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of a club ; but he refused , assigning as a reason , that he disliked the name . ' Well , then , " replied his friend , ' * you may call it a Presbytery if you please . " In the same way ray frieud , Mr . Gray , dislikes this Committee , merely because it u not limited by local conveniences .
" The remonstrants complain that we deny the sufficiency of Scripture . They are requited to tell us what Scripture they mean . If I ask Belshain , he will lop off and expunge for me a great deal , both from the gospels and the writings of the apostles . 1 shall be told that one old manuscript wants this passage ; and that another text is not found in a
certain early version . It is just the same with the Ariaus ; and I know that one of those whose names are affixed to the Remonstrance , has been circulating the new version of the Scriptures through his own congregation . Before , therefore , these gentlemen venture to complain of us for rejecting the Scriptures , they should condescend to inform us
what their Scriptures are . " Young men should not be examined , in Mr . Winning ' s opinion , until they are coming forward to apply for license . —If Mr . Winning had a daughter grown up , which I do not know that he has ; and if some young gentleman were
introduced iuto his family , and had formed an attachment for his daughter , would be allow the intimacy to continue for six years , and make no inquiry about the character of the gentleman , till they were just going to squeeze wax , and then come forward and say , " Stop , Sir , I must first make some inquiry into your character * ' ? I am satisfied he would
act in no such way . And will he be very cautious about temporal affairs , and be careless in spiritual ? As soon as it is known that a young man is designed for the ministry , we should watch over him , and endeavour , to foster that piety and love of religious knowledge which would suit him for his intended situation .
" We are assembled , Sir , to deliberate upon most important business , which . will occupy the attetition of the Province of Ulster ; nay , our decision will come before the minds of other nations ; and theTeryaugelsof heaven will look down to watch our proceedings . Let us proceed ,
then , gently , as men having human feelings mid human connexions . If we are to do an act that implies a separation , let us do it in the spirit of mildness and charity , and with a disposition that indicates love . We . have bceii accused of a breach of faith ; and I do confess , that
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practically we may be said to have broken faith with them . But what then ? Did not Calvin , and Knox , and Luther , break faith with the Church of Rome ? As soon as the light of God broke in upon them , did they not fling back their former errors ? Did the English Parliament break faith with King James ? No , they only asserted their indefeasible rights , and cast off the fetters that tyranny would have imposed on them . Our fathers were to blame . I recollect
to have heard , when I was a student , the doctrines of Calvinism impugned from that pulpit in which you stand ; and we are only now attempting to reform the errors which the laxity of former times allowed to creep in amongst us . The breach of which we are guilty , is like the breach Herod would have been guilty of , if he had refused to keep the promise which he made to the woman who danced before him ; the breach
would have been more honourable than the observance . If they cry out ' Breach , breach ! ' I call out , * Reform , reform I * In the name of God , we will persevere in the good work which we have commenced . Consider the multitudes that are gazing with intense interest upon our labours . Ulster is hailing you ; the Protestant nations of Europe are hailing
you , and pointiflg to the day-star that is rising brightly in the churches , and calling , onward , onward , ' in the gloriou-s work in which you are engaged 1 As the Lord called upon the members of the churches to repent , so we call upon our brethren to repent ; and although we may lose some of our members , still
we will retain our orthodoxy ; , and peace will prevail instead of the bickerings and disputes in which we have been engaged ; and I trust that we shall not be forsaken , but that a remnant of the prophet ' s mantle may fall upon us , that we may promote the interest of true godliness throughout our church /'
Mr . Stewart would not have spoken on the question , had he not thought that his sileuce might be deemed indecorous , as he had moved the resolution . He would not hesitate to call the Arians Christian brethren , however much they differed from him in religious opinions . He did not conceive that the absence of
the Remonstrants was owing to any fear , for their talents and power had bee ft often felt by many members ; but he was sorry on account of their absence , as it placed the Synod in pome difficulties . In Newry the question about tlic Ariaus had commenced , by Mr . Cooke inquiring whether it would be right 10
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198 Intelligence . —Synod of Uhter
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), March 2, 1830, page 198, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2582/page/54/
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