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Obituary . I know not why a biographical essay on persons recently deceased should not find a place now and then among the leading articles in the Repository . Intelligence . The accounts of the formation of two new Unitarian Associations in England are auspicious . Let the whole body of liberal Christians throughout the realm , and even
throughout the world , be duly organized , and , in spite of occasional delay , or local decline , the time must sooner or later come , when a prodigious movement will take place in the progress of the cause .
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than we do , what is right . If such a direction coincide with our ideas of utility , we may have great satisfaction in the observance of it . But utility alone appears to me to be tender ground on which to rest the question . In the estimation of some people , the gown may be introduced into our
chapels , on the score of utility , and also many of the imposing ceremonies of the Romish church . Many a devotee has , upon the ground of utility , fasted and flogged himself . Is Mr . Baker thus ready to mortify his body for the sin of his soul ?
But admitting for a moment utility as a ground of argument , what is the utility pointed out as appertaining to these Ordination Services ? " It is
one advantage of these services , ( says your correspondent who sent you the account of Mr . Tagart's settlement at Norwich , p . 500 ) , that the congregation has an opportunity of hearing from a mutual friend what are their
duties to their minister . From a young" man especially , just entering upon the ministry , it would seem presumptuous and unbecoming to address his people on these topics . " "Mr . Foxaim further told in his
' s , " we are eloquent address , " was to shew in what way the labourer whom the congregation had chosen ought to receive his reward . " His design was very good ; but before we come to the conclusion , that " it is not too much
to expect that great permanent good will result from a discourse so full of excellent advice , " we may ask , Did the people of Norwich want sucli advice ? Have they not been in the habit of idolizing their minister ? And we may further ask , Are they more
disposed to reward Mr . Tagart than they were when they decided on inviting him , and on what salary they should give him for his services ? If any one , instead of his ten guineas has
subscribed his twenty toward the Octagon , then we should have some tangible proof that in his case Mr . Fox had not poured forth his eloquence in vain . The truth of the matter is , that people go to hear sermons , not to
receive permament good" from them ; but , pot /? - passe ? ' le terns , they fix in their own minds what they will give to a charity before they have heard the sermon in its behalf , and they have made up their minds how they
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Sept . 7 th . FASHION , Mr . Editor , governs every thing ; even religion in some degree bends to it . Some chapels ami some preachers are more fashionable than others . And there now seems to be an inclination with certain Unitarians to make Ordination
Services fashionable among them . Not being myself a man of fashion , Sir , I am somewhat eagle-eyed as to its freaks , and I beg a little space in your next number , in which to express my present want of inclination to acquiesce in the fashion of having an Ordination Service introduced into the
economy of our chapels . Some years since , with a view of forming my own religious opinions , I read with no small attention the New Testament ; and the result of that study was , that ordination was a service with which we , in these latter
days , have no concern . The laying on of the hands , in apostolic times , was clearly for the purpose of conferring some spiritual gift ; and the texts , therefore , which IVJr . Baker has referred to , in support of the practice , are perfectly beside the question , considered as authority for a modern
Ordination . Your correspondent Spectator ( p . 477 ) says , that " Mr . Baker has judiciously placed its defence upon the strong ground of utility , which in itself is sufficient for any observance . "
Now , Sir , hardy as it may seem , 1 am inclined to dispute this position . If there be a direction in scripture , whose utility we do not perceive , we may and ought to acquiesce in it 5 because we may be fully assured , that the Divine Appointer knows , better
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550 On Ordination Services .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Sept. 2, 1825, page 550, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2540/page/34/
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