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    draw . Suppose Mr . Ferris should succeed in getting his' principles gradually introduced into the Synod till he had secured a majority , is he then to turn the corner and expel those men who had kindly and affectionately received him ? On the contrary , would not his individual success be an earnest where the

    testimony is increased , that the Synod would soon become an orthodox body In the Established Church , the members were not at liberty to agitate and divide , and hence an advancement of spiritual religion had taken place . This was a lesson to us—we had had experience of it—miracles had been wrought amongst us by the simple operation of

    advice and testimony . When he ( Mr . C . ) first came to the Synod , no man would have been mad enough to propose the expulsion of Arians . They had then a most decided influence ; but it was a cowardly resolution , the very moment we had secured a majority , that our consciences should begin to work , and that vrp should turn out the very men who brought us in . An attempt to purify a religious body by a general principle of

    separation has always failed , and it puts a damper on affectionate religion . Amongst ourselves it has had a deadening effect on it . , Look to the separation of the Antrim Presbytery . Did that extin ^ - guish Arianism ? But if we once adopt the principle of separation , do the gentlemen imagine it will stop there ? Would they not split among themselves ? and by their principles they would be bound to do so . With an Atheist he

    would hold communion in the promotion of a benevolent institution—with a Deist in the belief of a Supreme Being , and with an Allan in all things about which they were agreed . He would not apply to this body a principle which does

    not apply to the lay members of every congregation . On the principles of some members of this body , they ought to go to every member of their congregations , to scrutinize his opinions , and refuse to take stipend , and expel from them every individual who differed from them . If

    this be not likely to promote the good of congregations , is it likely to promote that of this body ? It will , however , be said , Let us do this first , but I ask , do you really contemplate the other ? ( Yes , yes , from one of the back seats ) Well ,

    I am glad to find men prepared to go such lengths . When the matter was brought to his own doors , I thought no man would answer Yes . He would propose the arrangements contemplated in the resolutions , in which , however , he did not put much trust . He hoped the

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    separation of the Synod would not be pressed ^—it was as co ntrary to the mind of the Spirit of God , as it was destructive to the interests of that body . Mr . Cooke rose to propose an amendment to the original motion . Before he proceeded to speak to the question , he begged to correct a mistake that had been made , he did not say intentionally ,

    in a public paper , regarding an expression used by hifn on an eaily day in the present meeting . He did not complain of this ; he merely wished to set himself right with the house . Indeed , he felt he had been subjected to the same kind of misrepresentations at the last meeting in Strabane . He would , however , before the separation of this

    Synod , expose those calumnies under which he had lain for twelve months . He preferred waiting till the present time to do this , rather than contradict them in another way . He had , in the report of some expressions which had fallen from him , on Tuesday last , whilst speaking on the subject of the clerkship , been made to say , " he declared before

    God . " Now , what would persons not present in this house , say , on reading this expression in the public newspapers ? What would the Quakers say , when they read of a member of this religious body swearing in such a profane manner ? He again repeated , he did not complain of it—but he wished to put himself right with the house ; *

    • The objectionable phrase was published in a report of Mr . Cooke ' s speech in The Northern Whig of Thursday , 26 th inst . Any candid person acquainted with the difficulty of taking down the exact words of a public speaker , in a crowded assembly , in the midst of a heated and hurried debate , would pardon the substitution of the expression , " declare before God , " for " solemnly declare "— which Mr . Cooke admits were the words

    he used . But without stopping to inquire into the metaphysical distinction between " solemnly declare" and " declaring before God , " we venture to aver , that Mr . Cooke used the very phrase put down by our reporter . In this assertion , our reporter is supported by the testimony of seveial persons who were in the house

    at the time when the speech supposed to contain the objectionable expression was delivered . Indeed , Mr . Cooke knows , or ought to know , that it is a phrase used by him in almost every address in which he rinds it necessary to pledge himself to the veracity of * what he is stating . The truth of this * assertion can be supported by any person who has ever

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    58 fc Intelligence *—Synod of Ulster ,

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Aug. 2, 1828, page 582, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2563/page/70/