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but he Was at length compelled to have recourse for-, protection to the laws of his country : a Petty Sessions was lately held at Warren point , at which he preferred his complaint . Still he was anxious that matter * should not be pushed to extremes ; and before the case came to be investigated , he made a proposal , through his law agent , Mr . Alexander Montgomery , of Comber , which he hoped would prove satisfactory and be accepted .
Mr . Montgomery first stated the proposal to one of the magistrates privately , who communicated it to the others . The idea was eagerly taken up by them , and openly stated iu the Court . —The- proposal was to this effect—that Mr . Arnold and his people were willing to pay to the other party the full value of their subsisting right in the house , provided they would pay up their stipend till November , and agree to retire without giving any further trouble . Three men were to be
chosen to award the amount of compensation to be paid ; one to be chosen by Mr . Arnold , auother by the discontented party , aud the third by the magistrates . This proposal Mr . Montgomery made , merely on the ground of peace ; for these people had , by the regulations of the Synod , forfeited their rights in the Meeting-house . This proposal was spurned ,
and consequently informations were lodged , and eighteen individuals are held over , by bail , to take their trial at the next Assizes in Down , for forcibly breaking open Mr . Arnold ' s Meeting house . Of the persons under bail , one is a Mi . Arnold , a Probationer . He stated , at the Sessions , that he advised the people not to break open the door until the next
Sunday ; and the reason he assigned for advising that delay was , as he said , that he knew the Dromore Presbytery would meet in the interval , and would , he expected , give such advice as would prevent the breaking open of the house . He , in the mean time , had retired under a beautiful hawthorn tree that is adjacent to the house , and was preparing to proceed with the services of the day , when the
people forced open the door of the Meeting-house . He then returned and entered the house , thereby identifying himself with the pepple , and becoming a party to their illegal act . This was a plain tale of the matter . —Mr . Mitchel then read a memorial from the congregation of Narrow-water , detailing the principal facts stated above , and praying for the advice of the Synod .
The Rev . Mr . Lunn said , that as he resided near Mr- Arnold , and had an opportunity of knowing the state of the
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Narrow-water congregation , he felt called upon to mention what he knew of the matter . In the month of August , in 1828 , which was subsequent to the meeting of Synod , at which Mr . Arnold had beep called on to make a public declaration of his creed , two of his Elders
waited on Mr . Cooke , in Newry , to ask what they should do . One of these had been a Seceder , and the other is a Methodist exhorter . " 1 cannot tell , " said Mr . Lunn , " what instructions they received ; but , shortly afterwards , they sent to Mr . Arnold , stating , that they wished to catechise him a little . This was a sort of
proceeding rather different from auy thing I had known , it would not be very wonderful if the ministers were to catechise the elders ; but 1 think it was rather too much to submit the minister to this examination . Mr . Arnold was
like many a scholar , he did not happen to give satisfaction , to his masters . The next day a meeting of the Dromore . Presbytery took place , and these two men attended to receive farther instructions ; but unfortunately the Presbytery was so much taken up with other matters , that ; they were forced to return without
getting any advice . Shortly afterward 9-the Presbytery met again , and here is a letter which was addressed , by Mr . Stewart , a minister placed in Downpatrick , to Smith , the Methodist exhorter , advising him what to do . It is a precious document . I suppose it was not intended to fall irrto our hands , but here it is . [ Mr . Luun here read the letter . After one or two
introductory observations , the writer proceeded to give a series of resolutions which he recommended to the adoption ; of the discontented party . The resolutions commenced by laying down the doctrine of the Trinity , as taught in the Westminster Confession of Faith , as a necessary fundamental part of a minister ' s creed , without which no ministry could be blessed of God to the salvation
of sinners , and that such a ministry could not be supported . That , although we ( Smith and his party ) applaud the honesty of Mr . Arnold in making a declaration of his belief , yet we think his ministry dangerous , and suggest to him the propriety of resigning , in order that we may procure a person to dispense to
us the word of life ; and should Mr . Arnold refuse to resign , we shall take the most advisable measures , in order to procure a gospel ministry . The letter concluded by recommending , that as many signatures as possible should be obtained against Mr , Arnold ; and exhorted the party to perseverance , for that
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Intelligence . —Remonstrant Synod of Ukter . 649
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VOL . IV . 2 Z
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Sept. 2, 1830, page 649, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2588/page/65/
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