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INTELLIGENCE.
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Commu nication front Dr . Thomson , of jjalifax i relative to a Church of Unitarian Christians , at New-churchy in Rossendale , Lancashire . Sir , Halifax * May 13 , 1815 . A few months ago I became acquainted with the circumstances and with the mi-Bisters of an Unitarian Church at Newchurch in Rossendale , distant about
twenty miles from this place , and about eight miles from Rochdale . Within these few days the following document passed through my hands . As it seemed to me to contain an interesting , though necessarily brief and imperfect history of the rise , progress , and present state of the Unitarian Church alluded to , I obtained permission from one of the parties chiefly concerned
in it , to have it copied with liberty to transmit it to your journal . It has been joxibfvLll y copied by my friend Mr . Astley . Front the Trustees and Church of Unitarian Christians , on behalf of their Minister meeting- ' in Bethlehem Chapel , at New-church in Rossendale , Lancaskire , to the Trustees of Lady Ilew ley s Fund .
Gentlemen , Having heard that you are entrusted with bounty which enables you to relieve the distresses of needy ministers , we beseech you of your clemency to hear us a few words . In the year 1806 ( previous to which the greater part of us were in the Methodist
connexion ) a Mr . Josepli Cooke was expelled the Methodist connexion for teach-In doctrines which were deemed anti-Nethodistical , but wnich it is unnecessary here to mention . A Chapel was built for nim m Rochdale , in which he laboured a few years , till he wore out a slender
constitution and a vigorous and inquisitive tomd by excessive application to his work . We who are the subject of this memorial J ^ sat two years under th $ ministry of ^ r . Cooke , while he was in tb <* Methodist ^ nnexion ; and having embraced the ofwwiire doctrines for which he was
exfort y ' about thirty or ort of U 8 > ( one of whi « h was a local Poacher ) left the MetUodist connexion , * nd invite d Mr . Cooke to New-church , Place about e ight miles north of Rochjj > * p preach for us . He accepted our assiir 1011 and dllme once B mont ! l to oxir * hile C < i ' ** loll ( * as llis h «^ th permitted , plarA ° Ur * oca ^ preacher supplied his ouTtt * R 6 chdal 6 - rh * progress which 'ithiiik * ** * ™ > an < * taught us to niake ln and the pecuniary en ^ barrass-
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ment in circumstances to which the communication of our thoug-hts has led us , being * two things , we will speak of them apart . We had been seta thinking , by the anti-methodism which Mr . Cooke was supposed to have taught . From this we began to examine the doctrine of original sin as commonly taught , and we thought we saw sufficient reason to discard such an
unscriptural , irrational doctrine . At least such it now began to appear to us . Being pretty well settled in this , we proceeded to examine the doctrine of Atonement ; which as commonly taught , teaches us that God the Father cannot , and be just , shew any mercy to the sinner , till th «
claims of his justice are satisfied . Man cannot make this satisfaction . Accordingto this scheme , another God , called God the Son , who in every respect is equal with the Father , makes satisfaction to his Father . It struck us , that if the Father required a satisfaction to > his justice , the Son if equal with him must for the same
reason require one too ; and then it gave , us the ideas that there was one God who was stern and inflexible , another kind and generous , and yet these are one and equal ia perfection ; these with a whole heap of inconsistencies which gather round this 4 octrine , caused us to cast this ancient piece of orthodoxy to the moles and to the hats . We then began to think about God beinar Three in One-and One iu Three .
This we co nld not n tide island . Much we thought but nothing we said on this subject iii public , for the space of twelve months . Perhaps at this period , we might well he called Sabellians . Thus far our ministers had led us from orthodoxy to heterodox y , when i n March , 1811 , our much esteemed , useful , and laborious pastor ,
Mr . Cooke was taken from us by death . For many months previous to bis decease he had been unable to attend upon his regular ministry . But notwithstanding this , his mind was all alive to thinking , and we verily believe liad lie recovered his former strength , he would have been one of the most laborious promoters of Unitananism in this kingdom .
Our condition was now the most critical and trying that can be imagined . Our principal dependance for a supply of preaching had been upon Mr . Cooke . Now he was gone . Our orthodox neighbours had long * misrepresented our sentiments *
and had been very liberal in dealing out damnation ; but nf > w thoy marfe another desperate attack . The death of Mr . Cooke- > said they , was a judgment fnvm God inflicted for broaching : such dammiblc hci"c \ s \
Intelligence.
INTELLIGENCE .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), May 2, 1815, page 313, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1760/page/49/
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