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the Synod of Ulster , Presbyteries are hereby instructed to take charge of such congregations , or part of congregations , as may apply to them—to supply them with ordinances , and in case of a minister being ordained amongst them , to lay before Government their claims to a portion of royal bounty . " That the Theological Examination Committee be instructed to publish an address to the congregations under our care , explanatory of the views and proceedings of this Synod on the subject of the Overtures of last year , referred to by the Remonstrants . " Mr . John Brown . —If in the course
of my observations , I may have expressed myself with warmth , I beg leave to state that I made no personal allusions . But most especially am I anxious to be understood , as having reflected in no way upon the character or conduct of our clerk . Of his worth and character , no
man can entertain a higher opinion than I do , and whatever changes may take place in this body ; whether we may feel it necessary to separate or not $ I have always hoped that nothing will prevent Mr . Porter from retaining his present situation for life . ( Hear , hear . )
Mr . Elder . —However much I may differ from Mr . Porter in religious opinions , I feel no objection to his continuing our Clerk , provided he takes no share in our debates . Mr . Porter then rose , and as soon as he obtained a hearing , made the declaration which we inserted in the Monthly Repository , Vol . III . pp . 813 , 814 . It was to the effect that he felt himself obliged to resign his situation as Clerk , and would do so at the next meeting of Synod , only retaining it in the mean time to prevent
inconvenience to the Body . The case of the congregation of Clough , to which Mr . Cooke refers in his speech , affords a very remarkable instance of the zeal beyond knowledge which the late discussions have excited in the North of Ireland . That worshiping society has been honourably distinguished for
firmness in maintaining the true Protestant principle , —the right of free inquiry . On the death of its former Pastor , ( Mr . Campbell , ) which occurred in the spring of last year , the majority of the congregation were anxious to secure the services of the Rev . David Watson , as his successor . Mr . W . had all along refused to sanction the unchristian interference of the Synod with the opinions of individuals , and on receiving notice of the wish felt by the people of Clough to have him for their minister , he openly
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declared that he could only accept the charge on the conditions prescribed by the ancient practice of Presbyterians in Ireland ; and that he never would appear before the Inquisitorial Committee , or seek its sanction in a matter which only concerned himself and the congregation . With this declaration , the greater part of the people , including the whole of the Session and Committee , expressed
themselves as fully satisfied . I 5 ut a few of the baser sort , stirred up by Mr . Cooke , and some other neighbouring ministers , became exceedingly clamorous . They appealed to the Synod . That Body at its meeting in June , refused to sanction the election of Mr . Watson . The congregation immediately resolved to withdraw from the Synod of Ulster , and place themselves under the care of the Antrim
Presbytery . This they accordingly did ; and a day was fixed for the Ordination of Mr . Watson . But at the time appointed , when the ministers who were engaged to conduct the service , repaired to the Meeting-house , it was found to be occupied by an armed force , consisting chiefly of strangers from distant parts of the County Down ; who ,
notwithstanding the repeated injunctions of the Trustees , and the presence of a Magistrate specially charged with the preservation of the p ^ ace , persisted in maintaining forcible possession of the premises . The ceremony of Mr . Watson ' s ordination was performed in the open air . We understand that subsequently the congregation recovered their Chapel ; but we are aware that threats have been
since held out of a second expulsion . Of the actual state of things in the congregation of Clough , we are uninformed ; and as to future events , it would be presumptuous even to hazard a conjecture . On the 9 th of September , the two Committees appointed by the Synod of Ulster on the one part , and the Remonstrants on the other , to arrange the
conditions of an amicable separation , held their first and only meeting . It would appear that the terms proposed by the Remonstrants were so equitable in themselves , that the greater part of them was concede ^ , without alteration . Of the rest , all that the Remonstrants considered as essential was yielded , except in
a very few instances , in which the Committee of Synod conceived they had no instructions ; but it is understood that the members individually stated they had no doubt that the Body at its next meeting would make the required concessions . As the minority expressed their intention of withdrawing altogether from
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VOL . IV . Q
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InteUig-tnce . —Synod of Ulster . 201
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), March 2, 1830, page 201, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2582/page/57/
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