insulting and degrading laws, avowedly directed to other objects, and now preserved only by prejudice or misconception; but they gladly avail themselves of the opportunity afforded by the meeting of some of their brethren from all parts of the kingdom, thus to record, as a body, their solemn declaration, whlch they are convinced, would be echoed by the vast majority of their dissenting brethren of every denomination-that their desire for the blessings of liberty is limited by no reserves or qualifications-that it is clogged by no exceptions-that they seek to vindicate for conscience, and, therefore, for true religion, the free and unbiassed exercise of the judgment and understanding; and that every where, and in every shape, they deprecate, as alike futile, impolitic, and unjust, the principle of persecution, or the assumption of a right either to reward, to tolerate, or to punish, in matters which they believe to be too high for human control. "Your Petitioners, therefore, humbly pray your Honourable House, as the prayer most consonant to their feelings and understandings, most worthy in their judgment to be uttered by a Christian and a well-wisher to his fellow-creatures, to discard for ever the wretched relics of ignorant and misguided zeal, by abolishing all penal laws in matters of religion, and by placing all the members of the community, in that respect, on an equal footing; to heal the divisions and distractions by which Catholic and Protestant Churchmen, and Dissenters, are seduced into the unchristian habit of regarding each other with feelings wholly inconsistent with brotherly kindness and charity; and to legislate upon those sound and enlightened principles of freedom, which can alone secure to any community, peace and harmony, and prosperity and honourable fame. And your Petitioners shall ever pray." ON Thursday, the 7th June, 1827, was held at Padiham, the Annual Association of the different Societies of Methodist Unitarians in Lancashire. The service in the morning was introduced by Mr. J. Ashworth of Newchurch; and a very interesting discourse was delivered from Acts xxviii. 22, by the Rev. F. Howorth of Rochdale. The preacher ably answered many of the popular objections to Unitarian Christianity; and exhorted his auditory to evince the superior excellence of their faith by the purity and holiness of their lives. He passed a justly merited eulogium on those useful men, who, though engaged in secular pursuits during the week, go out on the Sunday to instruct their fellow-creatures in the great and important truths of Christianity, and whose labours have been attended in this district with such beneficial effects. After the conclusion of the services at the Chapel, the friends, in number 120, male and female, retired to an inn, and sat down to a plain dinner. The utmost harmony pervaded the meeting; and we were pleased at the very reasonable price of the dinner, which was fifteenpence, including every expense. This arrangement admitted the poorer brethren to participate in the pleasures which Christian intercourse is so peculiarly calculated to impart. After dinner, the business of the Meeting was transacted in the Chapel; the Rev. N. Jones in the chair. Reports were then given of the different Societies connected with the Association, viz. Rochdale, Newchurch, Burnley, Todmorden, Oldham, Rawtonstall, and Padiham. We were happy to hear that most of these Congregations, as well as the Sunday-Schools connected with them, are in a flourishing state. The Societies at Newchurch and Padiham have considerably increased during the last year. Padiham is principally supplied with preaching by two worthy individuals of the Congregation, and with occasional assistance from the " Lancashire and Cheshire Unitarian Missionary Society." The writer of this report spent the following Sunday, after the Association, with this truly interesting and religious people, and preached to respectable audiences; in the afternoon, to about two hundred and fifty, and in the evening to upwards of three hundred. He likewise preached in some of the neighbouring villages; and considers this district a congenial soil to disseminate the seeds of Christian Unitarianism. We lament to say that trade in this place, and indeed throughout this part of the county, has been so depressed, that the weavers have scarcely been able by honest industry to supply even the wants of nature. One of the humble individuals above alluded to, remarked, "that, amidst all their distress, they had not lost their religion, which imparted to the dejected mind, under the most calamitous circumstances, the purest and highest consolation!" Such are the happy influences of Unitarianism, when it takes its sway over the human mind. With sincere pleasure we state, that the different Societies in this district have received assistance both in money and clothing, from congregational collections, and from benevolent individuals in the Metropolis, for which they return their grateful acknowledgments. In the evening, the friends again assembled for divine worship. Mr. Buckland, the Missionary, read the hymns, and engaged in prayer; and a very excellent sermon was preached by Mr. Jones, from the words of the Apostle, "If any man think himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself." No one could listen to the preacher but with a lively interest; and but few we think, went away without being convinced that charity and humility are essential to the formation of the Christian character. Mr. Tate, who had engaged to preach in the evening, was prevented in consequence of indisposition. Thus ended the proceedings of a day devoted to the cultivation of friendship, the promotion of piety, and the furtherance of the Christian religion. U. M. ERSKINE is a name, as many of our readers know, mingled with the religious feelings and associations of a numerous and highly respectable body of Christians in Scotland. Individuals of that name were the leaders in the secession from the Scottish Established Church. They seceded, mainly, because they thought the Establishment had seceded from the declarations of the Solemn League and Covenant; they seceded, because patronage was cal culated to lead to the introduction of unworthy pastors into the Church; and especially, that it deprived the people of the privilege of choosing him who was to minister to them in holy things. Almost, if not the first, Chapel erected by this denomination, on this side the river Forth, was on the Moor of Davies-Dikes, a wild and comparatively uninhabited spot, but nearly equi-distant from numerous villages and towns. Here a very large congregation was collected. In course of years, however, it was found necessary to build a place of worship in a more populous part of the district; and the old Meeting-house was deserted. It was near this building, that the Unitarian Congregation of Carluke, accompanied by many of their friends from Glasgow, Airdrie, Kirk of Shotts, Orbiston, Holytown, Hamilton, Lanark, Wishawtown, &c. assembled, on Sabbath the 10th June, for the worship of the One true God, the Father; "They sought The upland moors, where rivers, there but brooks, A little glen is sometimes scoop'd, a plat With green sward gay, and flowers that strangers seem In such a spot was the worship conducted; the preacher being placed in the hollow, and the congregation sitting on the surrounding banks. Two sermons (combined in one for publication) were delivered by the Rev. George Harris, from Isaiah xxxv; and a little tract explanatory of the principles of Christian Unitarianism, was distributed afterwards amongst the people. The worship began at twelve o'clock noon, and concluded, with an hour's interval, about five. The day was delightful, and an increase of religious feeling, and of desire to promote the progress of Reformation, we are persuaded, was called forth by the services of this Sabbath. The discourse has been since published, and may be procured of our various friends who sell the Magazine. ON Thursday, 21st June, was held the Provincial Meeting of the Counties of Lancashire and Cheshire, at the Unitarian Chapel, Warrington. The Rev. C. Wallace of Altrincham, preached an excellent sermon, in which he exposed the futility of the doctrine of the two natures in Christ. About seventy gentlemen sat down to dinner, about thirty of whom were ministers, including the Rev. Mr. Fotheringay of Boston, in America. After the dinner, the Chairman (the Rev. Charles Wallace) called on the Secretary of the Provincial Meeting, the Rev. Edward Hawkes, to read the report of the proceedings of the Committee appointed at the last Annual Meeting, to form of the Provincial Meeting a General Association for the North West of England. It appeared from the Report, that the Committee had not met with the success in their efforts which was to be hoped; so far, however, from abating in their zeal, they declared themselves firmly convinced of the utility of an Association, comprising in its review at least, if not consolidating in itself, all the various societies in the two counties, having for their object the furtherance of knowledge and pure religion; pledged to the support of Unitarian Christianity, by assisting declining congregations, reviving such as may have become extinct, and opening out new fields of operation-by missionary preaching-by_the distribution of books and tracts-by defending the rights of Dissenters and enabled to do this through that increase of resources, zeal, and influence, which ever attend on associated efforts. The Rev. J. R. Beard, in proposing that the Report be received and approved, regretted that the duty had fallen upon him, through the absence of one far more able, yet not more willing, to discharge it. He would apprise the meeting, that the adoption of the Report, would pledge them to other measures which followed of course, namely, the appointment of a Committee, and the raising of funds. It was intended to propose, that every minister in the two counties, should be, ex officio, members of the Committee, and a certain number of gentlemen, to be hereafter named; also, that every minister in the two counties should be requested by this meeting, to assist in raising funds, either by preaching a sermon, or by procuring private donations and subscriptions, or by aid from the fellowship funds, or in any way that appears best. He then went on to urge on the company, the propriety of such an Institution, as that now proposed. Unitarianism was truth, and therefore had imperative claims on our support; it was calculated to check infidelity, to meet the wants and secure the good-will of this enlightened and inquiring age-the liberty which it found, it would foster and increase-it would dispel the lingering mists of superstition-purify the heart of the depraved-and be a universal quickener of intellect. In an especial manner, were the friends of religion and purity called upon to exert themselves, by the present situation of the two counties of Lancaster and Chester. There had been much commotion-was it not probable that discontent still remained? There had been hard pressing calamity -this must have exerted a detrimental influence on the morals of the people. And in reply to an objection which had been taken, that Unitarians already did as much as they ought to be expected to do, he believed, and it was best to declare honestly his conviction, that their exertions were commensurate neither with the goodness of their cause, nor the expectation of friends, nor the wants of the community, nor the measure of their resources. was a notorious fact, that the orthodox looked with a feeling bordering on contempt, on our pigmy efforts; and well might they do so, when the opulence of our body was considered, and the degree of importance which we attached to our views. And for himself, he could not but consider, that those ministers were labouring under a grievous error, who now seemed to regard it as a grievous thing, to go before their congregations, and ask their assistance for the promotion of benevolent objects. The more fre It quently they went in reason, the more would it appear to God and man, that their hearts were in their work-the more would they awaken their people's generosity-the greater would be the love of the people towards them-and the greater the amount of good effected, for the furtherance of knowledge and piety. He would not detain them, by enlarging on the benefits of associating for the extension of truth; these benefits were well detailed in the Report. After some objections made on the part of Messrs. Broadbent, J. Grundy, Ottiwell Wood, &c. and answered by Messrs. G. W. Wood, J. J. Tayler, J. Hawkes, and others; the Report was adopted, and the other motions alluded to by Mr. Beard, were passed. We understand, that the Committee, feeling the great importance of firmly establishing, and bringing into active operation and general favour, such an Association, intend to exert themselves with peculiar diligence, in order to raise funds, to discover and assist objects worthy of their attention. For ourselves, we wish them every success, convinced that the necessity of active and united exertions, are every day becoming more requisite; and being ashamed, that it has hitherto belonged almost exclusively to the orthodox, to parcel out the country by provincial associations, in order to take complete possession of the land. We are late, it is true; but we bate not a jot of heart or hope, for the Mighty God of Jacob is with us. THE report at the forty-first annual meeting of the Manchester College, York, has just reached us. It appears that in addition to the usual tutors-the Divinity, Mathematical, and Classical— the Chevalier Pecchio has been engaged as a permanent professor in the modern languages. The Committee have received, during the last year, some considerable benefactions; amongst them we notice one of £100, through the hands of the Rev. Russell Scott, of Portsmouth. The number of students during the last session, was twenty-five; namely, ten lay, and fifteen divinity students. The number of divinity students during the present session, is sixteen, and the total number of ministers educated by the College is fifty-one. We heartily wish the institution all the success it so well deserves; and we rejoice to hear, that the Missionary Society, which is supported by the gratuitous exertions of the divinity students, continues to flourish. WE have heard that the Unitarian Congregations at the following places are in want of Ministers:-Liverpool, Renshaw-Street Chapel; Manchester, Cross-Street Chapel, a co-pastor with the Rev. J. G. Robberds; Dob-Lane, near Manchester; Lincoln; Macclesfield; Diss; Bridport; Bristol, a co-pastor with Rev. J. Rowe; Taunton, a co-pastor with Rev. Dr. Davis. |