A brief-State of the Case of our Brethren
in Nottingham.
HPHIS Society had a convenient Chapel, two Dwelling-hbiifes for their Preachers and
'x their Families, with a Stable and other Offices, all upon the fame Truft Premifes.
By fundry Subfcriptions, Donations, and Collections made by order of the Conference, in
many of the principal Societies in the Connexion, together with the Surplus arifing from
the Seat-Rents and other Contributions of the Society, the Debt was reduced to about
Fifteen Hundred Pounds on the whole of the above Freehold Eftate, and fettled upon the
Truftees for the mutual Benefit of the People and Preachers.
But this Debt was no Burden to any, or the Community, as Five Hundred Pounds
Were on a Mortgage, and the Reft was on Bonds given by fome of the Truftees, and feveral
Members of the Society, who ftill remain with the Conference ; and the Income was fuch
as fully provided for all Demands, and allowed a Surplus annually, towards reducing the
Principal. Thefe were their Circumftances till the Conference in 1797, when one of the
Trufcees returning,from Leeds, united with Others, took the Advantage of the Preachers
abfence, and called a Meeting of the Society: Amongft fundry other Things, he told
them, that the Preachers were divided, and that twenty of them had adiualfy left the
Conference by that Time, and feparated from the Connexion, affigning Reafons why
they fhould do the fame ; and in order to prevail on them fo to do,, allured them, that he
was fully perfuaded, that before the Letter he intended to fend off" that Night to Leeds,
with the Refult of that Meeting, could arrive there, he fhould not wonder if^hMv, forty,
fifty, yea an hundred, had left the Conference ; and thus prevailed on manwsiaNfeparate
with him and the other Truftees who joined him herein, and in fending a- Ksjplh^an to
the Conference, that they would not receive any Preachers fent by them into trnt^Cnapel ;
although their Deed of Truft required them to receive none elfe. Thus waO^e Society
nearly equally divided, and thofe who adhered to the Conference deprived of airtheii" Right
in that Chapel. And when the Preachers appointed by Conference arrived, theSi received
Papers forbidding them the Ufe of that Chapel and Pulpit ; both which were guarded, fo
that they could not enter them.
Some of thofe who fo oppofed were Truftees for feveral other Chapels in tl^e\ Circuit.
Here they exerted all their Influence to get the Truftees for them to ad! the fambTPart;
and did fo far prevail as to take other four in the fame Manner : But not the People; for
very few of thofe in the Circuit left the Conference, to join them. K
Meantime, that Part of the Society in Nottingham ; (between two and three Jritandred,)
which continued with the Conference, had no Place to meet in, and at that limfe could
get none ; and being averfe to Strife and Contention, determined not to uf<\ ffiry'violent
Meafures to refume their own. They applied to fundry other DenominationskV/ho very
kindly gave them the Ufe of their Pulpits, when they were not uftng them, which \
Favour they feel themfelves greatly indebted to fuch Minifters and their Congregations. V
In addition to this, and as far as in their Power to accommodate the CongiXatfon who N
flill attended upon thofe Preachers fent by the Conference, which was very gpnfiderable, ;
they rented and fitted up for a Time the only roomy Place they could find, for to preach
in on Sunday Forenoons, and at fuch other Times as they-could not be favoured with the ^
Ufe of the above Chapels, ftill hoping in a little Time that the Breach wouM/ne healed,
as they had no other Willi than to know what was right that they might dqfin
This was fully evidenced by the Propofal fent to thofe who had adled as above, from
the Diflri& Meeting held in September*, to conftder of the Cafe.,.and advife what was beft
to be done in it, viz. That, the whole Matter fhould be referred .to Equity," by uniting to
prefer what is called a Friendly Bill in Chancery, and leave the Matter wholly to the Lord
Chancellor's Determination. And that no Advantage fhould be taken by a fudden Step,
. it wasalfo propofed, to allow till the 24th qf October, to confider of this Mode of fettling
the Whole. This Time was accepted for Confederation. During which Time the
Truftees had the fcie Ufe of the Chapel; and the Preachers fent by the Conference the
Ufe of the Bwelling-houfes apd Stable.
On the 24th of Odtober, the Propofal for the above Reference was rejected, as well as
fundry others made on that and feme following Days. The laft of thefe was a Propofal
-to give or take Three Hundred Pounds, and make a full End of the Matter, and be at
Peace one with the other. But after we had been informed by fome of the principal
Terfons concerned, that this would be acceded to in a fhart Time, as fome were gone 011
a Journey
)
i > :
a Journey who were to be confulted ; this was alfo reje&ed, and Things left as in Sep¬
tember, viz. They in the full Pofleflion of the Chapel, and the Preachers of the Dwelling-
Houfes. But they were fhortly inforj|kd. that Mr. K. had the Mortgage on the
Chapel transferred to him, and thaLrapy muft quit the Houfes, or be ejected by him.
Finding Matters ftood thus, they left thaJ^as foon as they could fuit themfelves.
As the Preachers have regularly fupplied the Circuit from the Time of the Conference,
fo they have ufed the above Chapels and the rented Room. In both which God has
abundantly Succeeded their Labours, to the great Increafe of the Society in Town and
Country j having begun and deepened his Work in many. This rendered a Chapel fo
much the more neceflary in Nottingham, and engaged the Brethren to look out for
Ground to build upon, which they found very difficult to procure in a fuitable Part of the
Town. But herein alfo Providence has favoured them with a Situation, where they are
budding a Chapel to contain fuch a Congregation as they may reafonably expedt, from the
Manner wherein they have been attended, while favoured with the Ufe of that large and
commodious Chapel in the. High Pavement; which has been commonly well Ailed on a
Sunday Evening, which it is fuppofed would hold from Fifteen Hundred to Two Thoufana
People when crowded, as it at Times has been. It is true, the Suitablenefs of the
Situation led our Friends to go farther than it might have been prudent for fuch a Society
as ours commonly are, in the Purchafe, efpecially had they had Choice of Places, but as
they had not, they were obliged to lay more Money out on the firft Purchafe. But as the
Motive was good, fo is the Caufe that prompted them fo to proceed.
The Expence of this Undertaking will be very confiderable, fuch as the Nottingham
Society itfelf. cannot bear ; but they hay^exertedMiemfelves to the utmoft of their Power :
An^b^Preaehers-affembled in Confarer^eJ^^^fo,doat what they could to aflift them.
throughout tile Connection, htd pot nearly fimilar, required Allmance
alfo, viz. that of HuddersfiefbT" But as they could only allow one ColleCtjhn of this
Kind, it was agreed that the Friends of the feveral Places fliould collect through the
Kingdom, and that the Money received ihoujd di^idcd-Uetwecn..the,twa Places : Two-
thirds to Nottingham, and the other third !
we
Now, dear Brethren, knowing yoflr Rcaclinefs to flqwt-t mc
need fay no more of a Cafe which fo loudly fpeaks £or itfelf, or ca^/upon you to exert
yourfelves to the uttermoff, as you love the Intefeft of Christ, and have been long
engaged in its Support. To him we commend you, who hath faid, " What you do to
one of the leafl of my Brethren, you do unto me :" And he will not fail to reward it in
the Day when he will make up his Jewels.
We remain your affectionate Brethren,
A. MATHER, .
J. PAWSON,
C. ATMORE,
T. RANKIN,
GEORGE WHITFIELD,
JOHN AIKENHEAD,
PETER HASLAM,
GEORGE STORY.
i.
The Cafe of Huddersfielo Is Amply this : The Chapel there was built by the
voluntary Subfcriptions of our Friends in different Circuits, for the very fame Purpofes for
' which all our Chapels are built, and fettled upon the fame Plan ; but the Truft Deed
not being enrolled in Chancery, which at that Time we did not know to be Neceflary,
the Truftees have procured a new Deed to be made, with fuch Truff Powers as they
thought proper. In confequence of this, they turned the Preachers fent by the Conference
out of the Chapel and Dwelling-houfe, and all the People who ftill adhered to them.
This being the Cafe, our Friends were in the greateff diflrefs ; however, they procured
a Warehoufe for public Preaching for the prefent; and are now building a large
commodious Chapel, well fituated, which will of Courfe coff a very confiderable Sum of
Money. Our Friends throughout the Circuit have done all in their Power, and now
humbly requefl the Afliftance of their Brethren, which they doubt not will be readily
granted.