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Jou rney , I feel gvsnt pleasure in beings able to bear testimony to the ifcmN ^ e ex ertions roafciagr l * y oar Crieisids , for tbe promotion of lfce great cause of trnfh . & tidr righ-Igol ^ ness , in . almost ef ^ ry-plae © 1 risited oa this occasion . BIy labours . durings ttoe winter were principally confined to the Weald of Kent , and I
have tbe h % h gratification of announcing that Unitarian ism has obtained admission into no lesa than six new places , m each of which I have preached several times , and circulate ^ a large numbe r of Tracte . Hfttch inquiry , reading-, and conversation , hap been the result , with no small portion of calumny and misrepresentation ; but , nottvithstan / Ung .-the efforts oflthe reputedly Ortiiodox , ( and they are by no means idle , ) the prospect of durable good and permanent usefulness is truly animating-.
I am under the greatest obligation to the venerable Pastor of the Unitarian Church atTenterden for the countenance , support , and encouragement be fcas given ,. and atill continues , to give , to the Missionary exertions in Kent and Sussex . " The spring * was taken up in . travelling through East Kent . I nth is , journey I visited Tanbridge Wells a second time , and I have reason to believe a permanent cause might be established there , could a better place for preaching ia be procured , and more attention ^ pa . id to it , than is compatible with the multifarious duties of a
Missionary - I have likewise visited Besset ' s Green , JJfajdtstone , Chatham , and Stieerne & s . la the latter place I had the pleasure of finding-the society in a prosperous state , an d * their number increased . Could they through the liberality of their wealthier Unitarian brethren build a place in a more eligible part of the town , it would be much better and more respectably attended ; and thus , in the ^ onrs ^ e of time ,, they would beadle , to make some provision for a resident minister . Mr . Chapman , the
worthy minister of Chatham , visits them onpe a fortnight , on a ^ week evening ^ After preaejiing' several times at Sheer-ness , 1 proceeded to Sitting Bo urn . and preached th * re a second time to about sixty persons , w ^& i ; WidV tfie exc ^ ptidri of one . ( aad he , as it afterwards appeared , possessed mucK more Orthodoxy than common morality , ) listened with tbe greatest attention , nnij seemed much pleased with the tracts given them . On this occasion , a considerable number oPboys and thoughtless young " men assembled in the street , fbr the avowed purpose of insulting- and disturbing" usbut were happily prevented by the activity of a frierjd , who stood at true door , aha would not suffer one of them to enter . They contented themselves , therefore , witft
discharging a few volleys of pease at the window-shutters , and then su / Tered ns to proceed unmolestedly . In justice to th ^ liberality of the times , I feel called' upon to declare , ( and f do it with pleasure , ) thut this is the only obstruction ( if ? t , indeed , may fee caTfea *? o ) "f ' have met with during my Missionary labours . From whatl have been able to observe , it appeal's , that , if a proper place cotiltf h $ procured in Sittirigbourn , and preaching- kept up regularly , were it only once q . fortnig-ht , a society might be very soon established . But , though the harvest is truly
plenteous , the labourers are tew . * , From Sittingbourn , I travelled to Canterbury and Dover , in each of which I spent one Sunday , and preached to respectable congregations . I' ' then visited Dcaj , spent two Sundays with them , and httd the pleasure of wi to fcs « tig" the rap id * progress oj Divine truth ia that town . The congregations * are . generally l & rge , and the cause prospering even beyond my expectation . Indeed , ' there is every reason to hope the time is not very distant when a permanent and flourishing interest will be established there . ' .
Much credit is due to the few fttendrat Deal foT their in . deffrtig'abie exertions iii the great cause , and to the worthy toinisters , Messrs . Mtyrteq and Pdund of Ddver . * nd Ashdo . wny of Canterbury , who have laboured t h ^ re' d ' uripg the lat ^ win , te , r ^ ano who , I trusty will still continue their valuable labours inthathrtportairt tteiglrt > 6 tfra < wA r By way of conclusion , I would state one fact , illustrating ; at once the mts 4 iWfig | L' 6 f Orthod oxy , falsely so called , and . the power of Divine truth . A silort Jittie ; only before my arrival at Deal , one of tber friends' wrote to me as follows : u Ofie ^ llifetfito of the Caivinistic pulnit has said in private , thit be is rea ^ to , jneet ua , in ^ e fi eld of
controversy , oveti mi the markedpkice . No notice has bej ^ n taken , of tbis ' dlf ' TCt , but if you can name a time to be with ns , and titfnk discu «» ion . would be i |& fti $ ^ t $ & c \ x ^ . llenge may . even noW » be rtt ^ oepfed-. ^ IV vrbreh I tapHet ^ Rafter stating" the time I should be there , ) that the market-place was entirely a tit orthe question , tmt 1 Was rea dy to m «< et 4 fcm eft 0 nf ttooaej © klierin fcfa ' own chapel or aurs . BMI « were imnjedi . tbe tow tfe ^ add
^ eiy po « ie < i ^ boul o , ffiving : notice nf ib © tramber ot se > H > o , na U * be jw-ewj ue ^ ^ the tin »^ u ^ n » y ^ ouW > l » d & iver ^ in ^ Qn Ma occasion , our Chri ^ Nl brethren who entertain opinions at varjattce witbUtlitaria ^ i atd , vrii ) ha ^ aan opport ^ itt of toting ib ^ grwnd of tli ^ ir dfcwSnfi hjt eagpejihfy m $ mVfe ^^ fereaW ^ ajWwAe •^^ tnai ^ ^ X a » poiAtiog % - € g | qw tt ^ wm MR ^^ fWH one wooM upppne an invitation like ttrti ' lrttirtstible 5 I am rare it would b « so to
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Dec. 2, 1823, page 23, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1714/page/23/
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