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    morning au interesting sermon from those appropriate words or Jesus to the Samaritan woman , John iv . 23 * 24 . The Rev . W . Stevens , late of Newport , Isle of Wight , preached in the afternoon , from 1 Cor . k 23 , " We preach Christ

    crucified , * ' &c . The Kev . G . Harris , of Bolton , delivered in the evening aa eloquent exposition of the words of the apostle to Timoth y * 2 d Epist . ch . ii- ver . 8 , 9 . From the circumstances of the delightful serenity of the weather and

    considerable pains having been taken to gke notoriety to the intentions 6 f the Society , immensely crowded audiences were collected . Many friends to the cause from the neighbouring congregations enlivened the interesting occasion by their presence .

    The chapel is a very neat and commodious stone building , ( stone being abuudant in the vicinity , ) capable of seating 400 people . The plan of the interior is somewhat resembling an amphitheatre ; but very few ranges of sittings are on the level of the floor , and these are to be held as free sittings ; the rest are raised

    owe above another , the higher sittings being of sufficient elevation to allow of a room beneath , capable of containing 150 persons , which may be used as a school or lecture-room . A tolerably large burial ground is attached to the chapel , and this ground , as well as that on which the chapel stands , is freehold .

    This is one of those instances , of which so many have occurred , and of which , doubtless , many more will occur , demonstrating the great value of the services of that eminently useful and

    highly-respected man , the Rev . Richard Wright . In the summer of 1818 , Mr . Wright , accompanied by Mr . F . Horsfield , visited Todmorden , at the invitation of two or three individuals who had heard him

    preach at Rochdale . A room was procured for the purpose , and Mr . Wright and Mr . Horsfield preached several times to as large audiences as the room would admit . This was the first time that Unitarian ism was ever publicly preached in this populous neighbourhood . Mr .

    Wright has visited them once since , and has continued to encourage , by occasional letters , the few who had manifested themselves friendly to the cause of Unitarian Christianity . They have eagerly embraced every opportunity that offered ,

    through any minister visiting them , of exciting public attention , and hare always succeeded in drawing together large audiences . But for the first four years they had no regular services , and during this time they were much indebted to the occasional visits of Messrs . Harris and Jones . After the organization of the Lancashire and Cheshire Missionary So-

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    ciety ^ they were enabled to bold regular services , which , and especially considering the meanness of the accommodation , have been exceedingly well attended ' More than half of the sittings in the chapel were let before it was opened , and

    a considerable number since * The prospect of a flourishing interest in this place is very promising . Though religious prejudices are strong with many , there is an evident disposition among others to hear and inquire . Mr . Stevens , who has been

    spending , a few months with them , has commenced a course of six lectures on the principal subjects in the Unitarian controversy , on which many , of different sects an 4 from a distance , attend . A chapel library and sunday-schools will be established immediately .

    The congregation at Todmorden hope , that after this statement , not only will no apology be expected of them , but they shall receive the praises of the friends and supporters of the general cause , though they have farther to inform them that they have incurred the responsibility of a considerable debt ,

    relying upon the approbation and consequently assistance of societies and individuals . The total amount of subscriptions and collections at the opening is £ 407 IBs . 6 ± d . Excepting the collections at the opening , the whole of this sum has been raised by the congregation . The expenses of the building and ground are £ 990 12 * . bd . The balance , of debt

    upon the Chapel is consequently £ 582 13 * . 10 j § c / . Subscriptions will be received by Mr . Thomas Thomas , Todmorden ; Rev . R . Aspland , Hackney ; Rev . Richard Wright , Trowbridge . On Whit-Monday , June 7 , the Annual Association of the Unitarians of

    Rochdale , Rossendale , &c , was held in the above Chapel . The morning service was introduced by the Rev . N . Jones , late of Bolton ; and the Rev . Dr . Philipps preached from What think ye of Christ ?" &c . The Rev . Geo . Harris delivered in

    the evening a discourse replying to tlie charges commonly brought against Unitarians . After the morning service the friends withdrew to the Golden Lion Inn to dine . About 100 persons sat down to a very comfortable and economical dinner , Dr . Philipps taking the chair .

    The reports given by the representatives of the different societies belonging to the Association were encouraging , and particularly the accounts of the flourishing state of some of the schools . After

    dinner the room nlled to excess : at about six o ' clock the company separated to f alee a little refreshment before the evening service , highly gratified with what they had seen and heard . W . S .

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    432 Intelligence *—Opening of the Unitarian , Chapel ^ To dmorden .

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1824, page 432, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2526/page/48/