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Hi behalf of the great truths 'of the unity and essential goodness of God . Meanwhile , the Lancashire and Cheshire Uui ~ tarian Missionary Society . continues' its beneficial labours , regretting the insufficiency of its means , but nothing daunted bv the hike war mness and hostility of
others . Such is the example now needed . We do not want , we care little for , those whose zeal grows warm only in the sunshine of success and of popular favour . The man that the actual- condition of Unitarianism needs , is he who has calmly and deliberately made up his mind to devote his days to the furtherance of the pure gospel , and who adheres to his resolution with an activity
that indolence affects not , the frowns of others cow not ; who keeps-steadily some undeviatitig path , whether men are with him or against him , whether fashion commends or discourages his efforts , whether his helpers be few or many , rich or poor , learned or unlearned . A , few such righteous men would , save , not , as of old , a city , but a nation , from the corruptions of centuries . . . . .
Th # Report before us tells a plain but pleasing tale . There are no vague generalities to cover over , failures and to magnify success . Facts are substituted for the figures of rhetoric . It appears that at Swinton , uear Manchester ^ there is a missionary station , the average attendance at which has been through the year , in the afternoon and evening 36
persons , but through the last quarter , so great is the improvement , 32 . The Sunday School at Swinton is well conducted , the average number of scholars throughout the year has been in the morning 90 , in the afternoon 85 . There are at present on the books 127 scholars , and 26 teachers . At Astley , near Chowbent , the average number of adult hearers
through the year has been 50 . Lectures have been delivered at this place repeatedly , aud have been well attended : in particular a course in which several of the neighbouring ministers took a part . In the Sunday School , the average number of children on each Suuday through the year has beeu id the morning 95 , in
the afternoon 96 . The number of scholars on the books is 109 , of teachers 22 , We have very great pleasure in extracting the following account of the Society ' s exertions at Padiham . We hope it will gratify many who have kindly ministered to the wants of these poor people , and lead others to take an interest in them : " Your Committee can never turn to the contemplation of the moral state of
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ttoe Unitarians at Padiham , without the most intense ?* feelings of- « gral ? ficatiotr , aud the * most lively emotions ' of gratitude to that great Being Who has here- raised up a witness to thetrtrthv The religious services at this place have been conducted iprincipaUy by * twv members ^ of the congregation— - * neu who > tborogh la-¦
bouring hard through the week to ob * tain- a scanty subsistence , have dhnntereirtedly , honourablyy 3 atid usefully , devoted themselves : on the Sunday to the improvement of their fellows , and the ministration of sacred things ; and the blessing of God-bas > accompanied their labours . In addition to the two
services on the- Sunday , there m also occasional preaching at this place on a Monday evening . -The members of the congregation are in the habit of holding prayer-meetuigs at each other ' s houses / where portions of the Scriptures are read , and the assembly exhorted by such members as choose to address them /
Some of you * preachers have experienced much pleasure in being present at these meetings . The calmness , moderation , a « d good sense , with which these unietW tered men express their devotion to the Father of their spiritB , and lay open be- fore him their wants , without any of that fanatical * enthusiasm which sometimes !
renders -private meetings for- prayer scenes of confusion , aud has tended to bring them into disrepute-, is calculated to . impress deeply on , the mind the importance' of rational views of religion , and the suitableness of Unitarianism to the-wants aud actual condition of the poor . i * • i ¦ ' * ( P adiham- has been * twice visited
during the present year by Mr . Duffleld , who was , on both occasions , highly gratified by what he witnessed amoug this poor but intelligent and zealous peop le * The first visit was in July , when he spent with them five days ; preaching on the Monday and Wednesday at Padiham ,
to large congregations , and on the Tuesday at Wheatley-lane , a place where the Padiham people have been endeavouring to introduce the simple doctrines of the Unitarian faith . Mr . Duffleld paid his second visit to Padiham in January last * On this occasion he remained there nine
days . He found the people animated by the same zeal and ardour as on the former occasion . He preached on two Sundays , afternoon and evening , to congregations averaging about 110 persons each . On Monday evening he preached to 50 ; and congratulates this Society on having ministered to the spiritual consolation of these members of the flock of
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Critical Notices .- * Theelogied * ¦ 48 JT
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1831, page 487, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2599/page/55/
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