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Untitled Article
jfcer awed kcnyever by public opinion , nor restrained by a sense of religion , they persisted at intervals in their jjarbarous behaviour . Qne of their measures was the bringing * of books of cont roversy to the place - of worship , and reading them put whilst Mr . G . was carrying on the public service . He appears to have conducted himself , in the piidst of these scenes of disorder and ylolence , with great prudence ; but being disturbed on the morning of a Sunday in October , by one of the party standing
pp in the middle of the congregation and reading a book in an audible tone , while he himself was piilijicly reading the scriptures , he requested the offend ing individual to , pay attention , and to allow others to pay attention , to God's
word . This reguest produced the roW Jowing reply : — " Jiere ' s Mr . Fuller ' s book against the Socinians , you had better read this ;* ' which profane answer was only the signal for a volley of coarse and rancorous abuse . Unable to proceed with the public worship , Mr . G .
5 vas constrained to appeal to the civil power for protection ; but * the officer called in declined acting , alledging that he had no warrant from any magistrate . The disturbers were emboldened by this refusal of the ofljcer to do his duty ; and with a trustee at their head , ventured ,
after the morning * service , to lockup the doors of the meeting house . Iir this situation Mr . G . was for waiting legal redress , but one of his friends , who was also a trustee , resolved that the pjace should be open as usualJn the afternoon , and accordingly opened a window in it by force , through which Mr- Q . entered , and from within turned back the lock
pi the door . Upon this , tl > e same ctmstable who would not act in the morning , went into the meeting house an 4 took Mr . G . into custpdy , ^ cinowleclging , at the same time , that he had no warrant for thi $ measure . 'jf'hus arrested , Mr . G . was kept iri confinement five hours ; at the expiration of which , the
parties were heard before two magistrates , clergymen , and the Calvirii $ ts were bound over to prosecute hjm at * &e next Cambridge . Assikes , # nc } jtwo pi his , friends wer ; j admitted bail for his 4 ppeara * ce . The no ** Sunday , the place being opeacd by h £ s adversaries , Jie went thitluj * * that by his absence he might , not seem ^ tp vacate his right ; he pMn 4 fche ejj ^ ajjee to his pulpit barrc 4 ¦ " - . ' » .. ¦
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against him , and was thrust back frprr } it by violence , ^ ' In this stage of the Ibusiness he lapplfed to the Committee for advice and ! a $ - sistance . They could not Hesftktief % moment as to the prqpriety and n < 2 ce " s $ ! t * y
of supporting hint against a faction , whose object it plainly was to crush hifii ; but they felt a difficulty as to ih $ r power , according to the Rules of tnre Fund , to conduct ^ any law proce ^ dfn ^ j they resolved therefore to deferfd thn with all their might , reser vine the < ju ^ sv tion of the formality of their corfdiict
for this present general meeting ; pFed gfing themselves , at the same time , as individuals , to save the Vuhii fronT ^ ahy charges incurred , wfcicf * the su ' DscVibf rs might think foreign from the object of the society , however proper in the / iv * selves . They directed Sir . G . tiroof
^ cure some te ^ nporary place worship ; and sought out the best legal advice At the period of the assifcei , the secretary , accompanied by an able attorneyf -went down to Cambridge . Cross indictments were preferred against Mr .
G . ' s prosecutors . British justice lent her aid to the cause of truth . The gen * tlemen of the grand jury , ajfter hearing evidence , threw out the bill lodged a gainst Mr . G . and found as true , iyvq biljs which the solicitor of the Fund presented against some individuals ot the
faction . Thus was malice completely discomfited , and the persecutors of Mr . G . caught in the very snare which iHey had prepared for him ; but as reyeng ** is not the sentiment of a chrisxiari heart , Mr . G . and his friends and adyisiri adhered even now to a proposal which : they had before made , to submit the dispute
to' amicable arrangement . In the issue , tl >) e su ^ of 60 Q guineas was agreed * to b ' giVen tp R ^ r . , towards the eredfcfyri of a new place of worshi p ; he td Retire frorn ; the old meetirig-house , and € 6 drop all ifigSU proceedings against the raters * This sum may appear unsatisfactorily small ; but the meetinghouse vvhich ' ^ ls
relinquished is a small and slight building , and the trustees -are , almost without exception , Calvinjets , who wptiiy never have suffered an ' Unitarian ' liiihisW to beat peace , ^ n this i ^ anner ehqeel an afl ^ ir wfiich at firsj th reatened !? 3 l r . G . and his congregation with nothing short ; of dissolution as a reli g ious society . From the time of his etfclusictai frorn jtt fe jxjeeting-Jiau . se , Mr . G . b !« &&a 4 e use ' ¦ < ¦ . _ ¦ . . : . . ( . ¦ . ... . it . X . ; 7 <
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Intelligence \~~ Fifth Report of the TJhitarian Fund . £ 8 ?
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Aug. 2, 1809, page 467, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1739/page/53/
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