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    These societies then formed a separate connection , met every first day of the week for the worship of God and mutual edification , kept up a correspondence with each other , and held

    occasional general meetings , to consult how they might best bear their testimony as the followers of Christ , so far as circumstances would admit . It does not appear that as yet they had any minister among them .

    In the year 1 7 ^ 3 , they sent a person to Ireland , to consult with some Dissenters there , who , it appears agreed with them in their religious views : and a minute of their mutual agreement and good will was signed at Colraine .

    After this time several useful members of these small societies were removed by death , and various other discouraging circumstances took place '" among them , which diminished their numbers ,

    and , it appears , in the year IJ 66 they were brought very low ; still , however , they persevered , and determined on adopting , if possible , such measures as might enable them to have the ministry of the word and the ordinances of the

    gospel regularly among them . Three of the brethren were appointed to deliver discourses in the societies , as a trial of their abilities . They further concluded , after due deliberation , that a

    knowledge of the Greek and Hebrew languages would be very useful , in enabling them to defend the doctrines they held , should tbejk tie opposed , by quotations

    from the original scriptures , apd i ^ J ^ elpiqg t&erh to correct their W ^ W ^ , so far ^ Ujey HWgW b& # Fjrpne # *| & . Finding that three b ^^ heir humbfc ^ - appeared

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    equally suitable to beset apart for the study of languages , and that they could enable but one to devote himself to this work ,. they agreed to decide by lot which of the three should be the person .

    A general meeting was holden , June 8 , 1769 , which commenced with prayer , after which a president was chosen . The minutes of the last meeting were read , and each of the three candidates

    delivered a discourse ; but the final decision as to the person who should be separated to the work of the ministry and the study of the original scriptures , being thought a most weighty concern ,

    was postponed til ! the last Thursday in the following month , and it was resolved that the said day should be observed as a day of fasling and prayer , and that then the above important affair should be decided . In the mean time all

    the brethren were exhorted seriously to consider and weigh these matters , that they might be prepared for a day of such solemnity . On the last Thursday in July 1769 ,. the proposed solemn meeting was holden . All the company avouched the Lord to be their

    God , as he is revealed in the scriptures , and declared their purpose and resolution to maintain his truth and ordinances as he shall direct . The three can ^ didates were Thomas French , Alexander Brown , and James Purves . The lot fell upon the

    last ; consequently he was the person appointed to study the Ian * guages , an ^ to examine the scriptures in their originals . It was also , thought expedient that an abstract of their principles anil desigps j&Qul ^ b e ? published t «*> the world , Veforfc they appointed any

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    History of the Unitarian Church , Edinburgh . 349

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), June 2, 1812, page 349, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1749/page/5/