charges. On this subject, Mr. Cooke shall also speak for himself.

"But you," Mr. Hare, "roundly assert, that it was 'contrary to my solemn engagement, and in defiance of the Conference, that I published my sermons.' Contrary to my solemn engagement! When, Sir? And to whom? I was going to say, surely truth and righteousness have fled from the face of earth;' but I would hope better things, and better things of you. You certainly must have been led into this error by dreaming, or by some one else who has dreamed, of my having made such an engagement. But it will give you an opportunity to show, on what foundation you have built this assertion, when I declare, that, if you can prove that I ever made, or was required to make, any such engagement, in public or in private, verbally or in writing, I submit to be thought a liar for ever. And the world will think its own thoughts of you, Sir, if you should not be able to substantiate so positive and serious a charge. Is there the most distant probability, that I ever should have made, or been required to make, an engagement not to publish sentiments in which I was supposed so perfectly to agree with what was then referred to as the standard; that the Conference determined to send word to Rochdale, and did send word accordingly, that they were satisfied with the account I had given of my sentiments on the subject of the witness of the Spirit! &c." (See the Hasty Sentence arrested, or Genuine Methodism fairly examined, pages 32, 33, by J. Cooke.)

I now leave the reader to judge, whether Mr. Cooke violated his engagement; and to form his own opinion of Mr. Slater, who has brought so unfounded a charge against him, near sixteen years after his death.

Mr. Cooke, after his expulsion, was invited to Rochdale, to become the minister of a great number who left the Methodist Society, and built a meeting-house, which they called Providence Chapel. Here he preached to a congregation of near 700 hearers. His labours were also extended to Newchurch, Padiham, and other places. At Newchurch, thirty or forty persons left the Methodist Society and joined him; and a few did the same at Padiham. He laboured with great diligence and usefulness in these and other places; and, by over-much study and exertion, brought upon himself a slow consumption, which terminated his useful life, in March 1811.

Before his death, he, and a considerable number of persons at the places already mentioned, had seen reason to relinquish the reputedly orthodox doctrines of Original Sin and the Atonement. But the doctrine of the Trinity and proper Deity of Christ, had not at all been discussed among them, either publicly or privately, when this sad event took place. Nor was it until Mr. Cooke's successor (as Mr. S. is pleased to call him) was expelled from Providence Chapel, that these subjects were maturely examined and given up by them. And this was done without the assistance of any books or book, except the Bible. From this source, and this only, they became what they think they now are, decided and conscientious Unitarians.

Now, Mr. Editor, when you stated in your Number for October last, that John Ashworth was the author of an interesting account of the rise and progress of the Unitarian doctrine in these Societies, formerly in connection with the Wesleyan Methodists, you meant that the persons with whom this doctrine had its rise and progress in these places, were formerly in connection with the Wesleyan Methodists. I do not see that you could gather any other meaning from the account; and your statement is true, as hundreds can testify. Mr. Slater, however, calls this an extraordinary statement; and in the sense in which Mr. Harris would be understood, affirms that it is absolutely untrue. I leave the reader to judge whether of the two statements is the more extraordinary!

Again, Mr. Slater says, "Since the death of Mr. Cooke, now more than sixteen years ago, not one member of the Wesleyan Society in Rochdale has joined the Socinians; but many have left the Socinians and have joined the Independents and Wesleyans." This account is certainly very incorrect, so far as regards "many" of the Socinians joining the Independents and Wesleyans. In fact, not a single Unitarian has joined the Independents; and, I believe, only two (if I say wrong let Mr. S. teach me better, and I will submit) who professed to hold Unitarian views have joined the Wesleyans. It is really very unpleasant, even in the defence of truth, thus to have to confront a Iman who believes himself to be a child of God and a minister of the truth, who ought to know better and to state things more accurately. And I can only account for this erroneous statement, from the circumstance that when Mr. Cooke's successor (so I call him because Mr. S. has

called him so) was turned from Providence Chapel, although perhaps three-fourths of the congregation left with him, the rest stopped there, and some of them go thither still, whilst some others who left, went to the Methodists; but none of us were Unitarians then. Those who stopped at Providence Chapel, and those who joined the Methodists at that time, instead of having embraced Mr. Cooke's views of Original Sin and the Atonement, opposed them. And therefore, I repeat, that not a single Unitarian has left us and joined the Independents, nor the Methodists either, except as before stated. And, if Mr. Slater does not choose to accept this explanation of his erroneous statement, let him abide, as he says he is "prepared to abide,” by the facts he has stated, and prove them if he can. JOHN ASHWORTH.

NEWCHURCH, ROSSENDALE LANCASHIRE,

March,

To these communications we only add, that the subject will be resumed in our Magazine for May.

West of England.-It must be highly encouraging to every practical believer in the doctrines of Christian Unitarianism, to hear of the zeal with which our friends in the West of England are exerting themselves. Marshfield, a station in the district of the Somerset, Gloucester, and Wilts Unitarian Missionary Association, is a striking instance. About two years ago, when the Committee of the Association first directed their attention to it, the congregation there consisted of ten or twelve individuals, and was apparently on the point of dissolution. But we are glad to be able to inform our readers, that, now, Mr. Martin, the minister at Marshfield, seldom preaches to less than a hundred; and on Sunday evenings, to between two and three hundred. The Sunday-school contains about sixty children, and in the Monday evening-school, there are nearly fifty children, besides young men and women. These schools, together with a fellowship-fund and library, have all been instituted under the guardianship of the Association. Nailsworth, another station in the same interesting district, promises success as great, if not greater, at no distant period. It became an object of attention some months after Marshfield. Last spring, the Rev. R. Wright, late Unitarian Missionary, advised the friends

there, to form themselves regularly into a congregation; and we are informed, they have already established a fellowship-fund, and are laying the foundation for a library. We shall be obliged by further particulars, respecting this and other districts in the West.

THE Lancashire and Cheshire Unitarian Missionary Society have engaged the services of the Rev. W. Buckland, as their permanent missionary. The annual meeting of the Society will be held on the day called Good Friday, April 13, in the Unitarian Chapel, Mosley-Str. Manchester. The Rev. J. R. Beard will preach on the occasion.

THE Somerset, Gloucester, and Wilts Unitarian Missionary Association will hold their meeting at Marshfield, on what is commonly called Good Friday, April 13.

THE REV. R. Shawcross, late of Lincoln, has accepted an invitation from the Congregation of Unitarian Christians, Whitchurch, Salop.

THE Rev. Richard Wright, late Unitarian Missionary, intends leaving Trowbridge, and to settle at Kirkstead in Lincolnshire.

THE REV. W. Turner, M. A. Mathematical Tutor in the Manchester College, York, has resigned his situation, but has kindly engaged to discharge the duties of the office till a suitable successor is appointed.

THE REV. Joseph Ketley of Manchester College, York, has accepted a unanimous invitation from the society of Unitarians at Hull, to undertake the pastoral charge amongst them.

THE Unitarian Ministers of Sheffield and its neighbourhood, the Revds. Dr. Philipps, Piper, Wright, Brettel, and Wallace, have been delivering a course of Sabbath evening lectures in the Chapel at Sheffield, during the winter, on various important doctrinal and practical subjects.

Catholic Emancipation.-This measure of justice and of right has again been denied to our brethren. Nay, even the "expediency of taking into consideration the laws inflicting penalties" on the belief of so large a proportion of our fellow Christians, has been scouted by a majority of the House of Commons. We are glad to observe, however, that a majority both of Irish and Scotch Members voted in favour of this righteous object. We are sorry, that Great Britain should thus maintain her station among the intolerant nations of the earth, and be classed with Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Italy, Portugal, and Spain, in her practical ignorance of the true principles of civil and religious freedom. We grieve, as inhabitants of this country, that Great Britain should be outstripped in liberality and justice, and pure Christian philanthropy, by the United States of America, Saxony, Wurtemburgh, Bavaria, the Netherlands, France, Prussia, Austria, and even Russia; in which countries, no man is excluded from civil and military employments on account of his sect or religion: and we regret exceedingly, that that which is deemed right in Hanover, should be conceived wrong in Ireland and England. But we rejoice, as citizens of the world as Christians, that so many nations have already seen the folly and injustice of stamping the brand of alien from the commonwealth, on any individual, because of his supposed errors of opinion. It is a pledge, we trust, that the intolerant nations will, at no distant period, also thus "awake to righteousness, and sin not" against the rights of the children of the same common, and beneficent, and impartial Father.

Nor is it our Catholic brethren alone, who are thus mentally steeped "in the gall of bitterness," and bound "in the bond of iniquity." The case is well stated in the admirable pamphlet, "Remarks on the Consumption of Public Wealth by the Clergy," &c. "No man enjoys all the rights and privileges of a citizen in England and Ireland, unless he be of the Church of England! More than two-thirds of the people are suffering under this intolerance, being members of other sects. The corporations and the universities, are shut against them, and the public offices of emolument nearly so. Besides these privations, in common with others, the hearers of the Roman Catholic Church, who are full one-fourth of the population, are excluded both houses of Parliament. This is effected