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    workings of divine influence in that quarter . He referred to the allusion made to the peace and calmness of the Synod for many years , and said , that that peace was the silence of death , and not the peace of God . That peace might be compared to the peace which prevailed in the cave of iEolus , when the winds were striving for mastery ; but

    the hour had at length arrived when they must be loosened from their confinement . There must be now no neutrality—the cau . se they contended for was the cause of their heavenly Father ; and as one portion of that body believed Christ to be God , and another , that he was a mere man , there could not now be a neutrality between them , nor could they give

    each other the right hand of fellowship . Mr . Dill bore testimony to the manliness of character and purity of motive which characterized Mr . Porter ; but there were some circumstauces connected with the publication of the minutes of that body , independent of Mr . Porter being an avowed Arian , which should not pass unnoticed .

    Mr . Porter was supported by Mr . Reid , of Rathmelton , in the correctness of his minutes . Mr . Porter then appealed to the meeting , whether these were the grave charges for which he was to be removed from his situation ; and said , that such conduct would shew to the world the nature of the present proceedings .

    Dr . Hanna begged to remind the Synod of the length to which the discussion had gone . He was well pleased with Mr . Dill's address as an able expost of their doctrines ; but he ( Dr . H . ) was anxious that they should come to the merits of the question . He had yesterday breathed a sigh to think , that of late that Synod could never meet without a

    constant recurrence of such unpleasant and distracting discussions ; and it should be borne in mind , that when Mr . Porter gave his evidence , he was on his oath . Mr . Porter was a man of whom all who knew him had the highest opinion , and they must give him the fullest credit for his talents as a clerk to that body , and for his best intentions to do his duty faithfully . But it appeared that , the present charge was not on account of his

    incorrectness as a clerk , but because he had avowed himself to be an Arian . In such circumstances it might be well that a measure were brought forward to clear that body of the charge of Arianism ; and this he would not object to . Allu - sions had also been made to dividing the Synod ; he deprecated all such attempts , as calculated to increase the very thing they wished to destroy . Drive the Arians from amongst them , or withdraw

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    from them , and they would be adopting the very way of establishing and confirming Arianism . Gentlemen who wanted to purify the body , should recollect that division was not the way . He was satisfied that Arianism was dying a natural death , and he wished for some measure to be adopted , more agreeable to him than the motion or amendment , which would clear the Synod from the charge made against it of countenancing Arian principles .

    Mr . N . Alexander said , that it appeared to him to be a most injudicious measure to encourage any view which would go to effect a division of the Synod of Ulster . In regard to the opinions of the gentlemen who bad indulged themselves in such virulent attacks on those persons who differed from them on doctrinal points , he must say , that he totally differed from them when they asserted that Calviuists and Arians do

    not worship the same God . They worship the same God , but they were divided in opinion on the subject of the attributes of Christ . For his part , he had examined the Scriptures most carefully , and he could not discover that one universal belief , with regard to the nature and substance of Christ , was essential to salvation ( hear , bear ); but he had found

    in the sacred writings that he who lovefh not his brother , is not in the way of salvation . Mr . Alexander then proceeded to speak of the manly virtues of Mr . Porter , and observed , that he was about to be punished , not on the ground that he had thought for himself , but because he did not perjure himself and conceal his real sentiments .

    Mr . M'Aldin was strongly inclined to coincide with the opinions of Dr . Hanna . Mr . M'A . avowed himself opposed to the Arian doctriues , but condemned the contemplated separation of the Synod . He would exhort the meeting to treat their brethren who differed from them with a spirit of kindness and forbearance , and to melt down all asperities in the crucible of charity and concord !

    Mr . Dill felt assured , that unless they had a clear understanding with one another , it would be impossible that they could spread abroad the true principles of the Gospel . They should not fear differences of opinion arising amongst them . There was a division took place amongst the apostles . Peter was

    separated from his brethren , and Paul withstood him to the teeth . He denied that high Arianism approximated to Calvinism , and insisted that those two bodies in the Synod hung like a dead weight about the necks of each other . They had , to be sure , long agreed on minor matters ; but they had kept the doctrines out

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    Intelligence , —Synod of Ulster . 709

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Sept. 2, 1827, page 709, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1800/page/77/