48 



MINISTRY AT STAND. [Chap. III. 



or action, with the most lovable countenance. . . . There 

 was such a Christian spirit running through it, and all his 

 arguments were founded on Christian principles; so that I 

 thought it quite irresistible. Several persons signed. . . . Mr. 

 Tayler quite approved of all his arguments, but thought, in 

 the circle in which he moved, there was no occasion for it. 

 Perhaps he does not think how many ministers, even in our 

 own body, have been ruined by drink, nor how many injure 

 themselves by what is called ' moderate drinking ! ' " 



Philip slept in Bury ; and the next morning had a long talk 

 with Mr. Barker, who dwelt on the evils of sectarianism, and 

 disapproved of the " Unitarian " name. " In doctrinal matters, 

 I fancy I should entirely agree with him. There are nearly 

 three hundred Christian congregations, most of them from 

 the ' New Connexion.' He does not care much for re- 

 ligious opinions ; ' Faith which worketh by love ' is his motto. 

 [In the afternoon, they called on some of the 6 Christians.'] 

 They began at once to talk religion (in our visits, Mr. Howorth 

 and I wasted so much time in winding round to religion) ; and 

 though the Methodistical way is rather strange to us till we 

 get used to it, yet we were much delighted to see such piety. 

 We then knelt down. The amens, etc., a little put me out 

 at first ; but after two days of it, I got so used to it that I 

 could hardly get on at chapel on Sunday without it — the 

 people seemed as though they weren't attending. We had a 

 glorious tea at Mr. Howorth's : Mr. R. (Independent), Mr. S. 

 (Methodist), Mr. P. (Ranter), Units, and Christians. They 

 all argued non-resistance a little, and then they got on the 

 Atonement. They all agreed that the effect was on man, not 

 on God; and said they thought this was the general belief. Is 

 not this cheering ? They made great apologies for introducing 

 the subject before us, and evidently thought we could not go 

 along with them, whereas we did all the way. How much harm 

 we do ourselves by saying that we deny the Atonement ! They 

 think we mean that we deny salvation by Christ. They were 

 just getting on the subject of moral evil, and Mr. R. had 

 broached the doctrine that God planned it in order to give 



