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INTELLIGENCE. *¦> • ¦
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Untitled Article
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Transcript
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
Intelligence. *¦≫ • ¦
INTELLIGENCE . *¦> ¦
Untitled Article
CASE AFTECTIVO THE CIVIL RICrHTS OF UNITARIANS .
We deem it proper to . lay before our readers the following narrative , relating to the Civil Rights of Protestant Dissenters in general , and of Unitarians in particular . We make no further preface than to remark that , we are answerable , for the truth of the relation , it having been carefully taken down from the lips of the person principally concerned . Mr . S . —^— of the parish of *—« - in the county of Middlesex , a man of
humble circumstances , but of good sense and upright character , a shoemaker by trade , was applied to by a poor neighbour to take his soft , as an apprentice . He expressed his willingness to do so ; and the parents of the lad applied to the parish , in which both they and Mr . S . reside , to bind him out ; in consequence
of which Mr . S . and they met the parish officers and others , at a public meeting for parish business . Here everything was presently arranged , to the satisfaction of all parties . It was agreed that the boy should be apprenticed at the expence of the parish , and that his intended master should have the pecuniary
consideration usual in such cases ; viz . the sum of 4 I . as . of which one half should be paid in six weeks from the signing of the indentures , and the remainder at the expiration of half the period of apprenticeship . The officers , knowing of Mr S . ' s non-conformity , made it a condition of the contract that the boy
should go to the parish church ; to which , the parents being of the established religion , no objection -was , or could be , made . They appointed Mr . S . to appear , before the magistrates at the Police Office , Worship Street , Shorediteh , on
a given day when they wduld take care to be ready , as fat as Concerned - them , to put the last hand to the bargain . It appears that parish indentures , to be 1 * 1 valid , must be signed by two magistrates .
On the day ^ pointed , ( which was Wednesday , June at , ) Mr . S . appeared at Worship Street , and found two of the ? constables of the parish at the-oflice ^ ^ vith the blank indentures . Soon after «« had entered * -the J ustice Room , a tiadesman was calkd before the roigiitf-
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trafes , whose errand was similar to hi * own . There were two n agjstrates on the bench ; one of them , the only active one , a clergyman . The Reverend Ma * gistrate , after putting one or two cus- » tomary questions to the Tradesman now before him , a ked " What religion he professed- ^' The Tradesman answered , " TJie Protestant Religion . '* But he was further questioned as to what
denomin ne ranged among ; and he stated that he attended a Calyini tic chapel at Hoxtorj . On being also asked * whether he taught the Assembly ' s Catechism to hisr family ?* ' and having replied in the affirmative , he was enjoined by the Reverend Magistrate to teach this catechism to his apprentice ^ The Ma ^ itrate added , that the e was little difference between the
denomination of chrisrians to which the Tradesman belonged and the Church of J 2 ngland ; only it was a pity that tUat deno * mination had no regular form of church government . He and his brother Magistrate then signed the indentures
Me . S . was next-called , when the following dialogue passed between the Kcverend Magistrate and himself " Magistrate . What is your name ?* - *» S . S — .
Mag . Has this boy any friends ? - *— - 8 . Yes , he has parents , who are here . Mag . What * religion are you of ? - —• 5 . I am a dissenter . * Mug Of what denomination ?—S . An Unitarian , - Mag . An ' Unitarian ! , what I don ' t you believe the bible ?— . 5 * . Yes , I do believe it .
Mag . You don ' t believe in the Son of God I—S . Yes , I do believe in him . JML * g . You don ' t believe owr Saviour to be l > o . d ; you believe him to be-, a man . You don t understand your religion—5 . Yes , I think I do understand it . ' --i J
Mag . Yoq deny the first chapters of the . fW < pel ? : —you d <* ny Christ to be K 7 * ffi *^ j $ ' . Cert ainly , 1 do ' n * t JUndersrand ^ g ^ tfee . scri ptures that Christ is God . ^ Ty ^ 'Hevercnd Magistrate now left his seat ^ in seeming perturbation , arid consuitedi soaac books . In a £ pw minutes
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Aug. 2, 1809, page 455, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1739/page/41/
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