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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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product of their own subscriptions , taken possession of by a man who had never come near them for thirty-five years , and a minister who had abused their confidence .
The trustees could only take such legal measures as they were advised , in protecting their rights and property from what they considered wanton and illegal usurpation , and the result is before the public .
With regard to the several proposals for determining the differences between the parties , it can hardly be expected that the trustees should be called to account for not complying with proposals * of the objections to which they were Ihe proper judges . By one of
the proposals , viz . one for arbitration , it . was modestly wished to refer the matter-to . three persons , two of whom were of the Calvinistic party . By a counter proposal , the trustees offered Mr . Steward more money than was due to him , and the free occupation of the house and premises till Christmas ,
but the trustees refused to engage to drop the proceedings against the Manders : this proposal was rejected , an indefinite occupation was required , and the abandonment of all proceedings against the Manders . There were many reasons "why the trustees would not consent to this , they considered the violent intrusion of these
persons as wanton and unjustifiable ; and , moreover , the legal question of the property of the premises seemed involved in . the decision of the trespass committed by Mr . Mander , who set up a claim to be the sole trustee ,
which could never be acquiesced in . This difficulty has , however , been removed by the bills not being found by the grand jury , and yet Mr . Steward does not seem any the more iaclined to come to any terms .
It is painful to be obliged thus to go into personalities . I would hare av 6 ided it if possible , had not the matter been brought industriously before the public , an < J had not a manifesto been published , signed by Mr . Steward himself , and other ministers
f lqrymg in the affair as a triumph"he public will judge from this and th $ discordant statements of Mr . . Steward , where the truth lies , anil , I think , they wUl see that the txuestojy n&ay be summed up in a e yy wqjrds , viz . that the judgment of those who
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limited the duration of Mr .. Stewards engagement was , perfectly correct ; that at the expiration of it Mr . S . had
ceased to ^ be a person fit to conduct a Unitarian congregation , and that he ought in candour and honesty to have avowed it ; that he was only supported by his friends in the congregation , under the delusion which he himself
kept up as to his opinions ; that he endeavoured to keep up a party in his favour , by concealing the change in bis sentiments ; that . pit its being made known to his friends , theywere unanimously against him , and joined in requesting him to resign , while he
still lingered and equivocated by disr avowing the charge , which he has since avowed was true ; that he received permission to stay till Jong ajft ^ r his engagement had expired , whicli he made use of only to disturb , anaoy
and subvert the society and its objects ; that though he refused to give up , he did not then attempt to justify his conduct , though at that very time he must have been acting irt concert with , the Calvinists ; that ,, in short , to the Unitarians he can confess " that
he has behaved very ill , " that €€ being introduced to the chapel a Unitarian by Unitarians , he is bound by the principles of honour and Christianity to give it up to them again , " while to the Calvinists , Jbe pan sign his " Case of gteat Importance , " calling on them to preach up subscriptions to assist ?* his gopd , his great undertaking" of keeping the Unitarians out , and reclaiming the trust to orthodoxy .
A few words as to the present state of affairs , which may , perhaps , be interesting to our Unitarian brethren , Mr . Steward still preaches at th £ chapel to a congregation consisting of Mrs . Steward and his children , Mr . B .
Mander and two of his son ' s workmen , three other growii up persons , and a few Sunday school ^ hildrejn . The whole of the congregation , formerly attending , meet in a spacious and appropriate room , formerly a
school-room , capable of containing more than 300 people ; it is freq \ ien $ y overflowing , and always much better attended than during Mi \ Steward's ministry . In the morning , oi ^ e qjtifee members conducts the service ; ai | d
we aifp greatly indebted tp Mr . IjVQns we aifp greatly indebted tpMr . t # 9 n s for , his £ xeft riofk $ l , and , to l ^ c # j » $ L Bransby and Small / who comi alter-
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100 A Trustee s Reply to Sir : Steward .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Feb. 2, 1818, page 100, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2473/page/20/
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