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    preserve their moral character * About six or eight of them now search the scriptures with great attention : four of them tell me that they neither knew nor cared any thing about religion further than to preserve their credit in society :

    that they nev » r could understand any thi ^ g 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 have spoiled all that hofy lethargy which they used to enjoy at church , for they can no longer worship any but the God and Father of our Lord Jesvie Christ . I have good hope of these , because of their steady and virtuous habits .

    There is also another interesting class of persons who now begin to attend me . These are young men , some of whom possess considerable intelligence . A few of them have some literary attain , ments . Where intelligence and attainments 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 1 have freely conversed , and as they are both virtuous , sensible , and rather learned also , J 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 3 uo , but every avenue is filled , so that there is , probably , nearer 4 ) O , among whom I have scarcely more than one who has been under a

    religious profession . The friends have concluded on considerarion of your letter , 1 st . 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 he a boardinghouse appointed for the ministers who Irtay . succeed ' me , the expense of which they will jointly defrayy together with ; € * pen $ e of can 4 Jcv aWothcr incidents . . - • ¦ ¦ - ¦ -

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    3 d . That they will bear the travelling expenses of the minister * . This they mean to do by way of trial for one year . They are desirous of putting the Fund to no expense ; but if the new converts shouid drop off , and the few hearty friends should feel themselves oppressed , they then hope that some assistance will be afforded by the Fund . *'

    In this state Mr , Vidler left Readmjr , 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 you * committee . In March , Mr , Bennett also devoted a month to this infant

    cause , most acceptably and successfully employed . Within these fewweeks , Mr . Vidler has paid a second visit to Reading , and the following ig the brief statement of things as he found them after some months absence , and as they are now . €€ May li . 1812 .

    < c In my late visit to'Reading 1 made the following observations . i . That the morning congregation which is composed chiefly of the most steady friends of Unitarianism , consisted on an average of about a hundred persons . ,

    a . That the evening congregation , among which are many inquiring per > sons , a » rwell a * many curious and idle ones , consisted on an average of at least two hundred . The number of the evening-congregation ia 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 { had more or less conversed upon Various topics of Christian doctrine , and of Whom 1 had formed a hope of their perseverance -in ¦ truth , t here is no $ one family whieh has . drawn back , but several have been adlfdkd byi the labours of the bicthien wtfu have succeeded me .

    4 . That these families , with a number of others , individuals , have iriade ftfcery . considerable progress in the knowlexigeof theitruth as it is to J-esus , not all iadeediW the Bamedegree , but afll «»

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    772 F / rt met * from the Report of the Unitarian Fund , 181 $ .

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Dec. 2, 1812, page 772, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1755/page/44/