Henry Cooke, D. D., and Arianism in the Irish Chruch [pp. 205-230]

1872.] AND ARIANISM IN THE IRISH CHURCH. 219
dared that in his opinion the College was not a suitable
place for the education of candidates for the ministry. The
professors aud their friends were dreadfully indigi~ant. Mr.
Cooke had expressly stated in his evidence that lie did not
charge the professors with intruding Arian doctrine directly
and openly in their ordinary prelections, but he pointed out
how it was insiduously introduced. He was accused of making the former statement, however, and his evidence was
characterized as "false and unfounded." Many of the orthodox ministers believed that he had gone too f~r in his assertions. The Arian party determined to make a fierce
attack upon him in the Synod, and counting on the support
of some leading men of the orthodox, they confidently anticipated the overthrow of his influence. The Synod met at
Coleraine in June, 1825. In accordance with the custom of
the Irish Presbyterian Church, Mr. Cooke, as outgoing Moderator, preached the opening discourse. His text was Rev.
iii. 1, 2: "Thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead;
be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are
ready to die." "Never before," says one who heard the sermon, "had words of such wondrous power and thrilling elo.
quence been heard from Moderator's lips." The errors of
Arianism were vigorously denounced, and its evil results forcibly delineated. The effect produced by the sermon was immense. At a later period in the Synod's proceedings Mr. Cooke
made a telling speech in his own defence, furnishing ample evidence in favor of every statement that he had made before the
Education Comm~ssion. The appeal for acquittal from the
charges made against him, with which his speech concluded,
was received with thunders of applause; and a resolution approving of his evidence was carried by an overwhelming majority, in spite of all the efforts of the Arian ministers. This
was the first time in which the united Arian phalanx had
been defeated in the Supreme Court of the Church, and no
wonder that the leaders looked at one another with blank
faces, when they found the man whom they had confidently
expected to crush, triumphant, and endeared more and more
to the hearts of the Presbyterian people of Ulster. From