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gregatio n were compelled to separate ;" vour correspondent asserts , ** that the oldest in the church and congrega ion , without one exception , adhere to us . " The fact is , that the oldest member in the church and congregation was ( to adopt your correspondent ' s nomenclature ) Alpha ' s mother , since deceased , who was one of the persons whose
subscriptions were so insultingly returned . Another aged member of nearly the same standing discontinued her subscription after the expulsion of the Unitarians ; the remainder of the expelled have long contributed the greater part of the expenses of the chapel , as well as the salary of the minister , and their ancestors had been for generations the chief supporteis of the church .
I accused JVlr . Brovvu of duplicity in concealing his opinions ; he meets the charge by asserting , * ' that he has not coucealed his principles and iutentions for eleveii or twelve years . " He is not , it appears , very accurate as to dates . I think , however , in this case , I can assist his memory . If he will state when he succeeded in becoming a trustee of
the chapel , there will be no great difficulty in determining the period when he no longer " concealed his principles and intentions . " The object being gained , disguise was no longer necessary ; even the pirate , when he has secured his prey , hesitates not to hoiat the black flag of defiance , though he had before sailed under that of pt * ace and amity , or per chance carried the colours of the vessel
he wished to decoy . 1 congratulate your correspondent on his boasted eleven or twelve years of honesty , and can only regret , for the sake of ihe peace of the church at Wareham , that it had not commenced at a somewhat earlier period . I stated the congregation ranked under the denomination of Presbyterian ; that the former minister , "Mr . Keil , was
what is commonly called an Arum ; and that his successor , JVlr . Thomas , though he seldom preached on doctrinal sunjects , was generally considered as hold ing the same opinions . The fact is denied as 10 Mr . Thomas , ( it is often considered safest to misrepresent the deud , j but not as to JNJr . Kell ; that gentleman
is happily alive to answer for hunselt , and has Jately , I believe , given pretty convincing proof at Warehau ) that he is both able and willing to do so . Fortutunately , the letter of recommendation from Mr . Manning , of Kxeter , which led to the settlement of Mr . Thomas at Warehatn , still remains , in which it is stated that ' his , Mr . Thomas ' s , senti-
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ments entirely coincide with your present worthy minister , Mr . Kell ' s . " This , at all events , must be considered decisive of the opinion of a congregation which could elect a minister with such a recommendation ; and when to this is
added that Mr . Thomas generally attended the meetings of the different Unitarian Associations in his neighbourhood , and never those of the Calvinists ; that he delivered the Charge at the ordination of Mr . Seward , the Unitarian minister at 1 * 00 ! ; that though on some few occasions he admitted Calviuistic
ministers to his pulpit , he was never invited by them to preach in return ; that though he preferred Dr . Watts ' s Hymns , yet 111 reading them he altered or omitted such parts as contained Calvinistic sentiments ; that he never used Trinitarian , but generally scriptural doxologies ; that when one of his congregation was about to settle in Londou . he strongly advised
him to attend Dr . Rees s ministry ; — when , I say , these facts are eou > idered , and many others of a similar description might be adduced , it will , I think , be admitted , ( notwithstanding Mr . Thomas ' s voice of thunder , which reverberated , it appears , only in the ears of your correspondent , ) that I was not incorrect in assigning the denomination to which both minister and people belonged .
I asserted that your correspondent was admitted a trustee at his repeated solicitations ; he prefers having it thought that he succeeded by threats ; he is welcome to the credit of having used both means of persuasion . The person who opposed him , however , was his own father-in-law , who was probably better acquainted than others with his character and intentions . Alpha voted in his favour , though his withholding that vote would have prevented the election . What
then shall we think or one who could convert that which . wii * conceded in the spirit of peace and confidence into an iiistiuiuent . of offence , to wound the hand by which it was bestowed ? The following account of Mr . Thomas from the Mouthly Kepositoiy for 1823 , p . 605 , written by one who had known and highly esteemed him for forty years , and whose name , if it were permitted to mention it , would be a sufficient voucher for any . statement , while it confirms the account already given of Mr . Thomas's doctrinal opinions , makes it
evident that he was extremely unlikely to be the aggressor in a dispute . *« In his religious opinions he was what is commonly called moderate . But what chiefly
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Miscellaneous Correspondence . 437
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), June 2, 1829, page 437, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2573/page/69/
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