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    and to the societies of Tisbury and Pailton he gave but due acknowledgment , when be staled that , in proportion to their circumstances , their exertions had bee a great .

    As he adverted to the general aspect of the times , he reviewed the statement he bad made . He had never forgotten , and be could not forget the malevolent conduct which many clergytnea during the last year had displayed , although he did not wish improperly to depreciate a church , to which Tillotson and Hoadly and Wat . son had belonged , and which a Bathurst continued to adorn . He did not desire to

    exasperate nor to offend . True religious liberty must resist even to death the slightest infraction of the rights of conscience , but it felt no interested motive—sought no wealth—desired no power , and with indifference 1 and not with jealousy , could gaze on the lordly titles , the palaces , and the revenues of the Established Church .

    But he must caution and explain . Every circumstance appeared to him to justify suspicion , and to require activity and care . The annual votes of parliament to increase the livings of the church—the various "bills connected with that

    establishmentthe / language used in parliament by their supporters—the vote of one million towards new churches , only introductory to farther and more ample grants— -the eager institution of national schools , specious in name ,

    but in principle oppressive— -were to him a dark and portentous cloud arising in the horizon , and induced him to anticipate a tempest , against which wisdom should provide .

    He concluded a speech continued nearly two hours and perpetually interrupted by applauses , which we have but imperfectly reported , which , by its powerful eloquence , appeared to electrify both the Royal Chairman and the whole company , and which will , we doubt not , induce all Dissenting and Methodist congregations to contribute liberally to the funds of the Society .

    On the conclusion of this address , the Royal Chairman invited the gentlemen present to propose any resolutions which they desired that the meeting should adopt ; but he would venture to suggest , that their observations should be few , as they must

    perceive with him , that no remarks could increase , and that most remarks must diminish , the effect which the admirable speech , by which they had been informed and delighted , could not have failed to produce .

    TJic following resolutions were then successively proposed , and unanimously adapted : . 1 . That this meeti ng , including memb « rs of the E « tablifehed Church , Diasenteis and M ^ thfxliftU , mindful of the past and valuable labour * of fchw Society , cannot but re-

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    gret that in this country , and at this period , during the last year , so many circumstances , aod especially the continued violations of the rights of Dissenters , as to the burial of the dead—as to their exemption from tolls—as to the freedom of their

    meetinghouses , when unproductive of profity from rates for the poor—as to the registration of their places of religious worship—and at to tpeir meetings for such worship , unmolested by disturbances and outragehave so repeatedly demonstrated its utility by demanding its interposition .

    £ . That the attention of the { Society to legislative proceedings in parliament appears to this meeting peculiarly important , and that they rejoice that by their interference a provision has been inserted in the new Act for the amendment of the laws

    for the relief of the poor * - —that the children of the poor who are compelled to solicit parochial assistance , are " to be at liberty , without impediment , to attend divine worship on Sundays with their parents or relations , and shall not therefore be made unwilling proselytes to the establish *

    ed church : And they especially rejoice at such interference as they learn that , by the prohibition of the attendance of Dissenters and Methodists , when compelled by unmerited misfortune to inhabit workhouses , at those places of worship which they prefer , even parochial relief has been perverted to an instrument of persecution .

    3 . That the regard manifested by the Society to the interest of a Dissenting academy in Yorkshire receives from this meeting a cordial approval , and that they invite their Committee not to relax their exertions , to procure for those useful institutions relief from all avoidable

    taxation-4 . That the liberality of this Society , in conferring its assistance on persons *> f every denomination , and even on those resident in Scotland , enhances its excel * lence in the estimation of this meeting , and entitles it to proportionate and universal support .

    5 . That such support this meeting would additionally recommend and in treat , as , without affecting to entertain needless alarms , or excite among their friends uniisual apprehension , they conceive that the appearances of affairs , and various

    measures recently adopted , require that all the real friends to religious freedom should be vigilant and firm , and should concentrate their energies in an institution which may give to those energies importance and effect .

    6 . That this meeting learn with satisfaction , that some county association * have publicly expressed their attachment to thi * Society , find would * anxiowsly exhort every county association ^ of all denominational to urge their members to remit an annual contribution , and ! to preserve among their

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    Intelligence . —Protestant Society for the Protection of Religious Liberty . 459

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1818, page 459, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2478/page/51/