Intelligence.-Manchester College, York. ting the example, through the whole of that uniform propriety of conduct, and of all those virtues which ought to characterize her sex, which form the charın and happiness of domestic life, 557 and which in her united gracefully with that superiority of talent and knowledge that commanded the admiration of the public.-Monthly Magazine. INTELLIGENCE. DOMESTIC. Manchester College, York. THE REV. WILLIAM SHEPHERD, of Gateacre, has offered a prize of five guineas for the best classical scholar in this Institution, in the ensuing session. The merits of the candidates to be decided on at the examination at the close of the session. Manchester, August 21, 1816. The following sums have been received on Rev. Israel Worsley, Plymouth Mr. T. Holt, Liverpool, An. 11 10 7 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 10 2 2 1 1 09060 The Deputy Treasurers for the past year were re-elected, with the addition of Mr. Robert Philips, Jun. of Manchester, and Mr. Cyrus Armitage, of Duckinfield. Mr. Thomas Henry Robinson and the Rev. John Gooch Robberds, of Manchester, were re-appointed Secretaries. The thanks of the Meeting were voted to the President, Vice-Presidents, and other Officers of the College, for their services during the past year. The Report made of the state of the Funds was encouraging and satisfactory. The Trustees have been enabled to discharge the debt that was owing to the Treasurer at the commencement of the year; to appropriate 400l. to the farther liquidation of the debt on the York Buildings, and to make a small addition to the Permanent Fund: The means of accomplishing these desirable objects have been principally af forded by the receipt of several considerable benefactions, and of a legacy of 2001. o bequeathed to the College by the late Swann Downer, Esq. of London. The Trustees have likewise made arrangements for the admission of twelve Divinity Students on the foundation next session, and for an addition to the emoluments of the Tutors. 1 The thirtieth Annual Meeting of Trustees of Manchester College, York, was held at Cross Street Chapel Rooms, in Manchester, on Friday August 30, 1816, Abraham Crompton, of Lune Villa, near Lancaster, Esq. in the chair. The proceedings of the Committee daring the past year were read over, and confirmed, and the Treasurer's Accounts were laid before the Meeting, approved of, and passed. Benjamin Gaskell, Esq. M. P. of Thorns House, Yorkshire, was re-elected President, and James Touchet, Esq. of Manchester, Joseph Strutt, Esq. of Derby, Peter Martineau, Esq. of Canonbury, and Daniel Gaskell, Esq. of Lupsett, were reelected Vice Presidents. Mr. George William Wood, of Manchester, was re-chosen Treasurer, and Mr. Edward Baxter, Mr. Jonathan Brookes, and Mr. William Duckworth, of Manchester, and the Rev. Joseph Ashton, of Duckinfield, were added to the Committee, to supply the places of the Gentlemen incligible from nonattendance. The number of Students in the College during the last session was reported to have been 21, viz. 11 Lay-students, and 10 intended for the ministry; of the latter Mr. Mardon and Mr. Merris have finally left the College, and Mr. Mardon is settled with the Unitarian Congregation at Glasgow, as successor to the Rev. James Yates. Thirteen Divinity Students and seventeen Lay-Students are expected in the College next session. When the business of the meeting was closed, the chair was taken by Isaac Harrop, Esq. of Altringham; and the thanks of the meeting were unanimously voted to Abraham Crompton, Esq. for his services as Chairman. -The Trustees and friends of the College afterwards dined together at the Spread Eagle Inn; Nathaniel Philips, Esq. of the Dales, in the chair. The attendance was not so numerous as en former occasions, but the day was spent with much hilarity and interest. Manchester, September 4, 1816. 558 Intelligence. Coventry Meeting.-Unitarian Chapel, Thorne. Meeting of Ministers at Coventry. On the 6th instant, a Meeting of Ministers was holden at Coventry, and a religious service was performed in the The Rev. great Meeting, in that city. James Scott conducted the devotional parts; and the Rev. John Yates delivered the Sermon, from 2 Cor. vi. 1. It is not intended to analize this learned and singularly excellent discourse, nor will it be attempted to point out its numerous and various merits; but it may be permitted to say that it discovered an extensive acquaintance with the writings of the ancients, and the several systems of philosophy which have prevailed in the world; and which, however they may have beeu extolled by some, were yet clearly proved by the preacher to be as inferior to Christianity as the light of the twinkling star is to the refulgent light of the midday sun: Mr. Yates disapproved of our British youth learning their morality from the pages of Homer, (the beauties of whose poetry, however, he freely allowed) while the Christian religion furnished a far superior and purer system of moral conduct. And it was finely remarked, that sooner than the heroes of Homer could become disciples of the mild, the forgiving, the benevolent religion of Jesus, should Satan and Beelzebub and Moloch / have retained their stations in heaven! The preacher pathetically described the vast difference between the effects produced by the orations of the Pagan philosophers and the discourses of the ministers of Christ; and while the former could boast the mighty consequences that followed their eloquence, the latter had often cause to lament the little influence which their labours had upon the conduct of their auditors! The reason of this difference is a subject of serious inquiry to both ministers and people. Some judicious and kind advice was given to the ministers on the subjects of their preaching; which, coming warm from the heart, and flowing from a quarter, in every point of view, so highly respectable, and delivered with so much energy and feeling, could not fail of making a deep impression on the hearts of those to whom it was addressed. Nor was the congregation overlooked; but exhorted diligently to improve the superior light and means of virtue and knowledge with which they were favoured: the hearers were respectable in point of number, and appeared unusually attentive. The following ministers were present on this interesting occasion-Messrs. Bransby, of Dudley; Bull and Bristowe, of Hinckley; Davies, of Coventry, (who gave out the hymns); Field, of Warwick; Kell and Kentish, of Birmingham; Kenrick, of York College; Lloyd, of Kingswood; Scott, of Cradley; Small, of Coseley; Yates, of Liverpool; The writer of this hasty, brief and defec- Additional Subscriptions to the Unitarian Mrs. Worthington 5 0 0 3 0 3 0 0 3 0 0 2 2 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 10 0 6 1 1 1 Joseph Dobson, (London,) 09660 1 0 0 0 Unitarian Chapel, New Church, Rossendale. [See M. Repos. X. 315. 392. 458. 461. 527. 596. 660. 721. XI. 124. Donations in aid of liquidating the debt, (3501.) upon this Chapel, will be thankfully received by the Rev. R. Aspland, Hackney Road; Rev. R. Astley, Halifax ; Rev. W. Johns, Manchester; Mr. W. Walker, Rochdale; and Dr. Thomson, Halifax. It is intended to proceed to liquidate the debt as soon as may be, and as far as the liberality of the public may enable the above-mentioned gentlemen to do so; to whom all who have entrusted themselves in behalf of the Rossendale brethren are requested to report the Subscriptions in their hands without delay. An accurate account of the Subscription and of its appropriation will be given in the Monthly Repository. Amount Reported, XI. 124. A Legacy from the late Mr. Mason, of Bolton. Unitarian Fund. Intelligence.-Curious and Important Recent Religious Prosecution. persecution of some of his labourers who were Dissenters, his friends came forward to explain away the charge. How Lord Romney's friends will proceed remains to be seen his Lordship has acted the part of an Informer against, prosecuted and convicted, (not a Dissenter, but) a brother Churchman, for unlawful religious worship! The Penal Statutes regarding religion have been repealed with respect to Dissenters, and are in force only against the members of the Establishment! But the reader will be better pleased with a history than a commentary, and therefore we extract the following account of this curious case from a pamphlet just published at Maidstone, entitled "A Narrative of the Prosecution of the Honourable Charles Noel-Intended as a Friendly Caution, by a Friend to Religion, Order and Law." The writer of the pamphlet appears to be a friend of Mr. Noel's, and to be intimately acquainted with all the circumstances of the case. "The Honourable Charles Noel having travelled some time on the Continent for the recovery of his health; on his return to England, he came to reside at the family mansion, Barham Court, in the parish of Teston, where it was the first wish of his heart to render his influence, from his rank and situation, subservient to the best and most essential interests of all who were dependant upon him,-tradesmen and labourers; and being duly sensible that family religion is a most inportant part of practical Christianity, and that family worship is a duty that may be practised by persous of every rank in life, and that without the observance of this privilege, as well as duty, every other duty will be regarded with luke-warmness:-it was a reasonable hope and expectation that example would have its use, and prove productive of religious improvement in the parish. "It may here be necessary to remark, that it is Mr. Noel's constant practice, and his general rule of conduct, to assemble his domestics and servants the mornings and evenings of every day for the exercise of this duty, When alone, he is his own chaplain; when favoured with the company of any friend on whom with propriety it can devolve, it is resigned to such friend. "Such a commitment of this duty occurred on Sunday the 31st of December, 1815, and on Sunday the 7th of January, 1816-the two Sundays named in the complaint and information made against him, when the family worship at Barham Court devolved on Mr. Noel's friend: and from the attendance of this friend, twice on every Sunday, at the parish church, during the whole of his visit at Teston, it would justly have been thought a breach of Christian charity, to have considered 1 559 this friend of Mr. Noel's as a person hostile to the establishment, or to have suspected him of forming designs injurious to the interests of the church. "But however pure and unmixed were Mr. Noel's motives, it has been proved that he erred in his judgment, in the intimation given to his tradesmen and the workmen upon his estate, that they were allowed the privilege of attending at his family worship; as the law prohibits any congregation or assembly of Protestants for religious worship, exceeding the number of twenty, in addition to servants and domestics in any unlicensed place; of which limitation Mr. Noel was not aware, and has expressed his regret that he should unintentionally, or from the purest motives have violated any law. "What contributed to lead Mr. Noel into this error, was the constant, uninterrupted, unopposed practice of the late Lord Barham, who, for a considerable number of years, had himself attended some religious services on a Sunday evening, at a school his Lordship had erected in the village for the instruction of the poor of those parishes where he had any interest, at which the parents of the children, and any other of the inhabitants might attend, and where his Lordship was very generally accompanied by any friends, visitors at Barbam Court. "As no objections had ever been heard against this practice, and Mr. Noel's state of health not rendering it prudent to be out in the evening air, at that season of the year, he was not aware that the transferring this long continued practice at the school, countenanced by the presence of Lord Barham and his friends in general, to his own house for a few evenings, was in contradiction to any existing law. "In Mr. Noel's first intentions, the privilege of attending the evening service at Barham Court was limited to his own dependants, and that it extended beyond this, arose from circumstances not under his control. But soon after this had occurred at Barbam Court, a rumour was in circulation, that a nobleman of high rank had commenced a prosecution against Mr. Noel, a report pretty generally discredited: strong reasons were urged by many against its being worthy of any credit, and it seemed to be dying away; when a second report positively stated that the same nobleman had called upon a most respectable solicitor, desiring to put into his hands the intended prosecution, conducting the which, by this solicitor was politely declined :-this second report seemed to rest on some evidence, but the solicitor applied to having declined the conducting the prosecution, it was supposed it would not be persevered in-when a third report came into circulation that a very respecte 560 Intelligence.-Curious and Important Recent Religious Prosecution. able solicitor from Maidstone had actually been to Wateringbury to take the deposition of John King, lately a servant at Teston Vicarage, and who had asked and obtained permission to attend the family worship at Barham Court, on the two Sundays mentioned in the information. This report was soon proved to be founded on fact. By duplicates of a summons, one for each offence being served upon the Honourable Charles Noel, upon David Thompson, steward to the estate, upon the Rev. John Kennedy, vicar of Teston, upon the Rev. Richard Wood, curate of Nettlested, upon Nettle fold, parish clerk of Teston, upon John King, servant to the Rev. John Kennedy, and upon Gardiner Jeffery, of Yalding, gentleman, a copy of which is here added: "Kent to wit.-To the Constable of the Lower Half Hundred of Twyford; to Edward George Buds, and to all others His Majesty's Officers of the Peace for the said County, and to each and every of them. "Whereas information and complaint have been made before us, his Majesty's justices of the peace for the said county, by the Right Honourable Charles, Earl of Romney, that the Honourable Charles Noel, of Barham Court, in the parish of Teston, in the said county, the occupier of the mansion house and premises called Barbam Court, aforesaid, situate in the said parish of Teston, and county of Kent aforesaid, did on Sunday the seventh day of January last past, knowingly permit and suffer a certain congregation or assembly for religious worship of Protestants (at which there were present more than twenty persons, (to wit) thirty or thereabouts, besides the immediate family and servants of the said Charles Noel), to meet in the said mansion house and premises, occupied by him the said Charles Noel as aforesaid, in the parish and county aforesaid, the said mansion house and premises not having been duly certified and registered under any former act or acts of parliament relating to registering places of religious worship, nor having been certified to the bishop of the diocese, nor to the archdeacon of the archdeaconry, nor to the justices of the peace at the general or quarter sessions of the peace for the county, riding, division, or place in which such meeting was held, according to the directions of the statutes in such case made and provided, whereby he, the said Charles Noel hath forfeited for the said offence a sum not exceeding twenty pounds, nor less than twenty shillings, at the discretion of the justices who shall convict the said Charles Noel of the said offence, if he shall be by them thereof convicted-and that the Rev. John Kennedy, vicar ef Teston aforesaid, the Rev. Richard Wood, curate of Nettlested, in the said county, - Nettlefold, clerk of the said parish of Teston, David Thompson, steward at Barham Court aforesaid, James Gardiner Jeffery, of Yalding, in the said county, gentleman, and John King, late servant to the said John Kennedy, and now servant to the Rev. Dr. Willis, of Wateringbury, in the said county, are material witnesses to be examined concerning the same. These are therefore to require you, or any one of you, forthwith to summon the said John Kennedy, Richard Wood, - Nettlefold, David Thompson, James Gardiner Jeffery, and John King, severally to be and appear before us, or such other of his Majesty's justices of the peace for the said county, as shall be assembled at the Swan, in West Malling, in the said county, on Monday the first day of April next, at the hour of eleven in the forenoon of the same day, then and there to testify their several knowledge concerning the premises.-And be you then there to certify what you shall have done in the premises. Herein fail you not.-Given under our hands and seals, the fourth day of March, 1816. John Larking, Henry Hawley, G. Moore, Thomas Cobb, H.W. Brooke. "When this cause came before the bench of magistrates at their monthly meeting, held at the Swan Inn, Town Malling, the six witnesses attended, of whom, only Mr. Thompson, the steward of the estate, and the Rev. John Kennedy, vicar of Teston, were called. "Mr. Thompson having proved the occupancy of the house by Mr. Noel, and delivered a letter from him to the chairman of the sitting-which being read, was, as far as can be recollected, expressive of regret that any mistaken views of his own privileges had led to the violation of any law enacted for the regulation of human conduct, and leaving to the decision of the bench to what degree of penalty, by his mistake, he had made himself liable: this, as far as can be recollected, was the substance of the letter. "When Mr. Kennedy, being sworn, was asked by the chairman whether more than twenty persons, in addition to servants and domestics were present—and by Lord Romney, whether any persons besides the parishioners of Teston were presentTo both which questions, he answered in the affirmative. "As the witness from frequent conversations with the Honourable Mr. Noel, was well acquainted with his principles, views, and sentiments, he requested permission of the bench to offer a few remarks to their observation; which being granted, he began by observing, that the name of Intelligence.-Curious and Important Recent Religious Prosecution. 561 the Noble Lord at the head of the Paper he could assert from Mr. Noel's authority, held in his hand "Here Mr. Kennedy was interrupted by the Noble Lord himself, saying he could not permit Mr. Kennedy to proceed; and this interruption appeared to arise from an entertained idea that some censure was intended against his Lordship, for the part his Lordship had taken in this prosecution; but such an idea, if entertained, was immediately removed by an immediate appeal from Mr. Kennedy to the Earl of Romney, whether in any one instance during the many years he had been known to his Lordship, he had ever given any ground for a suspicion, that he was capable of any disrespect to his Lordship; that what he meant to observe was that from the name of the Noble Lord at the head of the summons he held in his hand, it was impossible to ascribe any but the best motives that actuated his Lordship in this prosecution.-Here Lord Romney observed, that Mr. Kennedy's remarks had taken a different turn to what he expected, and he had no objection to his proceeding; but that he thought it necessary here to state, that as complainant and informer he took the whole matter upon himself, and added he had learned with surprise and astonishment that Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Wood, two clergymen of the church of England, should countenance by their presence the illegal proceedings at Barham Court. To this, Mr. Kennedy begged leave to impress upon the minds of his Lordship and the bench, that for the reasons assigned in the letter read by the chairman, he was equally unconscious with Mr. Noel, that the assembly at Barham court was illegal-and referred to what had been the practice at the school, during the life of Lord Barham. "Here it was observed from the bench, that by Mr. Kennedy's reference to the practice of the school, Mr. Kennedy was injuring the cause he meant to serveand Lord Romney remarked, that the master of the school was not content with reading to his scholars a chapter in the New Testament, but that he actually preached. "Mr. Kennedy was about to proceed in his observations, when Mr. Brooke, a magistrate, whose name is affixed to the summons, objected to his being heard any further upon the subject. "As this required the determination of the bench, Mr. Kennedy was requested by the chairman to withdraw, and being soon recalled was informed that the bench acquiesced in his proceeding, as it was not his intention to justify any breach of the law, but merely to speak in mitigation of any penalty incurred. Mr. Kennedy now observed he had little more to say in addition to what Mr. Noel had addressed to the bench-that he and from the conversations with him, that no one could more venerate our laws, or was more desirous to pay all due respect to magistrates; that his error had been unintentional and arose from misconcep tion, and respecting his public sentiments he need not intrude more upon their time. But as Mr. Noel was not present, being called to attend the death-bed of a beloved sister in a distant county, he requested the indulgence of the bench, to speak a few words upon his private character, to which, in his absence, he could speak more freely. He had known him from infancy to manhood, and hesitated not to say, that a person of more solid practical Christianity, of more amiable manners, of more humane benevolence, of greater generosity of mind, or with a greater degree of the milk of human kindness, he had never known-and he was persuaded he might affirm, he would not knowingly do the least injury to any human being, but would rejoice in any opportunity of doing good to all, and more especially in that good that ended not with the present life: in a word, he was the gentleman and the Christian. "With such dispositions, such views, and such intentions, the degree of crimi nality attached to an error in his judgment; and the degree of punishment it merited, might cheerfully be submitted to the judgment and decision of the bench. "Mr. Kennedy now begged a further indulgence for a few moments, to make an observation he considered as due to himself. "He must confess that when the summons was delivered to him by a clerk to Messrs. Burr and Hoar, he read the names of the selected witnesses with some degree of surprise, as being classed with his servant boy, to give evidence against Mr. Noel. "Here Mr. Kennedy was interrupted by Earl Romney, who remarked that Mr. Kennedy was the first person he had ever heard object against a servant and his superior being required to give evidence to a fact in a court of law; where, to prove the fact, a nobleman and his groom might be equally necessary, and he did not suppose Mr. Kennedy or Mr. Wood would appear as voluntary witnesses. "Mr. Kennedy observed, that where a peer of the realm and his groom were equally necessary to prove a fact, certainly no objection could reasonably be made; but where more than an hundred other persons were equally competent to prove the fact, it had been thought singular by many that out of five selected witnessesMr. Kennedy, Mr. Noel's parish priest, Mr. Wood, his curate, Mr. Nettlefold, his parish clerk, and John King, his servant |