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and it was predicted that all would now sink into oblivion . Our pains were much increased by considering" ourselves as the only people in the country , if not in the world , who believed these things ; and often , in condoling what in the anguish of our minds we conceived to be our misfortune , have we said to one another , " " There is no people in the world , who believe as 1
we do and are treated as we are . For however strange it may appear to those whose acquaintance with men and things have been more extensive than ours , we did not at this time know that there were any Christians called Unitarians ( though there were some in Rochdale ) nor did we know that there was any book except the
Bible that taught the doctrines we had embraced . In this distress , ready to faint under our trials , we called a meeting' of rthe Society which now consisted of about sixty persons , all of whom were poor , labourinsr * nen and women . The result of which was , to attempt to proceed in what we had begun . It was observed we could not hear preaching- elsewhere with any satisfaction . That while Mr . Cooke had been
sick , the congregations had been well satisfied with the junior preachers . ( Some months before this , another young- man had begun to preach ; and a few months after this another began . ) That we could not conscientiously give up what from conviction we had embraced . The
conversation at this meeting greatly strengthened our hands ; we set about our work , continued to inquire after truth , and immediately after this we relinquished the doctrine of the Divinity of Christ . Indeed , the place at which we are now arrived , is supposed by our orthodox neighbours to be " the mystery of iniquity . "
What considerably added to our distress when Mr . Cooke died was the state of our finances . In the year 1808 we built a chapel which cost more than 500 / . A little more thaw 100 / . of this was begged from amongst ourselves ; the rest , to the amount of 400 / . was borrowed . The
interest of this money was to be paid from the seat rents . The novelty of our sentiments , and the offence that was generally taken at them , along- with the death of Mr . Cooke , made us tremble under this burthen . We perceived , however , that our condition needed all the exertion and support which we were capable of giving it ,
and the result has been very different toany thing we then thought of . We have not only been able to keep our chapel , but our congregation is now larger than it was when Mr . Cooke died ; and we have reduced the debt upon our chapel to 350 / . ( 100 / . of this debt is now wanting-, and . has long been wanted , nor do we know cither where to beg- or borrow it . ) For this ,
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however , under God , we are indebted the young men our preacLers , but nrin cipally to one who has always reside ! amongst us ( the other young nieu ih-l eight miles from us ) ; this young- j . to the
opposition strong prejudices and at tachments formed by Methodistical instruc " tions and associations has sought for trial and found what we conceive to he the g ? nuiue truths of the gospel , without am assistance save that which his Bible af forded . In the pulpit he boldly yet
cautiously advanced and defended them in such a way as has silenced some of his ' adversaries . But in this work he has spent more time and strength , than we have been able to requite him for . Such generally
has been the badness of trade , and the consequent poverty of our c ire u instances that we believe on an average ? , since he became our minister , he has not had for all his services more than 10 / . a year
Gentlemen , We have heard of you r libejality , and that as the Trustees of Lady Hewley ' sFund you have it in your power to be kind to the needy . We have given you a very brief account of our rise , progress , aud present condition as a church of God on Unitarian
principles . We pray you would consider the condition of our worthy , needy minister . We think it no flattery to say that he has been worthy a better treatment than we have been able to give him or can give him . We have therefore , being beggars , made his and our condition known to von ;
may the abundance of your liberalih abound to the relief of our poverty , to the encouragement and support of -our worthy miuister . And may the divine bounty cause your fund to be enriched , that you may bless the families of many indigent ministers '
( Signed ) John Lord , ^ Jonathan Rudman , £ Trustees . James Holt . Gentlemen , I do most cordially recommend the rase
of the people at New-Church and their minister , my lately acquired but hig" » l \ esteemed friend , to your regard . Wm . Allaud .
• Bury , May 6 th , 1815 . To the Trustees of Lady Hew ley's Fund . Gentlemen , We the undersigned beg- leave to recommend to your particular attend tlie "
resicase of the Rev . John Asfcwortli , dent minister of a Society of Unitarian . whiob has recently been established at we - church , a populous -manufacturing : J triot . The congregation consists cm of weavers , a sober , honest and mdustn
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314 Intelligence . —Unitarian Church in Rossendale , Lancashire .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), May 2, 1815, page 314, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1760/page/50/
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