drawn back, but several have been added by the labours of the brethren who have succeeded me.

4. That these families, with a runber of others, individuals, have made very considerable progress in the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus, not all indeed in the same degree, but all in

Extracts from the Report of the Unitarian Pund, 1812. 773

such a degree as to justify the conclusion numerous and respectable congregations
that there are, at least, an hundred per- that any provincial town in England
sons in Reading who are prepared to contains."
form the foundation of an Unitarian
cause in that populous, and, heretofore,
orthodox town.

5. These persons, in general, are now
in the habit of seriously reading the
Scriptures, and paying the utmost de
ference to their authority; which is the
more to be wondered at as, a few of
them only excepted, they had long given
up any particular attention to them,
because having taken modern corrup-
tions of Christianity for scriptural doc-
trine, they had strongly doubted the
truth of revelation.

6. They have, under the direction of Mr. Wright, established a chapel library, which is increasing both in number of subscribers and in books. This institution promises great utility in promoting the progress of Christian knowledge and virtue, especially among the younger part of them. I observed also that many persons in the middle, and some even in the decline of life, were inquiring after the knowledge of God and of Christ with all the avidity of youth.

7. They make no enthusiastic pretensions to what is usually called religious experience; but they have thus far attained in Christianity that having believed the doctrines of the gospel, they are persuaded that obedience to its precepts will insure to them eternal life without enduring the pains of the second death.

8. Their general character is a pleas ing union of candour and simplicity, in receiving and obeying every doctrine and precept which comes to them recommended by the authority of the New Testament. Their first and leading desire being to become Bible Christians in doctrine, in temper, and in practice.

9. They have the pro-pect of procuring a convenient place of worship, in a good situation, in about twelve months time; meanwhile they continue to use the building with which the benevolent zeal of one of their friends has furnished them. Nor do they think it dishonourable that the religion of the carpenter's son is preached to them in a carpenters shop.

If an intelligent, active, and pious Unitarian minister could be induced to settle among them, I am persuaded that he would soon collect one of the most

defatigable missionary, Mr. Wright, It remains only to add that your inthat the intervals between the visits spent the last Sunday at Reading, and heretofore described were filled up by Messrs. Eaton, Marsom, and B. Flower, to whom the Society is much indebted for their ready and acceptable services.

mittee upon reviewing the occurrences of the last few months at Reading; but Many reflections occur to your Comthey must content themselves with remarking that this is probably an exmeans in many populous towns, and ample of what might be done by similar that no case could more fully shew the urgent necessity for a Society like yours, authorized promptly every opportunity for spreading the knowledge of the pure gospel. and prepared to seize

clude our extracts, with one quotation from Mr. Wright's Journal of a tour to We must, though unwillingly, conthe north in the autumn of last year.

"Newcastle upon Tyne.

We

where we had a pretty large congrega
"Here I preached twice; one evening
in the Hanover Square Meeting-house,
tion, considering that the people are
had some Calvinists and Methodists for
hearers. The other evening I preached
not used to week evening lectures.
in Mr. Campbell's place, which was
pretty well filled, some of the Hanover
Square people attending, as well as some
Calvinists and Methodists.

account.
Of Mr. Campbell I must give some
Mr. Haldane's, and his renunciation
of reputed orthodoxy is quite recent.
He was of late a preacher of
A Baptist congregation at Kendal was
in Haldane's connection, until of late
the minister and people became Uni-
Edinburgh being informed of this
tarians; Haldane and his people at
change, wrote a curious letter to Mr.
Cave, the minister, and his people at
Kendal, informing them that they
could have no more connection nor
intercourse with them, but that they
would pray for them. Cave and his
friends wrote in reply, that as they did
not see that prayer could be of any
prayed to use all the meaus in their
use further than it led those who
power to accomplish that for wioch
they prayed,
prayers would do them no good, and
they thought their.

and disturbed the place by unnatural coughing, &c. when the preceptor left the desk and turned him down stairs. The defendant, by his conduct at the door, in challenging Mr. W. to fight, swearing, &c. prevented the congregation from being quiet, and made a promise to send some rowing lads on the next Sunday. On the day promised a gang of hackney coachmen made their appearance, and after forcing the door-keeper from his station, they proceeded up stairs, upset the stools, struck at the preacher, and threw the place into the utmost confusion by singing flash songs and swearing. The defendant, Kitchener, was ordered to find bail, but the prosecutor liberally consented to his release, on condition that the constable should hold the warrant to apprehend him again if required. There was no case against Dimond.

could dispense with them. Some time after, Mr. B. one of the Kendal people, happened to be in Newcastle, and knowing of the Baptist society there in Haldane's connection, he went among them, and it was agreed for several of Mr. Campbell's people to meet Mr. B. at the house of the former, for conversation, after the morning service on the Sunday. When they met there Mr. C. was so unwell that he could not participate in the conversation, but he laid on a bed near enough to hear the debate. In answer to the arguments for the inferiority of Christ to God, which Mr. B. urged, his opponent said, this related simply to the economy in which he had taken an inferior station, and acted in an inferior capacity. Mr. B. immediately quoted and urged 1 Cor. xv. 24-28, to shew that when the economy terminated, Christ would still be inferior and subject. This made a deep impression on Mr. C.-he thought Mr. B. must omit something in the passage. The first leisure he had he resolved to re-examine the passage and subject: this he accordingly did, and things soon appeared to him in a new light. He said to himself, "If our views be right the passage ought to read, then shall the Son be EQUAL with him that put all things under him." He now entered upon the examination of Trinitarianism with that ardour and perseverance which belongs to a Scotchman (of which nation he is), when inspired by This abominable cry is again about a love of truth and a spirit of free inquiry. The result is, that having fully to be set up, for the purpose of bolstersatisfied himself, a few weeks since he ing up a crazy ministry. It is intend ed, we believe, to play off the Method openly declared to his congregationists against the Catholics. Some miuisthat be was become a Unitarian. ters of the former persuasion have Many of his people left him, a part already learned their lesson and begun

remain, some seem to be disposed to return; in the mean time he goes on preaching, and doing all he can to promote what he believes to be the

truth."

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The Examiner, Nov. 8th, 1812.

House of Lords.

Thursday, Dec. 17. The Bishop of Chester presented a petition from the clergy and certain inhabitants of Manchester and Salford, against the Catholic claims. His lordship stated that the petition was signed, in ad dition to the clergy, by a thousand respectable inhabitants, and several Dissenting Ministers.

No Popery.

to practise intolerance. The pulpits of the Tabernacle and Tottenham Court Road Chapel have resounded with No Popery, and the pious attendants have been exhorted, by their love of the gospel, to support the government against the wicked Papists. Where will this end? Ought not the better principled part of the Methodists aud Calvinistic Dissenters to interfere and stop the march of bigotry; or, at least, to set the public right, and prevent the factious cries of a few unenlightened individuals being taken for the sease of the community, who, we verily believe, are wiser than the teachers referred to, and better know the Lord of conscience,

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