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bte . The Refitottfetrauce was to he presented by Mr . Ponter , who in his official capacity as clerk was obliged to attend the meeting of Synod , but who it was uudemtood was not to take any part in fch « j discussion which was expected .
The follovrmg speech which tfais fjeutleman pronounced at the Ordiua&ioQ Dinner of his nephew , the Rev . John Porter , in Belfast , a short ti * ue before the special meeting of Synod , is -supposed to express the feelings of ftke H * iii or if y ait that period .
His health having been given from we Chair , coupled with the Synod of Ulster , Mr . Portert roneand said / 'Mr . Chairnrai ) , and Gentleuten—The annunciation of tii at toant has placed me id a situation of considerable deLicacy . Owing to certain transactions which have lately taken place , f stand io a position , with respect
to ike Synod of Ulster , which renders it expedient that my words , on < fche present occasion , should he few , and , if possible , well chosen . That they should be well chosen can hardly , under existing circumstances , be expected ; but I think I may venture to promise that they -shall be few , aed perfectly inotfensive .
u The time was , Mr . Cbairman , when I could have addressed you , on behalf of the Rev . Body t « which I belong , without the slightest difficulty or embarrassment . The time was , wheo I could have characterized the members of the General Syuod as advocates for the exercise of
private judgment iu matters of faith , and defenders of the sacred rights of conscience . The time was , when 1 could have held them up to view as an assembly of theologians , differing from one another on many of those points , by the discussion of which the Christian world
has been divUied , auxi yet preserving the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace . It grieves me to nay , that those times are gone . A few re&tless and intolerant iindividuals have risen up amount us , who , by the tocessaut agitation of questions ou which it is weU kuo * vu that we
entertain discordant opinions—by fomenting the prejudices of the uneducated and u ti in formed ujuititu-ck , aud by stirring up the expiring embers of political aud reJjvgiouH auimosity—have created discord aud contention in our church , and lowered < Hka character as a body in the
estin of the pul # ii . c . 1 do uoi < Je *|* Mrf \ however , of tweifig better < Jays ;— -the jtrese ut teniieuft ^ &rfi WiH sotw * absidemen ' s passions ! tftfl * radnally cool—their n » iud » will emerge ' frouj the nxi&t of mi « - ^ pr ^ 8 e iitiktiow , aud |« ey wiU perc i ? e lhc u »< i « ios ^ which lmv « been prattiiivU
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on them . X sun convinced , Mr ,. < H » air * wiao , that muangst oar jQa ] Fiuj » tk bre thren in tlie Synod , there , &ttl ie ^ kt « a oaas « of . quiescent good ^ ense , a s , to , re of latent liberality . I ^ m convinces , Sir , that there are m £ n au ) Oi ) g > X them yvh 0 do not wish to impose restrictions upojp conscience , or piescribe limVts to rcli * -
gkm « inquiry—who 60 n&t wish * o s * y to tbe traveller in que&t of Uuth , * Hitherto sbait thou go , bu > no farthe r ^ It is to be hoped that those nxen will a . t length lay aside their retiring tijukjktytheir mischievous inodesty . Now . tbaj the moment of emergjeucy has arrive ^ , if , is to be hoped that they will « ten forth in the character aud attitude of men , and
in . sist on a return ( to JVesfrytenuu pnac * - ples and practice . The questions whlcb agitate the Synod are iiotjxuuts at issue between the Unitarians a-ud Triuijtaria . iiai no , they are poiuts in dispute between the friends of peace and of genuine Presbyterianisjn ,, ^ nd wen who , let them disguise themselves as th . ty may ^
ai * e , in fact , the enemies of poth . Jjo the jwrt of those mimsjtera of pur bodjr with whooi I aux iu the ba . bit of opting iu concert , I have one tl ^ ujg % o state which we consider a hardship : we think we have cause to complain of hein *? unkindly dealt with , even by liberal-minded members of our church—even
liberalminded laymen , when speakwg of the existing Synodical contentions , do uot sufficiently discriminate between the assailed and the assailants—between the party aggrieved and the party guilty of aggression . They cast equal blame upon both , and represent them as equally chargeable with doing discredit to the Presbyterian cause . This we cannot aelp
feeling as a censure unmerited \> y us . Throughout the whole of the late unpleasant transactions , we have acted eutireiy in seltVdefeuce , In uo one Iustauce hive we n * auifested a de . sjr < e to impose our opinions ou others . In uo one instance have we made the slightest e « - croachm&ut on the religious freedom of our brethreu . In 110 one instance have
we attempted the slightest innovation m ecclesiastical discipline . All we ask , autl all we wish , is , that the constitution of the Presbyterian Church may be restored to the state in which it was whe ; j we we * e encouraged to euter on the
iuiuis-Hy—a state which was deliberately , foruutlly , and uuawimously ratified Sy the Syiiod in the year lfl' 25 . Oar opponents aw the iouovators . If sepiiratiou is ineyitable , they , not we , are the pec&OAJB who ought to recede . 4 i 'l'h « M « is aux > tLuL' # \^ i ound of totu p Ui int
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nt * mgenee . < - * -fy * u > df UP ** r ~ l »
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Feb. 2, 1830, page 139, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2581/page/67/
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