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    countenance and support . It would be natural enough for those who judged of such plans only from what they had seen or heard of the extravagancies and absurdities attending them among other parties , and who did not consi * . der how very differently they would be conducted and work in the hands of Unitarians , to withhold from them their countenance and support .

    That many of the opulent friends of Unitarian ism have given so little support and countenance to some of our institutions and popular measures , ought , perhaps , to excite our regret more than our wonder , when we take into view all circumstances . The important inquiry is , by what means we can soonest remove their objections , increase their zeal , and bring them to co-operate with us , which appears to be highly desirable . If I may judge from the manner in which I was generally received , and the countenance

    and support given me , while I acted as a missionary , which I ever remember with pleasure and gratitude , I must say , that many of our genteel congregations and more opulent friends did not shew themselves alien from the missionary spirit , or averse to missionary exertions . It strikes me , that if their attention can be engaged to our plans , objects , and modes of proceeding , so as to form just views of them , we shall have more of their

    countenance and support . Surely it is desirable that every conciliatory method should be adopted , that we should do every thing in our power to convince them of the importance and suitableness of our plans and measures to the times and circumstances in which we live , and by our judicious and prudent conduct and proceedings , to remove their fears and apprehensions of our

    going into any thing extravagant or absurd , or that would in any degree dishonour the worthy cause we seek to promote . In adopting this course we shall not err , even if we fail of attaining the end we propose ; and if our pursuing this course will not bring those to act with us who at present withhold their countenance and support , it is certain that a contrary conduct cannot effect

    it-Pecuniary exertions m support of public institutions among Unitarians are comparatively a novel thing . Until the last few years , they had scarcely a public institution to support ; they had no congregations among the poor to need their assistance ; no new chapels were erected , except by wealthy people who required no help from others ; and many of them becoming Unitarians in places where there were endowments , they have had the habit to acquire of subscribing to religious objects . This was certainly the case

    with many ; and hence ire may account for their having not yet acquired the habit of making the same pecuniary exertions as those do with whom the habit either grew up from childhood , or who acquired it so soon as they became Dissenters . Though this does not justify the want of liberal exertion , it accounts for its existence ; and when the matter is properly stated and explained , and they have taken it fully into consideration , there is good ground to hope , from the known liberality of many of them , that they will

    not come behind any other class of Dissenters in pecuniary exertions . However it may be with some congregations , there certainly are others who , in proportion to their ability , are liberal in their exertions for the support of their ministers and of the cause . The calls upon the Unitarian public for pecuniary assistance , during the last few years , have been many , and some of them have been met in the most liberal manner , of which instances might be given . However we may lament the course things have taken at Calcutta , the failure cannot be ascribed to want of zeal in the Unitarians in Great Britain . From what they have already done , considering how little they had

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    Progress cf Unitarianism in Great Britain . 13

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Jan. 2, 1830, page 13, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2580/page/13/