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MISCELLANEOUS COMMUNICATIONS
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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^^^ mm . Trinitarian Controversy at Exeter , ( Concluded from p . 525 . ) MR . STOGDON , having been invited by a congregation to settle among them , wished to be ordained when the assembly should
meet , in September 1717 , before he entered on the pastoral charge . This being known to the orthodox party , so much intolerance was exhibited , that it was deemed desirable , for the sake of pe-i * e , to abandon the design ; but Mfwrs . HaJletr , Withers , - * nd
Peirce , highly appreciating his talents and his character , gave him a written testimonial of their good opinion , — a proceeding which excited the ** hot displeasure" of the " sound in faith , " th ^ t they should venture to speak well of a man so deeply tainted with heresv .
Heresy , however , continued to make rapid and " dangerous progress , " and at a meeting summoned bv the Orthodo * , in January 1718 , it was determined that a deputation should be sent to the ministers of Exeter , requesting them to preach 4 € in defence of \ he eternity of Jesus Christ . " When
these ambassadors waited on Mr . Peirce , he told them that he believed in the eternity of Christ , but they answered , that he was required to acknowledge that 1 hrist was self-existent and selforiginated . On which he asked , if they would have him add that he was
unbegotten too ? They replied , that he wanted to entrap them , and that they did not care to reason further . However , our reformers did so far comply with the wishes of the meeting as to express their belief publicly in the eternity of our Lord j but as they chose to respect the consciences of otheTs , and dealt out no damnation on
those who differed from them , they were accused of not daring to be *• clear , open and strenuous in their opposition / 1 Mr . Peirce , indeed , went further : he boldly proclaimed his right , and the right of all men , to think for themselves in the spirit of unfettered liberty :-
—" This liberty let others tamely give up as ttiey please ; I do , and will insist upon . it for myself , as a reasonable creature , a Christian , a Protestant , and a Dissenter . As 1 pretend not to impose on others , so nor will 1 be imposed
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upon by others . No king , no parliament , no church , no council , no synod , no minister or body of ministers , shall be acknowledged by me to have any power or rightful authority over me . They may depiive me of my civil liberty , of my estate , or of my life , but this liberty , by the grace of God , they never shall deprive me of , to think and speak of the matters of God and of religion only in that manner in which 1 apprehend they are spoken of in the Holy Scriptures by God himself . Tell me not whai Athanasius or Arius
—what the Council of Nice or Rimini have said ^ but what Christ and Peter , and Paul , James and John , have said . / call no man master upon earth . " And afterwards most earnestly , most pathetically , does he implore his hearers , ' by the mercies of God , and the
gentleness of Christ , " to cultivate a spirit of candour and kindness and generous feeling , thus emphatically concluding , ' * This has been my course , and in the integrity of my heart I recommend it
to you all . And now , whether you will hear , or whether you wiUforbear , I take God , —and now also I take your own consciences , to record , that I have honestly and faithfully delivered my whole soul . "
A temporary calm succeeded ; bu measures were taken by the Orthodo : to make the period of the assembly i the following September , the momen for" purging the chu rch 1 1 of the heresie which had been introduced . Unknowi
to the individuals most nearl y concerned , advices were sent to London , and a meeting of ministers was called there to condemn the errors respecting the Trinity , which were making such progress in the West ; and it was also determined th ; it a subscription should
be required from all the ministers at the lixeter assembly , to the first article of the Church of England . In the mean time ( to keep up an appearance of liberality ) Mr . Peirce and Mr . Withers were requested to meet Mr . Ball and Mr . Walrond , * to " consult upon
* These two ministers , the first of IJoniton , the second of Oitery , had afterwards , with five others , the honour of being * fixed on to be the immediate instruments of the ejection of the Exeter ministers—a business for which their fiery intolerance well fitted
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Miscellaneous Communications
MISCELLANEOUS COMMUNICATIONS
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Oct. 2, 1817, page 580, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2469/page/8/
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