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and good me& *~* 4 ngtesi ftt » im £ *? h $ m I must place tbe friends of civil &nd religious liberty . Geutleaien , for every reason , but for tbe mere jp ^ rformance of duty , vX should Bow he silent . Every thing which truth
could say has been already urged , Every thing which I could say , did I possess the talent , or the health , has this day been far surpassed . I declare , that I never in the whole course of , n \ y life heard in any assembly a speech more conclusive , more enlightened , or xuore eloquent , than that which I have this day heard from your
excellent Secretary . ( ApphmH . ) And I have been also astonished , as \ followed the admirable speech of the eloqueat and reverend gentleman , Mr . James . It is my duty ifl tbe first place to return my thanks ; and . then to make some generiil observations on the principles in support of which we have all assembled .
It is also my duty to say , that I am here in consequence of the indisposition of my beloved friend Lord Holland , who , although precluded from being present , I need hardly say is always present in heart and feeling's whenever the cause of civil and religious liberty is to be sustained $
who inherits and acts upon those principles whicb reflect splendour upon the . name of Fox , and who , following the example of his illustrious uncle , has invariably advocated the rights of bis feUowrinen , to worship ( rod Hfter the dictates of their conscience . ^ A pplause . }
Gentlemen , it affords me pleasure to succeed a Royal Duke hi this situation , as it refleqts additional honour on the House of Brunswick , when its princes act upon those principles which placed their family upon th-e throne ; and they could not act more consonantly with those principles , than by placing the great body of
Protestant Dissenters , who are the friends of the Royal House ^ who aviated in placing the crow a of England firmly on their heads , in tbe enjoyment of those privileges to which by reason , as well a » by right s they are unquestionably entitled . ( Ap + plauae . J For my jown part , from jny youth I have been devoted to the sacred
caasfe of civil and religiousliberty ; « m 4 I cannot but feel higb honour , in tbe * irvr g-ftl&v gratification of presiding * £ $ nipetiB £ of a great body of Djs * en . tei'q ; ; tbe best Protestant part of a Protestant worlds ¦ % } %$ autlioffft of the principle * of mlig-Uus liberty among menkifid , the fosterere jaad r » reservei * B of the Englisb con ^ ti ^ tiojn . f Loud applause . J
This ba « been well stated by the lie v . Gentleman on «» y left , ( Dr , Bogu ? , ) whea lie bore » testimony to tbe vi » tu « * and iirmnefis of theee individuals , wbich was r «? luctautly extracted from Jtlume ibs . t great
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historian ^ nd \ philosopher , and enemy of eivii ^ ind religious liberty , ( Cheers , } You , have also . beard , the unspeakable value of religious liberty ^ No man or body of men can be justified in infringing-on the privilege of an \ ' human being to worship God
. ; and that man who presumes to tftke such a course , acts not only contrary to tbe dictates of comoiou sense , but in opposition ( o the : great-and divine attributes of Christianity . But it has also been trnly sttLtedj that civil liberty cannot exist without religious liberty , but I would state ,
that civil liberty is also indebted to religion . To tbe progress of that spirit of justice and paternal benevolence , which religion inculcates , the safety of civil liberty is to be attributed . ( Hear . ) The spirit of religious liberty went forth at the Reformation * The contests which then
took place , although ardent , were unsuccessful . Religious liberty did not appear with that lustre in the eyes of the Reformers which it has ; since assumed . The Reformers , however , ought not to be accused of intolerance , inasmuch as having gained tbe one great object of their pursuit , they were justified in supposing that all else would follow .
I was proud to bear tbe learned observations of my countryman , Mr . Orme . The first person , he stated , who maintained the true principles of religious liberty in this country , was Dr . Owea , the preceptor of Mr , Locke . I would also mention
another individual greatly entitled to our admiration , and who also developed these priaeiplftrr ^ Sir-H& p ry Vane . Hi * writings are little known to tbe majority of reader *; but he is alluded to by Hume , and his book contains the principles of religious liberty iu three or four pages , in a manner clear and irrefragable *
As to that part of tbe Revolution of 1688 , in which tbe privileges of religious liberty were for tbe ftrst time asserted by law , we find at that g-lorious period , that security from persecution was ; tbe first object which was obtained * € ertain | y , the Act of ; Tolerattott was itnperfect , yet it is a Bubjeet for ctfiigiatulation , that tlie
uneeasing ! exertions m your ancestors accomplished tbe greater part of this act . I must , in justice to , die memory of King William , a ^ y , th ^ t if thin act ** 'a $ n > ot more perfect ; , H was not his fauU . If tbe wishes
of Kittg William had becu ootuplied vvi ^ h , you would Jtavft fibHiuGi ] nil yon desired * Kitt ^ Williarti ivitk * bii »* cif a CSalviniut ¦ :. he did not , however , eotne to England to attack tbe members of the Church of En *
g ^ laud . He had far greater objects m view ., and yielded bie own prifate feeling * to matte r * of : liioie vital importance . He was a great-talented ooot ^ n , * hd no doubt anticipated all ibat the J ^ iswantors could
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3 Q £ JntdiiffevM ^ Pr ^ st ^ $ i ? J < M <* chint& $ tis Speech .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), June 2, 1819, page 392, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1773/page/48/
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