On this page
-
Text (1)
-
Untitled Article
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.
-
-
Transcript
-
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.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
Untitled Article
to them posterity might have to look back for the preservation of an uncontaimnated religion - To a question , respecting the genuineness of the letter , the Rev . S . C . Nelson replied , that he had himself copied it from the original . ] These two men went through the congregation with a sheet of . paper for the purpose of obtaining signatures . The
paper was headed , on the one side , Believers , arid on the other , Unbelievers . I had this from a person to whom the paper was presented for signature , and when he refused to sign himself a believer , they asked him would he put himself down as an unbeliever ? I suppose he did not feel much disposed to do this . These men went round the whole
congregation ; and the questions generally put to the people were , " do you believe in Jesus Christ ? " " Do you believe in the Father , Son , and Holy Ghost ? ' * and I believe no individual replied in the negative . If any one asked them what they meant by these inquiries , they replied that they were Mr . Arnold ' s friends , but that they wished fust to know the
opinions of the people . In a house in Warren-point , the person whom they began to catechise happened to be a female . Smith asked her what she thought of Allans ?—The woman asked him , had he ever read Mr . Mitchel ' s Sermons ? No , lie said , he had read neither Mr . Mitch el ' s Sermons nor Tom Paine , { Much laughter . } He asked her what was her
religious belief ? She asked him what right he had to make such an inquiry ? He told her lie was her elder , and wished to give her advice . She said , if she wished for advice , she would go to Mr . Arnold ; and if he wanted nothing else he might get off with himself . ( Laughter . ) This was the course that was followed up in the congregation ; and every exertion
was made to promote discord . I lived near , and I watched what was going forward . One of these men waited on me , and asked me to speak to Mr . Arnold , I told him I did not know what I could say to Mr . Arnold . I said , if he had any charge of immorality against Mr . Arnold , and would establish it before his Presbytery , he would be degraded : and I
mentioned over spine immoralities of which I knew the man was himself guUtyyfai ' I tbaugiit I might as well give him a blow . ( LatrgMer . ) But , Moderator , no wan could justly charge Mr . Arnold with auy immorality . ( Heat , fyear . ) His life ? ia above reproach . Shortly afterwards , a meeting of our presbytery took place , and a memorial was laid before us from the opponents of Mr . Arnold . A number
Untitled Article
of the persons who had signed it , never had been members of the congregation , and some were not aware of what they were signing . The Commissioners stated , that the memorial I ) ad been read to all who signed it , and that the persons whose names were affixed to it , were all heads of families . The names were examined , and thirty sia ? were expunged , who were
no seatholders . I being Clerk of the Presbytery got the memorial . Mr . Smith wished me to give it back to him . I told him I would not , as it was then the property of the Presbytery . He said he would not go away until he would get it back ; and I told him , if he would not , he would have to remain a long time . ( Laughter . ) When the Presbytery met ,
ou the 9 th of December , they rejected the memorial unanimously . The name of a medical gentleman , Dr . Carsewell , of Rostrevor , had been put to it , and he came forward and stated , that he liad never signed it , nor ordered his name to he put to it . ( Hear , hear . ) The reasons assigned by the Presbytery for rejecting the memorial were , that it stated what was untrue—that it had been never read
to many of the people signing it—that many of the persons whose names were at it , were no seatholders , Mr . Smith said , that although they were not seatholders , yet they wanted seats . ( Laugh ' ter . ) The party then appealed to the General Synod atLurgan . Great preaching was carried on at Warrebpoint . They became very religious , Sir . —There was
preaching every day in the week . Mr . Cooke ( Dr . Cooke , I beg his pardon ) , preached on the day after a meeting of Presbytery that was held at Kilkeel , and then these troubles commenced . The congregation at Narrow-water appointed a committee of twelve , to manage their affairs . The opponents of Mr . Arnold were in heavy arrears of stipend ; and
when asked to pay up what they owed , they began to feel considerable religious scruples respecting their minister . They supposed , Sir , that they had scarcely got the worth of their money . ( Laughter . ) The Committee acted according to the directions laid down in the Code , and let the seats of those who , refused to pay . Processes were afterwards served on the
defaulters ; but , from some informality , the Committee wei r e defeated 5 and those persons who were processed for stipend , are the persons now producing the distuify&iice . On the following Sunday Mr . Cooke preached in the church . The discontented party , from that time , began to return to the Meeting-house . They usually entered during the time of serw >
Untitled Article
650 Intelligence .- —RemonstrantSynod of Ulster
-
-
Citation
-
Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Sept. 2, 1830, page 650, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2588/page/66/
-