church at Baltimore, might now be expected more frequently to occur. The meeting convened to consult on measures for this object, consisted of but eight persons, all young men, but little known, and of little influence or property. They had something of that character of enterprise, however, which still distinguishes their father-land, and a zeal for truth no less commendable; and, nothing daunted by paucity of numbers or resources, they resolved to call another meeting forthwith by a public notice. The advertisement on this occasion has been preserved, as having an interest in the recollections of this day of small things,' and as exhibiting a degree of prudent caution which harmonizes with the spirit that influenced the whole proceeding. It was in these words; All persons friendly to the establishment of an Independent Church in this City, upon the principles illustrated in the exercises of the last Lord's day at the Hall of the Medical College in Barclay-Street, are requested to meet at the dwellinghouse, No. — on Thursday evening.'

6

"This meeting called together fourteen persons; but not many rich, not many mighty were there.' At this meeting, a Committee was appointed to ascertain if any place suitable for public worship could be obtained, and if not, to report an estimate and plans for building one. In pursuance of these measures, a large room was hired in Broadway, at the corner of Reed-Street; and here, from June 1819 to January 1821, with few intervals, religious services were performed by the ordained clergy of Boston and its vicinity.

"The corner-stone of the church in Chamber-Street, was laid on the 29th of April, 1820, with appropriate religious services by the Rev. Henry Ware, Jun., and was dedicated by the Rev. Edward Everett, on the 20th of January, 1821. From the time this house was opened for religious worship, the society has been gradually increasing. Towards the close of the same year, they invited the Rev. William Ware to become their pastor, and he was ordained on the 18th of December, 1821.

"In the Autumn of 1825, the corner-stone of the Second Congregational Unitarian Church was laid in Mercer-Street, at the corner of Prince-Street, about a mile distant from the first church. The ceremonies were performed by the Rev. William Ware. This building was begun by a few members of the Society in Chamber-Street, who have proceeded with great economy and or der to its completion. This church was dedicated on Thursday, the 7th of December, the day appointed by the Executive of the State for a day of thanksgiving, and the anniversary occasion of laying the corner-stone. At an early hour the house was thronged. The services were introduced by an original hymn from the pen of Bryant. The consecrating prayer was by the Rev. Wm. Ware; the concluding prayer by the Rev. Mr. Walker of Charlestown; the sermon by the Rev. Dr. Channing. All the services of the day were highly satisfactory. Of the sermon, it is difficult to speak in measured terms of approbation. It has been pronounced the noblest production of the very pure and original mind which composed it, and was delivered with an effect which will never be forgotten by those who heard it."

Methodist Unitarians.

WE give an additional twelve pages with the present Number, in order to lay before our readers, the two following letters. They are, we think, highly interesting and important; and we thank our friends sincerely for them. The first is from the Minister of that "obscure small place," Blackwater Chapel, Rochdale; and the other, from the "successor" of Mr. Cooke. We hope Mr. Slater will see the necessity of giving some explanation of his statements to Mr. Hobson. Our pages are open to him for this purpose. His character, we take it, is at stake. He has adduced charges, both against individuals and a whole denomination; he has, we think, wantonly aspersed the memory of the dead, and defamed the motives and principles of the living. He has caused the tears of the widow to flow, and has outraged the feelings of the fatherless. Let him look to it. We pause for a reply.

To the Rev. Barnard Slater, Rochdale.

REV. SIR,

THOUGH not personally acquainted with you, a sense of duty compels me to address to you a few remarks on the subject of your letter to the Rev. J. Hobson, which appeared in the last number of "The Christian Pioneer." Did not justice to the memory of the honoured dead, and regard to the character and feelings of the living, upbraid my silence, as the silence of neglect or shame, your letter might safely have been left to the fate to which its spirit would justly have consigned it. Though your cruelty in disturbing the ashes of the dead, and bitterness in speaking of the motives and the religious faith of the living, are at first calculated to rouse an honest indignation, I hope you will discover in what may be advanced, no marks of an uncandid or uncharitable spirit. I feel the more particularly desirous of avoiding such a spirit, from seeing how exceedingly unamiable it appears in others, and how particularly unbecoming in the ministers of Him who so frequently recommended all who would be his true disciples, to love one another " as brethren."

In the first sentence of your letter, you pronounce Mr. Harris's statement in the Christian Pioneer, respecting the Unitarian Methodists of Rochdale and its vicinity, "in the sense in which he would be understood," as absolutely un

true. Now, in what sense did Mr. Harris wish the statement to be understood? Certainly, in no other than in that conveyed by the work to which he alluded, viz. “An Account of the Rise and Progress," &c. by J. Ashworth. And that the important facts mentioned in this interesting volume are untrue, you have not yet shown. Till you have done that, it is obvious to see where the absolute falsehood with which you charge Mr. Harris, in reality attaches itself. You next speak of the late worthy Rev. Joseph Cooke, and his expulsion at the Leeds Conference in August 1806. You have designated his examination as "fair, candid, and Christian," and eulogised the fathers of the Connexion who expelled him, as possessing qualities that would have done credit to an Apostle; whereas, it is a notorious fact, that Mr. Cooke was not allowed to plead his own cause before the Conference. The fairness and candour of such conduct, may not be so obvious to those who dare question the infallibility of your high tribunal; and to some who dare not openly speak against its decisions, the measure adopted by Conference, in the case before us, has no doubt often appeared to be characterised with persecution, more than either Christianity or apostolic virtue. And, with regard to the views of justification by faith, for which Mr. Cooke was expelled, and which, he has clearly shown, were entertained in the latter part of life, by Wesley himself, and by Fletcher, I ask, Are not these very views adopted by many of your preachers of the present day? Let us, then, hear no more of the Christian temper and conduct of those who ejected a brother minister from their communion, for declaring doctrines which they now either embrace or connive at. Your indirect attack of Mr. Cooke's character, must be pronounced, I should think, even by your warmest admirers, as most unmanly. His lips have long been sealed in silence; and we might have hoped, that even malevolence itself would have disdained to take an undue advantage of his rest, and have allowed him to repose in peace. It is generally the negative privilege of the grave, that there "the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest." Even had the opinion you have given of Mr. Cooke's character been true, surely some little delicacy to the feelings of a bereaved partner, and an orphan family, might have been justly expected from a minister of the gospel of peace and consolation. The great precept of

Christian morality, in our conduct towards our neighbour, is, to do unto others as we should wish that they should do unto us. But, as a husband and a father, I am sure that you would deprecate such a treatment of your own character, after you had descended to the grave; and, no doubt, it would often disturb the peace of your remaining days, were you to suppose, that the tenderest feelings of your nearest relatives were to be harrowed up, at some distant time, by the cruel accusations of a brother in the ministry. And, should such a being be found in our society, immoral as you insinuate the tendency of our doctrine is, he would meet, I am confident, with marked degradation for his inhuman conduct. But I hesitate not to affirm, that the epithets you have applied to Mr. Cooke, are calculated to produce an erroneous impression of his character. Not being able to advance any thing against his moral conduct, you sit in judgment over his motives. You represent his zeal and firmness, as resulting from low and unworthy springs of action, such as self-conceit, love of innovation, and desire of popular applause; for you have characterised him, as "extremely pert and self-conceited," and as an 66 aspiring reformer." Now, permit me to offer you a friendly hint. If you wish such assertions to be credited, you must go to some obscure corner of the island, where the real character of the departed was never known, and where his printed works can never come. In Rochdale, you will meet with individuals in every street, who will vindicate his character from your aspersions; and not individuals of any particular sect, but those of various sects; yea, even in your own congregation may be found those, whose real feelings, and whose sincere counsel, would recommend you to say nothing against him. But, perhaps, you never intended your letter to be seen in Rochdale. If you only purposed that it should be circulated amongst your Methodist friends at Glasgow, your attack on the character of the dead was the more unmanly, as it was designed in such a manner as not to allow of a defence. But it is now before the public; and it remains for you either to substantiate your charges, or retract your accusations. According to the testimony of those who knew him best, Mr. Cooke was a man of ardent piety and inflexible integrity. So great was his love of truth, that, rather than shrink from its profession, he was willing to sacrifice every earthly good. Seeing sufficient

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ground in the works of Wesley, and the Word of God, to differ from his brethren on the subject of "justification by faith;" and being, moreover, very popular wherever he preached, the Conference demanded of him to renounce his peculiar views. His high regard for conscience and for truth, would not allow him to make such a compromise of principle. He was, consequently, publicly expelled. But, even though thus persecuted; though he met with frowns and coldness, where he was wont to be received with cordiality-though his earthly hopes received at once a fatal blow, and he was ungenerously, with his family, cast destitute on the wide world, yet he evinced towards his opponents none other than the genuine spirit of Christian charity. But, let his own words bear testimony to his amiable feelings. In his "Vindication," speaking of the persecution he suffered from the Conference, he shows the genuineness of his Christian temper: Charity," says he, "will ever seek to palliate, what it cannot approve." "I should be sorry," he adds in another place, "for this apparent precipitance in the Conference, to be imputed to any improper principle, since actions, wrong in themselves, may possibly originate in the best of motives. And it is but natural to ask, what but zeal for truth, could induce them to do as they have done? and admitting this to have been their motive, the reader will see cause to applaud the principle, even though he should be obliged to disapprove its effects;" such was the generous construction he put upon the conduct of those who had treated him with so much harshness. Conscious of the zeal for truth, which actuated his own conduct, with that charity which hopeth all things, he conceived that a similar motive might have given rise to the persecuting measures of his opponents. And in this, as well as in his inflexible adherence to principle, did he set an example to all who may be inclined to judge uncharitably, or succumb in matters of faith to other authority than that of private judgment. With respect to the remaining topics of your letter, unless noticed in some other way, I should wish, at some future time, to advance a few remarks. In the meantime, I hope the preceding will be received in the spirit in which they are given; and will believe me to remain,

that

you

Yours truly, in Christian charity,
FRANKLIN HOWORTH.

ROCHDALE, March 19, 1827.