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seeing so many of the friends of religious truth assembled on that occasion , r , 1 [ l ) r . Thomson ( # f HnUifax ) addressed ,
the meetiug , and tojFk up the topic which Mr . Elliot had ititroduced ^ He considered if as highly iuiportant v though but as a part of that general consistent religious character , which it was i ncumbent upon Unitarians to cultivate and observe , , The
Doctor went minutely into the several parts essential to a consistent religions character , and urged upon the brethren present , to avoid the appearance of evil , and to live down every reproach which bad been cast upon the Unitarian cause . la allusion to Mr . Wardlavr * s questions , the Doctor in conclusion ^ observed , " If there be room for the question , Does Unitarian ism make 4
its professors more sober , ju * t , hofy and temperate V I trust this j-eproach will be wiped away ; that we shall feel not merely as individuals interested in cultivating that holiness of heart and Qfe y without which no man shall see the Lord ; but as members of a religious body , the character of which is in some degree confided to our individual keeping . I will suppose two mere men of the world in conversation : * There
go the Unitarians ' says one , on seeing a congregation issue from its chapel , or it may be its registered room : I trust the other will be able to reply , * Whether they be Unitarians , I know not ; but I do know
that they are good men , good ; masters , good servants , good fathers , good children , good husbands , good wives , good friends : ; in ev $ ry relation € > f life good members of society , Just * righteous and good men . '" , !^ ¦¦
Mr . JohnAshwortJij ina very interesting and affecting manner , pursued the subject * He said , as a minister , he bad no reason to complain of the attendance of bis people on ( public worship . Indeed , he had often wondered , and thought himself highly favoured , that he had met with spch uniformly attentive and numerous
congregations more particularly as he was one of themselves , a brother amongst brethren , born , living- and educated , so far as he had had any ; education , amongst them , and working with them and amongst them for his daily bread . "In this respect /* said BIr . A . "I thank my brethren , and I consider their attachment to me as an
attachment to the cause . There is one thing , however , which has given me great concern 5 I have mourned over it , and wept over it 111 secret , and though I bare said little about it in public , ( as it is painful for me to speak in censure , ) I cannot but avail myself of the present opportunity of alluding to it ; 1 mean the heifieoi amongst
us ot attendance at our Social Meetings , as we bare termed Aep ^ since we teft the Methodist * . I | my ^ jee n t | k * st > means of grrape too often neglected : there ate those
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present , an < l n&w ia oiy ^ yc , and otjie : ^ not here , whose absence on « uch occasioftt I have noticed and lamented . I will say no more . I wish what 1 have said ma ^ render it unnecessary for me ever to noen ^
tion the subject again 5 but that we may a ) l , more and more , maintain the truth in holiness of heart and uprightness of Ufe- ^ jand that all who name "the name of Jesus may depart from iniquity , ** . ,
TheReto . James Kay . V . I feel obliged to you , Mr . Chairman , and the brethren present , for the kind manner in which they have remembered me on this occasion , and have wished me better health . It has been a great pleasure to me to . meet you on this occasion , add to deliver id you that address
which I wish weve better worthy of the thanks which you have just given me . If I might venture au opinion on the subject of . public woi ^ hip , the neglect of wbich has come into discussion , I would say , that I fear it arises ia a great degree from the little connexion and intercourse which
exists betwixt the ministers and societies . Too frequently the minister sees little of his congregation , except on the Lord ^ s day . Were there more union , more connexion , more intercourse * — -were the minister aiiii people more parts of the same whole , — there would be a reciprocal interest kept up- ; a member of the congregation would feel himself as little at libertv to be absent
as the minister himself , and would be as prepared and zealous to hear , as the minister was prepared and zealous to teach . ' This subject , and others of great interest ^ occupied the attention of the meeting . Mr * Jonathan Rndman said , In allusion to the questions of Mr . Wardlaw , I think , Sir , there is one plain and sufBcient
answer to be given . These reproaches are not trne . I believe the Unitarians are quite as good as , or better than their neighbours * I was fot the greater part of my lire , which has not been a short one , amongst tfce Metliodists ; I was also amongst the Calvinists : amongst both these I saw and knew of iinmovalities , whjcli I haVe not yet seen or heard of amonorst the Unitarians . If I see
reason to think the Unitarians worse than their neigh hours , I will leave them too ; but at present I see no such reaspn . ' * The next meeting of the Association w $ s fixed to be held in the J ^ ew Chapel at Oldham , in Easter week , and it was requested that IVTr . Elliot would be one of tlie
preachers . In the evening , the Rev . John Beattle , © f Elland , preached to a very numerous and attentive congregation . Mr , Ash worth conducted the devotional services . Mr . Beattie * a sermon was founded on Acts * i .. . 2 i . . ¦ , . ¦; . ;¦ ( ; " . ' . ' The preachers * names , according to | h < a printed plan , are J . Anhworth , J , Rudipan , JT . Tayl 0 r , J . Wilkinson , J- Drjvpr , J . lf ecL
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), April 2, 1818, page 283, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2475/page/59/
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