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of sight , lest they should bring shame on themselves . He spoke in the highest terms of Mr . Porter ' s character and uprightness as a man , and felt opposed to making a sacrifice of Mr . Porter , on account of the divided state of that body ; but he would hold no union with his
fathers and brethren if they differed from him regarding the unity of the spirit in Christ Jesus . The time was now come when they must separate from them . They had brought shame upon themselves by putting up these men in the high places of the synagogue . They had published sermons to the disgrace of that body , shewing them forth to the people of England and Scotland as a
body of Arians . Now was the time for them to shew forth to the world , that they were not men arrayed in hostility against their Lord and Saviour , Let them go forth from them with the banner , " Christ and him crucified . " Those ' * thinking few" in the South , who were sent there to preach the Arian doctrines , had been scattered to the winds by the word of the Lord .
Mr , Porter rose to complain of his principles being misrepresented by several of the speakers . He then read an extract from a sermon , which he had preached on a sacramental occasion , when some persons then in the Synod were present , containing a statement of his opinions on the subject of the Trinity , and which represented Christ in the most exalted station in which he is held by High Arianism .
Mr . Dill ( in continuation ) did not look upon Mr . Porter as at all the object which they had now in view . The eyes of all the world were upon them , and they should at once come to a decision on the subject ; [ Some other members also disclaimed any intention of misrepresenting Mr . Porter , or involving him in the great question at issue . ]
Mr . DitL said , that if the Arian preachers of that body were expelled , their pulpits would for ever be hermetically sealed against the introduction of Calvinism . As he believed Arianism was on the decline , he would prefer to see it expire by a natural death .
Mr . Morell said , that the question had assumed a new aspect ; the business relative to the clerkship was altogether laid aside , and they had now entered on the subject of doctrine . He therefore felt desirous that they should proceed to
business in a regular manner , by appointing a clerk ; and , before they separated , they could pass such a resolution , as would express their disapprobation of Arian principles . He accordingly read a proposition to that effect ; when Mr . Stewart ( of Broughshane ) rose ,
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and read a resolution which he said had been prepared on the preceding evening : by a number of elderly clergymen , assembled for the purpose . The motion was to the effect that the Synod deny the correctness of Mr . Porter ' s evidence , that there are more real than avowed Arians in the Synod , but that they do not think it expedient to dismiss him from the clerkship , in consequence of the faithful manner in which he
discharged the duties of his office . He , ( Mr . S ., ) however , differed from those persons who wished to have the motion passed ; and would rather see the original motion adopted . He viewed the question in the same light as Mr . Bleckley— -they ought not to discharge their clerk , because he had fearlessly and manfully told the truth ; but they should
change him , when they found that a person holding his opinions , and acting as their clerk , was injurious to their interests . It was nonsense to say , that because a clerk was continued from year to year , such a practice should become law . He next argued that Mr . Porter should not be viewed as the minister of Newtownlimavady ,
but as the clerk of the Synod ; and adduced in confirmation of this argument the dismissal of Mr . Cuming ;* he denied that he had joined any party to effect Mr . Porter ' s removal ; but he had as good a right to ask his friends to vote against Mr . Porter , as he ( Mr . P . ) had to solicit his friends to support him in his situation . It was the first time
he had ever heard of a body dead to its reputation and character ; for they ought to use their best endeavours to stand well in the opinion of government , from which they received so great support . Indeed , of late years government had paid more than ordinary attention to that body ; and perhaps the very examination of their clerk was in consequence of its anxiety to become better acquainted with them . He then instanced the case of
a faithless ambassador , who had misrepresented the ministers and the government which sent him to a foreign court ; and asked , would that ambassador be retained in his situation , after his faithlessness had become known ? They had heard it stated , that a certain
church had become very friendly to them of late , and there were some who had been kind enough to tell them , that there was a time when the members of that body were more united in the bond of peace . Perhaps this calm of peace was in 1726 ; perhaps it was in the golden
* Mr . Cuming never was dismissed He was clerk of the Synod from the hour of his election to that of his death * —Note of the Christian Moderator .
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J 10 Intelligence \ - * 8 ynod of Ulster .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Sept. 2, 1827, page 710, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1800/page/78/
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