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Some , however , feigned a belief in it ; and certain neighbouring ministers thought this a favourable opportunity for exciting in the congregation an opposition to Mr . Watson and the Remonstrants . The usual arts were resorted to—preaching- In his bounds , or on his borders—pamphlets , visitings , and clamour—yea ; and some wretches had the
audacity to crawl into the presence of the landlord , in whose estate the Meeting-house stands ^ in order to poison his mind , aud to secure for themselves and their contemptible party , the place of worship elected chiefly at the personal expense of their respectable brethren , or their ancestors .
" Hearing of these disgraceful proceedings , the Remonstrant Presbytery of Bangor , having given due notice to the congregation , met at Greyabbey on the 12 th of last month , explained their principles to the people at great length , and said , they were free to remain with them , or to return to the Synod . With a remarkable ardour and enthusiasm , the
crowded congregation , with only a very few dissentients , resolved to adhere to the Remonstrants . At this meeting , one of the few dissentients openly stated , that Mr . Montgomery , the landlord , had promised to him , ' that the Meetinghouse should be given to any number , however small , that would adhere to the
Synod . ' This statement I could not believe : for I knew that Mr . Montgomery was a Protestant , and would not , as I conceived , interfere with the rights of conscience ; and I had heard , moreover , that the house was held by the tenure of prescriptive right , no rent having been paid or demanded for upwards of eighty years .
" Some members of the Synodical Presbytery of Rangor , who had gone to ascertain what prospects there were of detaching the people from their pastor , retired with the few mal-contents to the village tavern , and there employed themselves in organizing plans for creating disaffection . They appointed a meeting of their body to be held in
Greyabbey , on the 27 th of January , and drew up a memorial to themselves , which was to be carried through the congregation for signature , expressive of a determination to abide with Orthodoxy and the Synod . To obtain signatures to this document , the most disgraceful arts were practised—members of other churches interfered—one name at least was forged —some houses were visited four timesthe religious principles of the Remon-
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strants were grossly belied—names were obtained to papers without any heading — and , in one instance , a poor woman told me , with tears in her eyes , she had put her name to the paper , being informed it was in favour of Mr . Watson ! The great engine , however , by which siguatures were obtained , was the terror of
the landlord ' s displeasure—no puny engine , when it is considered that he is proprietor of perhaps three-fourths of the parish , and that very many of his tenants hold their lands upon the single life of our illustrious Monarch—the prolongation of whose days we all so ardently desire . To what extent this system of cajolery , misrepresentation , and
intimidation , proceeded , I cannot pretend to say ; but , at the meeting of the Synodical Presbytery , upon the 27 th of January , 97 signatures were attached to the memorial . Hearing of these things , I preached in Greyabbey upon Jan . 24 thcalled upon the people to maintain their integrity , and to ratify their resolution of adherence to the Remonstrants , passed
upon the 12 th , by actually affixing their signatures to it . The call was promptly answered ; in the Meetitig-house , before ray own eyes , about 150 bond fide seatholders signed , and , in the course of two days , others came forward—making , in all , 260 . Here , then , we have for the Remonstrants , 2 ( 50 unbiassed votes ; on the other side , only 97 ; many of whom are said not to be seat-holders .
• ' On the 27 th of the same month , the Synodical Presbyteiy of Bangor met in the inn , at Greyabbey ; it was then inquired if they would not proceed to the Meeting-house ? A member answered in the negative ; as the keys of the house were in the hands of Mr . Watson's
Committee . —They were informed , however , that the Meeting-house was open ; for some individuals had actually forced the door , and taken possession of it during the night or that morning . After one of the members of Presbytery had preached , others feared that they had been acting illegally , and the Presbytery retired to the green ; when it was resolved , that preaching should be supplied to such
members of the congregation as were dissatisfied with the present minister . It was also proposed , that Mr . Montgomery ( of Rose mount ) should be requested to give the house to the Synodical party ; but the proposition was immediately scouted . After these proceedings , one of the minority proceeded to the Meeting-house , accompanied by a police contable : a padlock was nut upon the door ,
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208 Intelligence . —Meeting' of Remonstrant Presbytery of Bangor .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), March 2, 1830, page 208, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2582/page/64/
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