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    ings with equal credit to himself and benefit to the Society . But my friendship with this gentleman presently proved a tnost important link in the chain , and had I not left York , I see not how that link could have been formed .

    [ Mr . Eaton here enters into some Retails relating to his connexion with another gentleman who took an active part in the formation of the Unitarian Fund , which , for reasons that must be obvious to most of our readers , we omit . ]

    Having consulted my friends Vidler , Simpson , Marsom , and Mr . Aspland , about my plan and the expediency of carrying it into execution , they all urged its adoption . Mr . Aspland re * commended that we should sound the

    mind of the Unitarian public by first printing the plan ; this judicious advice was followed . It was printed in the Universalist Miscellany for 1805 , as "An Address to Unitarian Congregations ; " on the appearance of

    which we soon received expressions of warm approbation from our friends in town and country . And we then determined to meet and to draw up the rules and form th& Society . This was done . And the seven persons who

    met for this important purpose at the house of Mr . Ebenezer Johnston , in Bishopsgate Street , were the Rev . Mr . Vidler , Rev . Mr . Aspland , Mr . Rutt , Mr . Christie , Mr . Holden , Mr . E . Johnston , and myself , and it was named " The Unitarian Fund . * ' Mr .

    Aspland was chosen Secretary ; Mr . Holden , Treasurer ; with a Committee of seven persons . The existence of the new Institution was announced far and wide , publicly and privately . And all of us were assiduous in

    canvassing our friends in its support ; and every time the Committee met , ( which was then weekly , ) an accession of names was announced , and a large proportion of them were life subscribers . Nor were our country friends backward in giving us their warm and

    cordial support . Thus , after an interval of eight long years of fruitless exertion , had I the inexpressible satisfaction of seeing the plan carried into active operation , and which fully proves that it was much easier to suggest the measure than to reduce it to practice . Encouraged bv our success , it was

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    deemed expedient , in the spring of 1806 , to call a general meeting of the subscribers to resolve upon ulterior measures . The meeting took place at the London Coffee-house , Cheapside Mr . Rutt in the Chair , when the

    Secretary read the Committee ' s Re , port , which was approved and adopted . It was then resolved , that an annual sermon should be preached , and a subscription be entered into in aid of the funds of the Society , every

    Whit-Wednesday , and after the transaction of business the friends of it were to dine together . Our first sermon was preached by the venerable and amiable Dr . Toulmin , and our first dinner

    was held at the Kind '' s Head , in tli « was liela at tlie Rings Jtiead , in the Poultry , when upwards of sixty gentlemen dined , and where the greatest zeal and unanimity prevailed . This success , great as it was , must not be considered as the mere effect of some

    new but temporary ebullition of zeal , for the Society has been increasing * in numbers , in strength and influence , from the beginning" to the present hour . The company who dined together the second year , was so great that the great room at the King ' s Head , Poultry , could not comfortably accommodate them , which made it

    necessary for the future to engage the great room at the Old London Tavern , where about 300 gentlemen annually dine together upon that

    oc-. The objects of the Society being the promulgation of the Unitarian doctrines , or primitive Christianity , by popular preaching , the circulation ot tracts , and to assist poor congregations in carrying on religious worship , as before observed , have been much indebted to the zeal and unwearied

    labours of their missionaries , but more particularly to Mr . R . Wright , who is so well known by his numerous publications , his Missionary Life and Labours , that it is quite unnecessary to say more than that his praise is in all our churches . Those of them who acted a more limited , but equally

    praise-worthy part , such as Messrs . Vidler , Gisbome , Bennett , Winder , Lyons , Harding and Martin , with others , whose names do not occur to me , are all highly deserving of commendation , having all most heartily contributed to this good work . The best of institutions depend in a

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    480 Mr . Eaton ' s Account of the Rise and Progress of the Unitarian Fund .

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Aug. 2, 1825, page 480, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2539/page/26/