ART. IV.-An Account of the Rise and Progress of the Unitarian Doctrine, in the Societies at Rochdale, Newchurch in Rossendale, and other Places, formerly in Connexion with the late Rev. Joseph Cooke. In Ten Letters to a Friend. By JOHN ASHWORTH. Second Edition. Newchurch, 1829. 8vo. pp. 80. We rarely meet with a publication so interesting as this. It contains the history of the process by which a numerous body of Methodists in the North of England passed from the faith and discipline of John Wesley to the simple doctrines of Unitarian belief. It is a memorable and instructive example of simple, uneducated men, being led by the study of the English bible alone, without any help from abroad, and without knowing that there was such a thing as Unitarianism in the world, to the adoption of those views which we hold as the actual truth of Christ. It shows the power of truth to make its way into minds which honorably open themselves to it, in spite of the hindrances of an imperfect text and faulty translation. It affords singular encouragement to the friends of free inquiry and liberal doctrine. And we do not know that our pages could be better occupied, than in spreading the information respecting this humble body of brethren, and asking for them. the sympathy of the christian community on this side the water. It is the design of the book before us, as stated in the first letter, to give a detailed account of the rise and progress of this inquiry after truth, with the manner and order in which the several doctrines of reputed orthodoxy came to be questioned by them, the arguments and trains of thought which induced them successively to reject them.' In this detail it will be impossible for us to follow the author. Those who would enter on so curious a study, must consult the publication itself. We can only give an outline. The history begins with the preaching of the Rev. Joseph Cooke, a highly gifted minister in the Methodist connexion. No small part of its interest lies in his life and character. He became a travelling preacher at the age of nineteen or twenty, and was soon one of the most popular in the body. Perhaps,' says the writer, there never was a preacher in this country so universally admired and beloved as he was whilst in the Meth odist connexion. His abilities for preaching and ministerial usefulness, were not of the common kind; and he had almost always the pleasure and honor of addressing uncommonly large congregations.' Mr Cooke's estrangement from this denomination was the first step in this remarkable history, and requires, therefore, to be distinctly related. He had observed, in the course of his travels, that the manner in which the doctrines of justification by faith, and the witness of the Spirit were taught, led to injurious consequences. He found some, who talked as though they thought religion consisted principally in raptures and impressions, and who made their own imaginations and feelings. rather than the word of God, the criterion of religious truths; while others, because they could not attain to these raptures, were driven to dejection and despondency.' Being desirous to remedy these evils, he preached a sermon on each of the abovementioned doctrines, in which he attempted so to state them as to avoid the consequences he disapproved, but, as far as appears, without intending to contradict the teaching of Wesley on these points. These explanations, however, gave dissatisfaction, and caused his expulsion from the connexion in August, 1806. He gives some account of this affair, in the following passage. 'As several of the preachers (for reasons best known to themselves) heartily deprecated any debate in the Conference upon their system of doctrines, a committee was appointed, to converse with me on the subject. I met the committee in the evening; and there I learnt, that one point in which I was supposed to have erred, was, as to the time, and evidence of a man's justification, or, when a man may be said to be justified. I was supposed to have taught, that in whatever moment a sinner returns to God, according to the requisitions of the gospel, God accepts that sinner, or his wrath no longer abides upon him; or in other words, that the sinner is justified: and that, whether he has any comfortable persuasion of it in his own mind or not.I acknowledged the truth of this supposition, and declared my present belief of what I had so taught. This was reported to the Conference the next morning, when I confirmed the truth of the report, and declared my readiness to prove what I had taught from the writings of Messrs Wesley and Fictcher. It was then moved, that if I thought myself able to do that, I ought to be heard. But this motion was over-ruled by the President observing, "I might be able perhaps to quote a few insu VOL. IX.-N. S. VOL. IV. NO. III. 45 lated passages." This prevented any appeal or discussion from taking place. And nothing now remained, but to pass sentence upon me. It was however moved, that my sentence should be deferred another day, that I (not the Conference) might farther consider the subject. To this I replied, that if the Conference were resolved to condemn my sermons, I had no reason to think that another day, or week, would make any change in my opinions, and therefore desired that the matter might be brought to a conclusion. I was then desired to withdraw, while the Conference deliberated upon the subject. And on being recalled, I was informed, that "I could not be considered a member of that body, while I retained my present sentiments."-pp. 8, 9. This event, of course, produced no small excitement amongst those who knew and loved the expelled minister. In Rossendale, the first impressions were wholly adverse to his cause. Almost all the Methodists were dissatisfied with the doctrine which he advanced. But they could assign no reason for their dissatisfaction, as we learn from our author who was one of them, except the very common one, by which incipient inquiry is so often stifled, and the door shut in the face of truth ;— that it was new to them, and what they had not been accustomed to hear from their preachers, and therefore must be wrong.' One of them, however, undertook to converse on the subject with Mr Cooke, and was thence induced to resolve,' that he would find out, if possible, which of the two, the Methodists or Mr C., was right.' 'For this purpose he got Mr Wesley's Sermons, the Minutes of the Conference, and the writings of Mr Fletcher. These he examined with attention, and soon found that they were inconsistent with themselves, and both agreed, and disagreed, with what Mr Cooke had taught, and for which he was expelled. This he showed to a few friends, who were all eager to know the truth respecting these things. They, therefore, joined their efforts together, in examining these writings again, on the subject in dispute. In one place they found Mr Wesley asking, "Is justifying faith a sense of pardon?" And answering, And answering, "It is denied." This they conceived agreed with Mr Cooke. In another place, 'Is justifying faith a divine assurance, that Christ loved me and gave himself for me?" The answer to this is, "We believe it is." This was opposed to what Mr Cooke taught. But then it was also opposed to what Mr Wesley had said. Still perplexed to find out on which side truth lay, but still searching for it, they were unexpectedly relieved by Mr Wesley himself, who says, "The assertion that justifying faith is a sense of pardon, is contrary to reason it is flatly absurd. For how can a sense of our having received pardon, be the condition of our receiving it?" This inquiry carrying with it its own evidence, convinced them that Mr Cooke was right on this point at least, and that the Conference had expelled him for not teaching a doctrine which Mr Wesley deemed "flatly absurd."'—p. 11. One of these inquirers, the author of this book, was, at that time, a local preacher among them. On publishing the result of their investigations, he and they were subjected to so much opposition and obloquy, that they withdrew from the body to which they belonged, and formed an independent society in Newchurch. Their number was small, their circumstances mean, most of them were parents of large families, and all of them, to a man, had to get their bread by hard labor; and at this particular time, not only were provisions dear, but work was difficult to be procured. They had the courage, however, to go on and build a chapel. After this was opened, their numbers increased; and being no longer bound by systems and creeds of men's making, they began to taste and relish the pleasures of that liberty, wherewith Christ has made us free.' In the mean time, Mr Cooke had been settled with another congregation of seceders at Rochdale. "The Conference being apprehensive that he might make a division there, sent after him three preachers, who had labored in Rochdale, and who were thought to be the favorites of the people there, to prevent if possible any division being made. One of these preachers, however, I conceive must have been sufficiently mortified, who, prolonging his Sermon, with the view (as his hearers thought) of preventing their hearing Mr Cooke, saw the greater part of his congregation leave him, to finish his long Sermon to the few that were left. Mr Cooke was received by his friends in Rochdale with the greatest cordiality. A large number of them left the Methodist connexion, many of them being in respectable circumstances. A subscription was immediately raised, and a large commodious chapel built, to which the name Providence, was given; and while this was doing he had the pleasure of addressing uncommonly large and crowded congregations. Hundreds flocking to see and hear this man, of whom re port said that he preached such strange things that the Methodists would have him no longer among them, and that since they had turned him out he had laid aside the Bible, and put common sense in its place. Among these there were some who had seldom attended any place of worship, and who had been champions in vice, who were now reclaimed, and are at this day pious and intelligent Unitarians.'-p. 10. Thus, there were formed two congregations of those who adopted Mr Cooke's views of justification and the witness of the Spirit. Their departure from the regular doctrine of Methodism was but small; yet even this small difference was called a damnable doctrine, which would assuredly lead all who embraced it to hell.' There was as yet no perceptible approach toward Unitarianism, nor any very considerable removal from Orthodoxy. Perhaps, if these earnest inquirers had conjectured to what their free honesty would lead them; if they had had by them, some of the solemn Mentors of our time to watch over, forewarn, and alarm them; they might have closed their eyes on further light, and, like thousands of others, remained stationary all their days. But, happily, they thought only of seeking the truth; and they felt the duty and responsibility of seeking it without being deterred by dread of the result. They were thus led on, step by step, cautiously, gradually, and slowly; and only after many years of patient and toilsome investigation, did they arrive at those rich and ripe results, in which they now, with so much simplicity and strength of expression, rejoice. These societies, having broken free from all trammels of human institutions and articles, became, as it were, associations for religious inquiry after truth. Their minds continued to be exercised on the subject of the witness of the Spirit, one of the points which had led to the schism, and they naturally connected with it the question of divine influence. Upon searching into this, they found, that, while they had always denied the Calvinistic opinion on this head, their own views had been altogether vague; they had been accustomed to make use of the phrase, but had formed no clear and distinct conception of its meaning. It now appeared to them, that as the witness of the Spirit consists in what the spirit declares, testifies, and affirms, concerning anything, so the influence of the Spirit (that influence which is necessary to convert a sinner from the error of his way) on the mind of a rational creature, can consistently imply no more, nor reasonably imply |