d to investigation. I was
wishful to ascertain whether those doctrines which were assailed as
irrational, were parts of Christianity or not. I began to converse on
the subject with one of my religious companions, and I began to read on
the subject as I had opportunity. My companion was rather troubled and
alarmed at the doubts I expressed with respect to the correctness of
some of the common doctrines of what was considered orthodoxy; still,
what I had said had some influence on his mind, for he told me shortly
after, that he wished he had never heard my doubts, for what I had said
had spoiled some of his best sermons; he would never be able to preach
them with comfort more.... During my residence in that [Newcastle]
circuit, my views on many subjects became anti-Methodistical to a very
great extent indeed. I now no longer held the prevailing views with
respect to the nature of justifying faith, the witness of the Spirit,
regeneration, sanctification, and the like. In reading Wesley's works,
I was astonished at the great number of unmeaning and inconsistent
passages which I met with. In many of his views I perfectly agreed with
him? but with a vast amount of what he said on other subjects, I could
not help but disagree.... About this time, finding that there was little
likelihood that I should be tolerated in the New Connexion unless I
could allow my mind to be enslaved, and feeling that I should be obliged
sooner or later to break loose from Methodistical restraint, and speak
and act with freedom, I thought of visiting Mr. Turner, the Unitarian
minister of Newcastle, and seeking an interview with him. I had
heard something to the effect that Unitarians were great lovers of
freedom--that they did not bind their ministers and members by any human
creeds, but left them at liberty to investigate the whole system of
Christianity thoroughly, and to judge as to what were its doctrines
and duties for themselves, and to preach what they believe to be true
without restraint and persecution, and I thought if this was the case,
they must be a very happy people. But from other things which I had
heard respecting them, I was led to regard them with something
of horror--to look, on them as persons who trifled with Scripture
authority, as persons who had rushed from the extremes of false
orthodoxy into the extremes of Infidelity. I was in consequence
prevented from visiting Mr. Turner, and I remained in comparative
ignorance of the Uni