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the liberty and happiness of man," "The
Unitarian Ministers of Lancashire and
Cheshire, and may they ever act up to
the sacred principles of Christian liberty
and equality;" "Mr. William Board-
man, of Swinton;""Mr. Cree, of Pres-
ton, and Mr. Knowles, of Park Lane;"
"The Memory of Priestley, Lindsey and
Wakefield;" and "The Chairman." The
meeting was addressed by Messrs. E.
Makin, R. Pilkington, F. Knowles, R.
Cree, W. Boardman, J. Brandreth, H.
Clarke, and the Chairman. In the course
of the afternoon, the Rev. William Allard,
of Bury, entered the room, thanked the
Chairman in the warmest terms in his
own name and that of the ministers, for
the sermon delivered that morning, and
expressed his hope and confident belief
that the price of the dinner-ticket would
for the future be fixed, so as to meet the
wishes of all. Mr. Harris replied in his
own name, and in behalf of the friends
who acted with him, that they deeply
regretted there should be any divisions,
that they rejoiced in the prospect that a
cordial union would be effected, and that
gladly would they present the right hand
of Christian fellowship to all their bre-
thren. Shortly after, the Rev. William
Hincks came to the meeting, and ad-
dressed the company in very eloquent
terms, on the disgrace to Christianity,
and the injury effected, and the absur-
dity and injustice implied in the prosecu-
tion of Unbelievers, and stated that he
held in his hand petitions prepared by
"the Unitarian Association," to be pre-
sented to the legislature, pointing out the
folly and reprobating the practice of such
prosecutions. Many persons attached
their signature to the petitions. On the
motion of the Rev. Robert Cree, seconded
by the Rev. Henry Clarke, it was unani-
mously resolved, to request Mr. Harris to
publish the sermon delivered by him that
morning. In compliance with this re-
quest, the sermon will be immediately
sent to press. About half past five the
meeting separated.

The dinner of the ministers and others was held at the Eagle and Child. About fifty gentlemen sat down to dinner, the Rev. John Yates in the Chair, and the Rev. William Allard, Vice-president. Christian Reflector.

sat down to an agreeable and homely repast, consisting of tea, salad, fruits of various kinds, lemonade, &c. and spent the evening in the highest state of enjoyment.-Monthly Mag.

Annual Association of Methodist
Unitarians.

On Friday, May 23d, was held at Oldham, the Annual Association of the Methodist Unitarians of Rossendale. The day was unusually wet, yet there was a good attendance. In the morning the Rev. G. Harris, of Bolton, delivered a most pathetically impressive discourse,

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on the Important Uses of Affliction, if accompanied by Genuine Religion, and correct and worthy Notions of the Deity." H. Clarke, of Haslingden, conducted the devotional part. After the service, a large party, male and female, sat down to an economical dinner at the Nelson's Ball Tavern. The cloth being drawn, Mr. Harris took the Chair, when reports of the state of the Societies in connexion were given. Mr. Wilkinson said the cause in Oldham was upon the whole improving. A good Sunday-School was connected with the chapel, and the debt had been somewhat lessened. He was of opinion, that could means be devised to enable a minister to reside in the town, the interests of the Society would be very materially promoted, and the cause much more rapidly advanced. Mr. Taylor stated that the cause in Rochdale was in as favourable a state as could be expected. Their Sunday School went on well. At Lanehead, a village two miles distant, they had about one hundred scholars, and they were about to build a school-room there, which was also to be used for religious worship. Mr. Ashworth reported that since last Association the chapel at Newchurch had been considerably enlarged, and yet it was as well filled as before. About three hundred children were educated in the Sunday-school, and every member of the congregation, male and female, that could possibly do so, assisted in the good work. Mr. Clarke stated, that the cause at Todmorden presented a very flattering appearance. The congregation had commenced building a chapel, 17 yards by 12 yards, which was estimated to cost about seven hundred

Meeting of Bible Christians at Sal- pounds, towards which they had raised

ford.

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among themselves four hundred. "It might be asked," said Mr. C., "why they build so large a chapel in so small a town, where, too, there are four or five other places of worship. To this I reply, that from past experience of, and observation upon the march of free inquiry, they have much reason to hope that at

no very distant period numbers will see the errors of Trinitarianism, and flock to the temple dedicated to the worship of the One God the Father, and they are anxious to be provided with room for their reception." Mr. Ashworth said the people at Padiham had at length ventured to erect a chapel, which was now nearly ready for opening. The prospect as to numbers was highly pleasing, yet they were all very poor people, and could do but little towards the expenses they had thus incurred. Individuals, in different parts of the kingdom, and Fellow ship Funds had already stepped handsomely forward to assist them. Still a considerable sum was yet wanted, and he hoped the Unitarian public would consider the case, and give it the necessary support. The meeting was also addressed by the Rev. R. Cree, of Preston, Mr. Duffield, of Manchester, and the Rev. G. Harris. In the evening, the Rev. R. Cree delivered a very interesting and apposite discourse on Mystery. Mr. Duffield conducted the devotional part. After which, the friends departed to their respective homes, carrying with them further motives for a patient continuance in well doing, and additional assurances that their labours shall not finally be in vain in the Lord.

Hanley Chapel.

H. C.

THE new Chapel for Unitarian worship is rapidly advancing. Dr. Carpenter, (who preached at Hanley on Thursday, the 3d of July,) requests us to state, that, in his judgment, the building of a chapel for this important and populous district, was become necessary for the progress of the Unitarian cause in it; and that all he heard and saw there leads him to regard it as a case highly deserving the countenance and support of the Unitarian public. Mr. Cooper, he adds, is pursuing his objects with temperate and judicious zeal; and he is setting on foot the plan of local preachers with great prospect of

success.

LITERARY.

IN the course of the month of August, it is expected that a number of Mr. WELLBELOVED'S Family Bible, containing the Book of Numbers, with the continuation of the Critical Notes, will be published.

A NEW edition is forthcoming of Mrs. Hannah Adams's "Dictionary of all Religions." This lady is an American. Her work was republished here, we believe, with a view to check the spread and to lessen the influence of Dr. Evans's

Sketch of the Denominations, and to this end there was prefixed to the "Dictionary" an "Essay on Truth," by the late Andrew Fuller, designed to guard Christians against excess in charity. It is curious, however, that Mrs. Adams's name can no longer be announced with satisfaction by the Pseudo-orthodox, her conversion to Unitarianism being publicly declared in a late American periodical work. There is not much, it is said, that liberality will require the authoress to correct in her account of the sects; some alterations she will probably make in another American edition, and we shall see whether the "Evangelical" editors and publishers of England will adopt her improvements, or even continue her name in the title-page.

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Christians' Petition against the Prosecution of Unbelievers.—This petition (inserted pp. 362-364) was presented to the House of Commons by Mr. Hume on the 1st instant, and followed by a motion on the subject. The motion was of course lost, but the petition is on the Journals, and the object of the petitioners is gained in entering their protest against promoting or avenging Christianity by civil penalties. The debate was intended to be given in the present Number, but want of room compels us to defer it to the next: it will be read with deep interest by such as consider Christianity equal to its own support and defence. Amongst the subscribers of the petition was the learned and venerable Dr. SAMUEL PARR, but unfortunately the sheets containing his name were not returned in time to be attached to the petitions.

Secesion from the Church of Scotland. -ON Tuesday, June 17, the Presbytery of Stirling met for the purpose of receiving the resignation of the Rev. WILLIAM SHIRREFF, minister of the parish of St. Ninians, who had signified that he could no longer conscientiously continue the minister of a national and political church. His resignation was worded as follows:"To the Moderator, and other members of the Reverend the Presbytery of Stirling. Gentlemen, In the religious communion, especially when established by civil laws, of Papists, Prelatists, Presbyterians and Pædobaptists, the word of God, in fact, is not and cannot be used as the rule and only rule, to a greater or less extent, of the materials, constitution, government, discipline, doctrine, worship and obedience of the churches of Christ. Wherefore, and for other like causes, I do hereby resign my clerical charge of the parish of St. Ninians. Your acceptance of this my resignation, will oblige, Gentlemen, yours sincerely, WILLIAM SHIRREFF. Stirling, 17th June, 1823." Such a secession on the part of a gentleman that has been for thirty years a pastor in the Scottish Church, and highly esteemed by his brethren, and in no small reputation with the people as a preacher, could not fail to excite deep interest.

The acceptance of the resignation was eagerly debated by the Presbytery, all of

whom concurred in paying respect to Mr. Shirreff's character and talents, and it was finally voted that it should lie on the table till the next meeting.

LEGAL.

Literary Property.-In the Court of Chancery, July 22, Murray v. Dugdale, Mr. Shadwell moved for an injunction to restrain the Defendant from invading the copy-right of a poem entitled Beppo, the work of Lord Byron. The Lord Chancellor asked if there was any thing obnoxious in the book: upon Mr. Shadwell's saying there was not; his Lordship said, that if he did grant an injunction, it must be upon the supposition that there was nothing in the work of an objectionable nature. There had been a great many remarks made upon the line of conduct he had pursused with respect to questions of this nature. He was old enough to remember the refusal of the Courts to protect Dr. Priestley from the destruction of some literary property, which consisted of works proved before the Court to be of an objectionable kind. The rule laid down at that time was, that the law could give no protection to works written against the morals and religion of the country. He had then the honour to and eminent professors of the law, all of enjoy the intimacy of many dignitaries whom concurred in opinion as to the propriety of the judgment, that in the case of a work, for pirating which the lower courts would give no damages, this court would not allow it protection. He was aware of the objections taken on the other side, that the refusal of the injunc tion was the most effectual way of disseminating the work itself; but it must criminal jurisdiction in cases of this nature, and that if the work were really criminal, the publication of it could not be stopped here, but it must be done in not conceive it to be his duty to alter the another way. In the next place, he did law, where it had been settled without question for a considerable time past. That was an opinion which he could not consent to abandon till the Legislature Mr. Shadwell here stated again that there should think fit to alter the law itself.was nothing in the book of a nature which from being extended to it; aud the Lord could prevent the protection of the court Chancellor said, on that supposition he would allow the injunction, and he or dered that it should be served immediately.

be remembered that the court had no

PARLIAMENTARY.

Petition of some of the Clergy of the Diocese of Norwich in favour of the Catholic Claims, presented to the House of Commons by Mr. Coke, containing 55 signatures.

The Petition of the undersigned Clergy of the Diocese of Norwich, Ministers of the Established Church, HUMBLY SHEweth,

That we whose names are hereunto subscribed, beg leave humbly to approach your Honourable House on behalf of that very numerous body of our fellow-subjects and fellow-christians, who, though professing in common with us every fundamental article of religious faith, and acknowledging every principle of moral obligation, we yet see with compassion and regret excluded from a very important share of civil rights and privileges, on the ground of certain speculative opinions and an adherence to the spiritual authority of the see of Rome.

That without here entering into any of those political considerations which might be deemed to be less belonging to our province as clergymen, or questioning either the expediency or necessity which originally dictated the severe enactments by which such exclusion is enforced, your petitioners beg to express their unmixed satisfaction at the growing opinion, that neither the same expediency nor necessity exists at the present day for their continuance, and to record upon the following grounds their own sentiments in favour of their immediate removal.

1. That the gospel which they are ordained to preach recognizes no civil disqualifications on account of difference in religious opinions amongst Christians, but may, on the contrary, be considered in several passages strongly and pointedly to dissuade them.

2. That as the reformed churches in general, and especially the Church of England, have always rested the defence of their own separation upon the sacredness of the rights of conscience, it does not appear to your petitioners to be consistent to imitate in practice what they condemn in principle, or to visit with penalties upon others what they claim as matters of unquestionable justice for themselves.

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4. That to a free circulation of the

Scriptures, to the benefits of general education, and to their own individual exertions in their sacred calling, your petitioners look as the best means, under the blessing of God, for guarding the interest of that pure part of the Church of Christ, at whose altars they minister, and doubt not that the same intrinsic excellencies which have procured for her the attachment of the wise and good for so many generations, and carried her in triumph through so many storms, will be still more able in an age of superior light and more extended information to perpetuate her prosperity and protect her welfare.

5. Impressed with these convictions, and auxious that the last footsteps of intolerance should be shewn not to be those stamped upon the soil of our country by the ministers of its religion, your petitioners have thus ventured to implore your Honourable House not to stop short in that work of justice and mercy which has of late years been so auspiciously begun, which, as far as you have pursued it, has produced no evil, but much acknowledged good, and not one step of which they believe, even those who have so constantly opposed it, would now wish you to retrace.

6. To these sentiments and prayers, founded as your petitioners conceive in reason, sanctioned by religion and confirmed by experience, they humbly beg your Honourable House to give your solemn and mature consideration.

And your Petitioners will ever pray, &c.

Churches in Ireland.

JULY 15.

On the motion for the third reading of the Irish Churches' Bill,

The Earl of LIVERPOOL addressed their

Lordships in support of the measure, observing, at the same time, that he did not mean on this occasion, to go into any churches in Ireland. This was a meastatement of the general condition of sure of relief; and their Lordships would observe the beneficial effect of the latter

3. That your petitioners feel fully convinced, that the penalties and restrictions portion of the Bill; which was to reduce, enforced upon their Catholic fellow-sub-in future, the parochial rates necessary jects are so far from promoting the cause of Christian unanimity, or adding to the strength and security of the established religion of these realms, that their effect has been and will be, if continued, to

fices, from 67. to 47. per cent.—an alterafor the purposes of repairing these edition of the existing law which could not fail to prove a great relief to parishes.

Lord HOLLAND protested that this was

the most extraordinary bill in its shape, the most extraordinary in its history, and, as he thought he should be able to shew their Lordships, the most extraordinary in its provisions that they had ever seen. But neither its shape, nor history, nor provisions were more extraordinary than its title. The Noble Earl was pleased to call this a bill of relief; but if their Lordships should be satisfied, (as he (Lord Holland) hoped to satisfy them,) that this bill of relief was intended to make a considerable number of Roman Catholic subjects pay for that which at present they were not called on by law to contribute for, the House would, perhaps, demonstrate its disinclination to countenance such a remedial measure, After all that they had heard about the state of the Protestant Church in Ireland, and the comparative numbers of Protestants and Roman Catholics in that country, he could not help thinking that it was the most whimsical plan of relief he ever heard of, to require the Roman Catholic majority to pay for the churches of the small Protestant community. For aught he knew, the measure might have some foundation in justice, or expediency, or propriety: but to use a vulgar, and he believed unjust imputation, to illustrate what he meant, the way of laying it was certainly very Irish. (A laugh.) Now it was a maxim among their Lordships, that when a bill came before them with a great variety of preambles, it presented itself in a very suspicious shape. During the period in which he had sat in that House, he had seen some bills with two, three, and even as many as four preambles; but how many, in the name of wonder, did their Lordships suppose that this Bill boasted! Absolutely, no less than eight. (A laugh.) Well, this great non-descript reptile with its eight legs, having crawled on as far as a third reading in that House, was just upon the point of flying out into an Act of Parliament, when the Noble Marquis, (of Lansdown,) who was somewhat of a natural philosopher in the history of these reptiles, (laughter,) detected and prevented it. Yet even on that occasion, did any one of their Lordships know what matter this Bill contained? No, he doubted whether the Noble Earl himself was aware of its provisions, relating as they were to the greatest, the most delicate and the most ticklish principles of legisla tion on the most delicate and most ticklish subjects known to our constitution. (Hear.) Of these eight Acts of Parliament-for such, in effect, the various clauses were he (Lord Holland) would briefly as possible state the nature and seeing that here were eight preambles, he

thought their Lordships would not refuse to indulge him with eight sentences about them. (4 laugh.) One of these had, indeed, the beneficial operation of reducing the parochial rate from 61. to 47. per cent.; but this pleasing draught was mixed up with some bitter ingredients indeed. The first thing which the Bill proposed to do, for example, was to take away the power of relief and forbearance, which, under the present law, it was in the breast of the Irish judges to exercise; for here it was expressly stated "that justices should not forbear to give judgment in cases where parties might have been proceeded against for non-payment of rates, unless such parties should have previously gone into the Ecclesiastical Courts." This was effectually to do away with any power of affording relief to them. The next part of the Bill related to the giving notices in Church. The Noble Earl had said, it had been found that notices given in the parish churches in Ireland were as good as no notices at all. (A laugh.) And why so? Why, their Lordships should be told-it was because there were no Protestants in those churches to hear the notices. A Noble Friend of his (Lord Holland's) had just put into his hand a letter, which was received by a clergyman in the south of Ireland, and might serve to shew what was the proportion in that part of the country of Protestants; and as his Noble Friend (the Duke of Leinster) permitted him, he would read it to the House." Dear Sir, she is unwell; therefore you need not come to-day." Now, who was intended, could their Lordships possibly imagine, by "she"? The ancient "Mother Church"? (4 laugh.) No, but the mother of the sexton. (Laughter.) So that their Lordships would conclude from this, that the sexton was the only person who usually represented this congregation. There was another circumstance about the bill which appeared very whimsical, and calculated to generate a good deal of suspicion. Whoever, by the bye, had drawn out this bill, knew very well what he was about; and carelessness or oversight was the last thing in the world that he (Lord Holland) would impute to him. As far as he could understand it, there was a vast deal more meant than met the eye or car. It provided that all persons paying rates of the nature therein described, and to which a former clause had subjected Roman Catholics, should be admitted to vote in vestry, and to all the rights consequent to the payment of such rates. But then followed the act of relief, as the Noble Earl had ventured to call it, in the next clause, providing and declaring that no

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