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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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With a spirit which does him immortal honour , he pushed his arm between their weapons , and persisted in his purpose . — They thrust him back , and threatened , if he would not retire , they would handcuff him ; and one of them actually took off his glove for the purpose of putting the threat into execution ! In the mean time , Mr . Montgomery made his appearance ,
notwithstanding the excessive inclemency of the day . The minister followed him , expecting that he was about to be protected from an armed guard by the in - terference of the magistrate . But no such thing . The magistrate put his back to the door , and , turning round to Mr . Watson , said , * You are an old man ! you are a wretched old man ' . ' He is certainly so . He is old ; and , under such circumstances as those in which
he is placed , who would not be wretched ? The magistrate or landlord , for I know not in which character to speak of him , said , * Are you not ashamed of yourself in acting as you are doing ?• Mr . Watson replied with more warmth than was perhaps right , but which few will condemn , ' No , I am nor ; but you should be ashamed . * What was the consequence of this ? The order was immediately giveu to ' seize that man V The Police seemed to be as ~
tonished at what they heard , and shrunk back , as if unwilling to execute the command . Mr . Watson ' s son , who is now a Student in the Belfast Institution , and who had accompanied his distressed father , was at some distance with a slip of paper in his hand , noting down the circumstances that were occurring . The magistrate rushed towards him , wrested the paper and pencil out of his hands , and carried them off . He then ordered
the minister to be seized . He was seized accordingly , and dragged down the street under an armed guard ! Meanwhile , the junior minister of Lisburn was proceeding on the opposite side of the street , attended by some ten or twenty people . Did he rush forward to his aged father , express his sorrow at the lamentable occurrence , ask if his coming there had
in any way operated in bringing him into such a situation , and remonstrate to mitigate the calamity ? No , he did none of these things . We hear of a priest of old , who passed by on the other side when he saw his neighbour in distress : this modern priest passed by on the other side also , went to the house of his brother , and preached—the Gospel ! 44 1 shall here Vtg leave to read a letter
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from Mr . Watson , addressed to the Moderator of this Presbytery . It is a letter calculated to reflect honour on a Christian man : — c < * Dear Sir , —Under the distressing circumstances in which I am placed , the interest taken by you and my other brethren of the Bemonstrant Presbytery of Bangor , in my situation , is truly consoling to my heart . I must , however , decline taking any part in your
Presbytenal Meeting , on Saturday next , either by myself or an elder ; as 1 know not how far iny doing so might affect the appeals which I intend to make to the jus tice of my country . It was very hard for me , when wishing to go into the Temple where I had officiated in the service of my God and ray Saviour , to a willing and a happy people , for more than thirty years , to be threatened with haud -cuffs , and dragged away by the armed Police , like a felon ! But , I am convinced that God will not allow me to be brought to utter desolation , in my old age , for acting in obedience to my conscience . To my kind friends , 1 commit myself for advice , —to my country , for justice , — and my Creator for support uudcr every trial .
" * It would be presumptuous in me to dictate the course you ought to pursue upon Saturday , at your meeting ; but , I trust , you will pardon me for suggesting , that all your words and resolutions should be mild and Christian . Say nothing harsh of Mr . Montgomery , of Rosemount . I hope he has acted under some false representations , and an irritated
feeling ; and that he may yet be brought to think better of his conduct , and to lament the course he has pursued . At all events , mildness becomes Christians , and especially Christian ministers . Even when compelled to assert our own rights , we should do it with the least possible injury to the characters and feelings of others . " * That you may be guided by that wisdom which is from above , is , dear Sir , the sincere prayer of your faithful friend and brother , 4 <> ' John Watson . " ' Greyabbey , \ 2 th Feb ., 1830 . ' "
Mr . Momtgorncry begged leave , in connexion with this , to read an extract of a letter from a namesake of his own , —a , man who , although he might have none of what the world would call noble blood in his veins , was possessed of a greatness of soul far above all nobility : — " It is quite heart rending to witness the tide of persecution that set ins to
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212 Intelligence . —Meetingof 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 212, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2582/page/68/
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