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    No . II . < f Watchman , what of the night ? Watchman , what of the nrght ? The Watchr man said , The morning cometh , and also the ui ^ ht . " Isaiah xxi . 11 , 12 . Some half dozen years since , a gentleman , not verv distantly related to

    the writer of the Watchman , heing then a student for the ministry , was on a visit in Devonshire to an uncle . At the request of his relative , who was a liberal Calvinist , he agreed to preach in a village near the town where his uncle resided . The use of the pulpit was readily granted to the nephew of Mr . A ., and the day being arrived , the young minister proceeded to fulfil the wishes of his relative . He left early in the day , and his uncle was to meet him at the chapel . Arrived in the village , he was treated with the

    greatest kindness and hospitality . At last , seated at the tea-table , his host , a respectable farmer , with somewhat of the Puritan in his appearance and manner , thus addressed him , of a sudden interrupting the conversation that was going on : " Well , preaching time is near ; but you have not told us what you are ; but suppose it is all right , as your uncle sent you . Are ye of the Church ? Minister . No . Host . All the better ; then ye ' re a Dissenter ? Mm Yes . H . Well ; are ye a dipper ? M . No . // . Are ve a

    free-wilier ? M . No . H . Are ye a Calvin ? M . No . H . Well , what then ? Why , " suddenly bethinking himself , " ye ar ' n ' t a Socinian , are ye ? " M . "lama Unitarian . " " A Socinian ! " exclaimed his daughter , a fine stout country girl that sat in a distant part of the room , listening to the dialogue with deep attention— " A Socinian ! How can ye preach , then , and ye deny Christ ? O I'll go and tell them there'll be no preaching to night . " And away went the alarmist to frighten the poor villagers with the idea of this Socinian preacher . Such a thing had never been seen in the village before . In a quarter of an hour all was in a bustle . The host had enough to do to keep people out of the house . At length the minister of the chapel arrived . When he saw him , the young minister felt his spirits rise , for his appearance of body and countenance indicated that no superabundance of sectarianism disturbed the easy tenor of his days . " He was

    glad to see his young friend ; he had no doubt his young friend could preach without giving offence . He had a great respect for his uncle ; his orthodoxy was unquestionable , and he would not have requested the use of the pulpit except he had known that all would be right . " While the minister thus spoke , in came the daughter . " He cannot preach , he ' s a Socinian . He cannot preach , every body sa y s so , " she exclaimed . The minister retired with mine host into a private room . Meanwhile , the milk of human kindness which had an hour before abounded in all hearts , was curdled and

    soured . When the minister and his friend returned , they said , " It was a pity the people had been alarmed , but as it was so , it would be better to have a prayer-meeting . In that the young gentleman could join or not as he chose . " This was determined on ; though the daughter intimated by her looks that she doubted if a Socinian could pray , as she knew he could not preach . As they went to the meeting-house , crowds came to gaze , looking with curiosity what this Socinian could be like ; but few were present at the

    service , fearing , perhaps , too near an approach to so frightful a heretic . Of a | l persons interested , the uncle was most disappointed , who had meant to give these ignorant rustics a practical lesson on trie virtue of charity , intend-

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    THE WATCHMAN .

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), April 2, 1829, page 261, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2571/page/37/