Mr. Thomas Nevin was at the house of Captain William Hannyngton in Moneyrea, when and where much being said concerning the Magistrate's power in punishing offenders against the second table of the law, the said Mr. Nevin did positively say, that it is no blasphemy to say Christ is not God.

"Jur. me 27 die maii,
apud Cumber, in Com. predict.
SIMON ISAAC."

"WILLIAM HANNYNGTON, THOMAS KENNEDY, SOLOMON M'BRIDE.

In reply to this Affidavit, another, of which the following is a copy, is to be found in the same volume. "This day came before me Dr. Andrew Smith, and voluntarily made oath, that in the beginning of January last being with Mr. Thomas Nevin, at the house of Mr. Hannyngton, Moneyrea, Mr. Nevin did, in his hearing, challenge the said Mr. Hannyngton for having misrepresented some conversation he had with him some time before, concerning the power of the Magistrate in punishing blasphemy, and he being asked, by Mr. Nevin, whether or not what was said by him of its being no blasphemy to deny Christ to be God, did not relate to the aforesaid conversation, and the case of the Jews, did aver to this purpose, that he remembered not what was then said on this head, but believed that his man Solomon did; who, upon his being called, and asked the same question, said, in these, or words to this purpose that he remembered to have heard Mr. Nevin say, it was no blasphemy to deny Christ to be God, but that upon account of his going out and in, did not know how the conversation was brought in, or to what these words related.

"Sworn before me this 12th June, 1724,

HER. MT. GOMERIE."

"ANDREW SMITH.

It is not my intention to comment upon these declarations; but I beg leave to remark, that, if the civil Magistrate have power to punish men for blasphemy, it is surely no blasphemy to say Christ is not God, otherwise not only the Jews, but a numerous class of pious and learned Christians, are guilty of blasphemy, and therefore liable to punishment for their conscientious and peaceable opinion.

The volume from which the above documents are extracted, is written with great ability, and gives a lengthened detail of the inquisitorial proceedings of the

General Synod in the case of Mr. Nevin, which ended in his expulsion from that body; and which were soon followed by several other eminent ministers withdrawing from its jurisdiction, and forming themselves into a distinct Association, by the name of the Presbytery of Antrim. It does not appear that Mr. Nevin, or the first members of the Presbytery of Antrim, were Unitarians, but that they separated from the General Synod, as the Remonstrants have since done, neither as Trinitarians nor as Anti-trinitarians, but in support of the genuine principles of Protestantism, which acknowledge no Master but Christ, and no Creed but the Bible; and which yield to all Ministers and Congregations the full and free exercise of their own judgment in all matters of faith. Yes, each minister and Congregation in connexion with these two Bodies, may interpret Scripture as they think best, but they must not set up their interpretations as a Test to other ministers and Congregations.

It is evident, from Mr. Nevin's narrative, that a large majority of the ministers of the General Synod were in his favour, and did not join in any vote of expulsion. But of the 108, whom he mentions as friendly, it appears, when it came to the "excluding vote against him," that some were not in attendance, some had left the Synod-house before the vote, and some were silent when their names were called. By this timid behaviour, they allowed 33 to carry a vote against ministerial communion with this distinguished Christian patriot; to which two votes were basely added, by some persons answering in the name of two ministers who were not present. This notorious cheat, as Mr. Nevin calls it, reminds me of the pious frauds of much later Synods.

By the records of the General Synod for 1725, I learn that the Congregation of Moneyrea gave a call to the Rev. Hamilton, who had been settled for some years at Galway in the West of Ireland. The stipend specified was £30, with Turf and Oats; besides £3 which Captain Hannyngton promised to settle on the Congregation for ever. This promise, so far as I can ascertain, was never made good. Mr. Hamilton accepted the Call, and, after an adjustment of some disputes respecting him, was installed by the Presbytery of Down, He officiated for 8 or 9 years, when, in consequence of

ill health, he retired from the more public duties of his office. It is said, that Captain Hannyngton treated him with imperiousness-frequently wounded his feelings, and sometimes, when he preached longer than the ordinary time, audibly commanded him to conclude. The Captain, if now living, would find, that he would be only a disciple among disciples, and not the Master of the Bible Christians of Moneyrea; and that if he were even a civil Magistrate, they would "obey God rather than men."

Kircum

In 1735, Mr. Hamilton was succeeded by the Rev. M'Cullough, of the neighbourhood of Larne. Mr. McCullough continued to discharge the duties of his office for the period of about 11 years, when, much to the disappointment of his Congregation, he accepted the pastoral charge of the parish of Kircum, Wigtonshire, and became a minister of the Kirk of Scotland. is part of a peninsula, which lies to the North of Portpatrick and Stranraer; and which is washed on the North-East side by the beautiful lake of Loch-Ryan. In this healthy situation Mr. M'Cullough lived till the age of 90, traversing the native moors of his forefathers, and no doubt looking occasionally upon the fertile hills of his former hearers, some of which can be seen from the West of Scotland, and one of which is distinguished by the name of Gallaway, because a district of Scotland thus called can be seen from it.

On the resignation of Mr. M'Cullough, the Congregation invited the Rev. James M'Kean, a licentiate of the Presbytery of Ballymena, to become their minister; who having complied with their wishes, officiated for 27 years with faithful assiduity, and died on the 8th of June, 1773, in the 67th year of his age. Shortly before his death the Meeting-house was rebuilt in a very substantial manner.

Mr. M'Kean was succeeded by the Rev. Samuel Patton, A. M., who had been the minister of Boveva, County Derry, for 3 or 4 years. He continued in the active and acceptable discharge of the pastoral functions, until the 28th of February, 1809, when he died in the 64th year of his age, and the 35th of his ministry, at Moneyrea. 1 am not able to state any thing correctly, as to the religious opinions of Mr. Patton's predecessors, but he is acknowledged by his surviving acquaintances to have been a man of enlarged and liberal views; and a few of

C

his more intimate friends have told me that he was an Arian; but, as was common in his time, that he did not preach either for or against that system.

The Rev. Fletcher Blakely, A. M. a native of Ballyroney, on the upper Bann, was licensed by the Presbytery of Dromore, and was appointed to the charge of the Congregation of Moneyrea, on the 19th of September, 1809. During his ministry the congregation have expended nearly £1000 in flagging, ceiling, reseating, and otherwise improving their Meeting-house;-in erecting school-houses on their property, and in walling their extensive Grave-yard. The Meeting-house-the gallery of which was enlarged a few years ago-is capable of accommodating between 600 and 700 persons; and notwithstanding the cant, clamour, and malice that have been employed to misrepresent the doctrines that are taught in it, there is not a single sitting which is not at present rented. The few secessions that took place, from the Congregation, some years ago, have been more than counterbalanced by the accession of several more intelligent families. The stipend, which was, sometime ago, unanimously augmented by the seatholders, is paid; and, however remarkable it may seem to many, it has been regularly collected by the committee, at the Meeting-house, on two or three week-days, each year, in less than ten hours.

In the Congregation there are about 400 families, 350 of whom are seatholders. The Psalmody is remarkably well-conducted gratuitously by a choir, the attendance at public worship is respectable; there is a Library in the Session-room, containing 300 volumes and upwards; and the Congregation have supported, for eleven years past, all the poor within their bounds by the congregational collections, and by quarterly subscriptions. Their classical and mercantile school is well attended; and is an institution by which several young men have been successfully prepared for the study of the learned professions.

When the liberal emoluments, the advantageous situation, and the generous kindness of this Congregation are considered, there are few settlements, if any, in the Irish Presbyterian Church, more desirable for a minister. As to the religious sentiments of the people, they are well known in every quarter of the united kingdom; and though some men may call honesty rashness, and

cowardice prudence; the present pastor and his flock have no intention, I presume, of lying down on the bank of the river, in the foolish hope that the dark flood of error will soon run itself dry. The rapid progress of the opinions, both at home and abroad, which they have long and successfully advocated-with no other weapon than "the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God," -is more than sufficient to excite to greater exertion. Babes should, no doubt, be fed with milk, but surely there are men, in every Christian Congregation, who ought, at least occasionally, to get a little strong meat. That Mr. Blakely intends, during the current year, to give some nourishment of this kind to his hearers, will appear by an outline of a course of Lectures, which is already in print and a copy of which I send with this article. AN ANTITRINITARIAN.

January 20th, 1836.

We solicit articles similar to the above; and if written with good temper, we will gladly give them a place in our publication. EDITORS.

I have just received the following letter. I comply with the author's request to publish it in the Bible Christian; in the next number of which I will take the liberty of examining its contents.

Holywood, January 20, 1836.

C. J. M'ALESTER.

TO THE REV. C. J. M'ALESTER, HOLYWOOD. SIR, Your letter requires but a brief answer, nor should I perhaps have answered it at all, except to correct some gross misstatements.

1. With regard to the form of Absolution in our Order for the Visitation of the Sick, I do not deem it so very objectionable. The clergyman absolves the believing penitent, not in his own name, but "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Ghost; in accordance with that text-John xx. 23, "whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them."

2. Articles of faith, drawn up by human hands, do appear necessary in order to prevent unsound teachers from intruding themselves into the pastoral function.