Henry Montgomery

Henry Montgomery (16 January 1788 – 18 December 1865) was an Irish Presbyterian minister.

Biography Montgomery was the founder of the remonstrant synod of Ulster. His father had held a commission in the Irish Volunteers of 1778 and was usually styled lieutenant. His mother was Sarah, daughter of William Campbell of Killeally, in the same parish. His brothers, William and John, being 'United Irishmen,' were engaged in the battle of Antrim, 7 June 1798. On 9 June a body of yeomanry, in search of the fugitives, plundered and burned his father's house.

Henry received his schooling in 1799 from Alexander Greer, at Lyle Hill, Co. Antrim, and in 1802 from Nathaniel Alexander (d. 7 April 1837), Presbyterian minister of Crumlin, Co. Antrim. In November 1804 he entered Glasgow College as a student for the ministry. He graduated M.A. in 1807, and after acting for a few months as a tutor in the family of Thomas. Stewart of Seapark, Carrickfergus, returned to Glasgow for a year's study of divinity.

Clerical career He preached his first sermon at Killead on 8 January 1809, and on 5 February he was licensed by Templepatrick presbytery. In May he preached as candidate at Donegore, Co. Antrim, but was rejected for his refusal to subscribe to the Westminster confession. His life-long antagonist, Henry Cooke, D.D., was ultimately the successful candidate. On 11 June he preached for the first time at Dunmurry, Co. Antrim, within four miles of Belfast. On 9 July he received a call to the church in Dunmurry and he received a call on 9 July and was ordained by Bangor presbytery on 24 September as successor to Andrew George Malcom, D.D. At this ceremony he did not subscribe to the Westminster confession.

Subscribing and non-subscribing controversy

Since 1783, owing to the action of William Campbell, D.D., subscription had ceased to be in full force. Ministers no longer had to swear their agreement to the Westminster Confession of Faith. Ten of the fourteen presbyteries composing the synod treated subscription as optional. The result was a considerable amount of undemonstrative heterodoxy. A code of discipline, which had been contemplated since 1810, was adopted by the general synod at Moneymore, co. Londonderry, in 1824. It provided that presbyteries should ascertain 'soundness in the faith,' either by subscription or by examination. This compromise, suggested by Samuel Hanna, D.D., was accepted by all parties. But Cooke persistently sought to render the discipline more stringent. To defeat Cooke's policy was the object to which Montgomery devoted the marvellous resources of his commanding eloquence.

At Strabane in 1827 Cooke carried a proposal that members of the synod should declare whether or not they believed the doctrine of the Trinity. Only two voted 'Not.' Montgomery, who proclaimed himself an Arian, withdrew with others before the roll-call. His speech on this occasion, in favour of religious liberty, made a deep impression; it was circulated over Ireland, and a service of plate was presented to him (18 June 1828) by members of various denominations, including Roman Catholics. He had advocated Catholic emancipation since 1813.

At Cookstown in 1828 James Morell, minister of Ballybay, Co. Monaghan carried a resolution for the appointment of a committee for the theological examination of all candidates for the ministry. This was meant to defeat the action of liberal presbyteries, and cut off the supply of Arian clergy. On 16 October 1828, Montgomery and his friends adopted a 'remonstrance' at a Presbyterian meeting in Belfast, attended by Cooke. The last of Montgomery's speeches in the general synod was delivered at Lurgan on 3 July 1829. The remonstrance was presented at a special meeting of synod, held at Cookstown on 18 August, and terms of separation were arranged at a conference on 8 September. The first meeting of the remonstrant synod was held on 25 May 1830; it consisted of three presbyteries containing seventeen congregations; it retained the 1824 code of discipline, and its ministers were secured in the possession of the regium donum financial grant.

Activism

Montgomery had visited the English Unitarians and advocated Catholic emancipation at public dinners in Manchester (December 1828) and London (January 1829). On his return, he spoke in the same strain from the altar of St. Patrick's, Belfast, at a meeting (27 January 1829) presided over by William Crolly, D.D., then Roman Catholic bishop of Down and Connor. To O'Connell's agitation for repeal of the union he was strongly opposed. The office was without salary, till in 1847 the government endowed the chair with 150l. per annum out of regium donum. Many of the students became ministers to the English Unitarians. A controversy on the efficiency of the system of ministerial training arose in 1847. Montgomery founded in his synod in 1857 a revised code of discipline, which restricted the wide range already given to presbyteries in the matter of ministerial examination; but the new questions were withdrawn in 1863 in consequence of a legal decision in the Ballyclare case.

Death and funeral

Montgomery, who had suffered from calculus, died at the Glebe, Dunmurry, on 18 December 1865, and was buried in the ground attached to his meeting-house on 20 December. His funeral was attended by all ranks and classes, including his old opponent Cooke, with whom in later years he had been on terms of friendship, and the Bishop of Down, Connor, and Dromore. The funeral sermon was preached (24 December) by Charles James McAlester (1810–1891) of Holywood, Co. Down.

Family Montgomery married, on 6 April 1812, Elizabeth Swan (d. 16 Jan. 1872, aged 78) of Antrim; they had ten children, of whom five died young.