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    the apprehensions they entertained , and the interposition they required . To that application they received in April the frank and liberal reply before stated , and they acquiesced in his suggestion that

    ait application to parliament should be postponed until a decision in the courts on the depending cases should be obtained . When that judgment was pronounced , during the present month on the cases of Mr . Packer and Mr . Brittan , it was

    communicated to Mr . Perceval , and an interview occurred in the merning of the day on which he fell , generally and justly deplored , by the hand of an assassin . At that

    interview he expressed his convic * tion that parliament ought to interfere , to protect the Dissenters , and his inclination to ensure to them all the relief which the

    counteracting prejudices of other persons would permit him to recommend . Under existing circumstances , Mr . Wilks could not venture to prognosticate what proceedings would occur . He would not

    assist Dissenters to rear a structure of hope which might not be realized ; nor would he agitate them by apprehensions which might be equally chimerical . As soon as

    a new administration was formedthe applications of the Committee would be renewed , and some measure would be probably submitted to parliament during the ensuing session . The Committee desired

    to obtain relief by the repeal of all statutes interfering with the freedom of religious worship ; and if that could not be obtained , they at least would not concur in any measure which shall not legalize the past practice , and effectually prevent any novel magisterial in-

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    terposition , hostile to the rights of worshipping his Creator according to the dictates of his conscience , which every professing Christian was entitled to claim . In the

    pursuits of that end difficulties might arise — difficulties which might demand not only the ^ energetic exertions of the Committee , but the concurrent and immediate

    efforts of every congregation of Dissenting Protestants , and of every friend to religious liberty-If such necessity should occur , experience demonstrated that such aid would not be withheld ; and that in their just claims and prudent labours , the Committee would

    receive , not only the strenuous as * sistance of the numerous members of their own society , but that unanimous support which would probably prove a torrent sufficiently irresistible to bear away every obstacle which timidity and prejudice might collect .

    After this exposition by Mr . Wilks , which excited much attention and produced much pleasure , but of which only an imperfect sketch can be introduced , the

    following Resolutions , proposed by the Rev . Messrs , Collison , Bogue , Griffin , Cockin , Slatterie , M . Wilks , Thomas ( of Chelmsford ) , Townsend , Dr . Nicol and others , were unanimously adopted .

    I . That an abstract of the satis * factory statement of the proceedings of the Committee of this Society be prepared and circulated to all the tnembers with all convenient expedition .

    II . That this meeting highly approve of the conduct of the Committee during the past year , and the zealous attachment to religious liberty which they have displayed . That they particularly applaud the liberality with which

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    398 Annual meeting of the Protestant Society .

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), June 2, 1812, page 398, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1749/page/54/