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« $ was beyqud our expectation . One or mpre of the brethren from Fal-, mouth or Flushing accompanied us to all th $ places we visited . We found their assistance of great use , Tn a number of places they formed an acquaintance with persons who are favourable to the cause : it is
hoped this acquaintance will be cherished , a correspondence kept up , and that the persons who liberally offered to receive and distribute books will be . supplied with them : nor can I doubt , after all I have seen of the truly Christian spirit and ardent zeal of the members of the Unitarian
church at Falmouth , their readiness to do all they can to water the seeds already sown , in different places , and to carry on the work which is begun . 3 . Justice requires that I should distinctly and particularly mention
the obligations we are under to the friends at Falmouth and Flushing , for the facilities they gave to our exertions , { heir ready asisstance in the labours we engaged in , and their many kind attentions . Without such aid , we could not have gone through such an incessant and extended course
of public labours in so short a time . They gienerally called together the congregations for us , conducted the singing , aided us with their counsel , and conversed with individuals so far as opportunity offered . May our
brethren evqry where imitate their firm , judicious and unwearied exertions , to promote what they believe to be the truth of God ! They also undertook the distribution of tracts , in the different places we visited .
4 . The plan we adopted consisted of three parts : —public preaching , the distribution of books , and conversation . We found no great . difficulty in collecting congregations any where in the west of Cornwall . The methods adopted to do this were various *
We had handbills printed at Falmouth , with spaces left to be filled up with an account of the time and place of preaching . These were posted up or circulated , when there was time for it to be done before the com mencement of the service . In a
« X » all town two or three friends would walk round , call at most of the houses , arjd so give notice of the meeting . . Sometimes we were under $ e necessity of employing the public
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crier to make known the time and place of meeting ; this is not thought inconsistent . with delicacy arid respectability in Cornwall , as it is , done by different religious parties . Sometimes books were distributed at the close of the service . At other times
persdns came to us at our inn for them . The plan which we most approve is , to deposit them with judicious persons , on whom we can rely , for them to distribute them , either by lending or giving them to
such 7 is would read them , This plan we adopted whenever , practicable . We held conversation with those who were disposed for it either in a more public or private way as we had opportunitv . < .
5 . Our places of meeting were most commonly in the open air . Public buildings could rarely be procured for the purpose . Other denominations of Christians would not lend us their places of worship : indeed if they would , an tJnitarian
missionary could hardly accept of them , as he must preach his own views of the Christian doctrine ; and to do this in a Calvinist or Methodist chapel would be thought uneandid , and give offence . Jesus and his apos .-
tles preached in the open air , and it cannot be wrong to imitate their example , whea it can be done-with order and solemnity . la Cornwall , congregations meet in the open air with the same seriousness and
decorum as they would in a church or chapel ; and larger congregations may be procured abroad than in any building . 6 . The success of our mission in Cornwall verv far exceeded the
expectation we had previously formed , livery where we found the people disposed to hear } we had generally large congregations , and most of the people who came together were deeply attentive . They had been told frightful tales respecting Unitarianism $ bijt many were determined to hear for themselves . . Some
expressed their surprise at finding that instead of our rejecting Christ and the gospel these formed the subjects of our preaching . We distributed a large parcel of tracts , which were received with much eagerness , many persons followed us to our inns beg * * ging for books ; had we taken a cartload of them with us we should no
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IntettwW ? . ' ~ -Wr * ght and Coopers Missionary Tmr in Cornwall . 76 q
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\ QU x . 5 a
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Dec. 2, 1815, page 769, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1767/page/41/
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