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minister , Pften an absentee , neglected his d ^ y l In s ^ fch a staft e of things , it WAsf \ 16 v \ 6 be wondered at that the members 6 f the Protestant religion disappeared : Wpin a Church which was known more b ^ r the splendour of its establishment and the wealth of its ministers , than by thfc feeal or the success of their labours . If
Gentlemen were really zealous to promote the solid interests of the Prtftestant Establishment , how could they shut their eyes to , the diminution of it * numbers—to the consequent decay of its power with a clergy better paid than any clergy in Europe ? Was not that a subject for inquiry ? The Church of Ireland was in
danger ; it was in danger not from the hostility of rival sects , but from the supineness of its own members , and the abuses of its own system ; from the disposition which prevailed in certain quarters to defend every possible abuse , and to refuse every species of reform . It was his most anxious wish to see that most
necessary reform take place ; to see that Chinch purged of those abuses which were the seeds of its weakness : he felt a high regard for the Church ; without the , affectation of a peculiar interest for religion , he would wish to seethe Establishment flourish in strength and purity .
He despised affectation of any kind , but cant and affectation upon the solemn and awful subject of religion , he abhorred . Anxious as he was for the interests , for the . glory of the Church , he would yet be a dishonest man if he did not augur its fall before long . ' ' Air . Pbel said , that the Right Honour-i
able Gentleman ( Mr . Fitzgerald ) admitted that there was a disposition upon the part of Ministers to select those who were most qualified to discharge the duties of the calling . Would he not then give credit to the same Ministers for a disposition to reform irror , and to correct abuse ? He would call upon the House not to consent to a measure
founded on principles \ jnjust , and likely to prove injurious . If the proposition ^ were adopted , it would affect not nifereflL the Irish Church , but the Established Churqh also ; it was aii attack upon both ; and ; what was the situation of the ^ Church with respect to that House ? He sHouid beff the House to recollect , that
by Act of Parliament ( with the policy of tvhteh he did not find fault ) , the cierg £ Wefe prevented from having a voice Ih th ^ t'Ho ^ , that the ancient assemblies through which they Were , accustomed to de % erthdr opinions ( the Convocation ) figd- htteh into mute , aad that ft ; ttfiSfr toaff # t& * j $ d \ 6 t 6 mtA mm * ¥ m 6 h
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to defend themselves . 1 * eT " Ifonourabld Gentleman hftd asked thetn ^ what was the Church of England ? rte J ^ d told tht * ni that there were various opinions ; not as to its constitution ; but asr to the very meaning of the terms " If , as the
Honourable * Mover had " supposed , they were on the eve of voting that Quakerism should be established by law , he did not know what- his notions might be as * to the Church of England ; but so long as the Protestant Reformed Religion was the religiou of this country , he should be at no loss to say what the Church of England was . The definition of the Church of
England was notto be sotight in any obscure production ^ ; but in the most sofemn acts in which Parliament had provided for the maintenance of the liberties of the people ; they had not thought it unsuitable to provide for the liberties of the Cfrurcii . In the first
volume of the Statute . Book , in the trrst page , and the first chapter , in " the confirmation of the liberties of the people of England , the Barons required , ^ Quod Anglicana Ecclesia Hbera sit , et- habeat jura sua Integra libertate ^ et ® uas Ul&sas . " At the Coronation of the King , it was
not deemed unworthy of the attention of Parliament to require from the King an oath established at the Revolution , that he would maintain to the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law and that he wbiild . preserve ¦ " unto the
Bishops anrf Cldrgy ox tJ ^ is realm , arid to the churches comniitied t # fheir chai-ge all such rights arid privileges as by law do or v 4 hall appertain unto * them or any of tliem . " He denied ^^ tlierefore , altoge ^ ther that the Church was to be considered
as a congregation of Quakers , or individuals of any other sect . Before Parlia ^ merit went into an inquiry on the condition of the Church , they were to affirm that the property of the Church ( was applicable to any other purposes than the maintenance of religion . Jt was a ' vain
and useless discussion to inquire into the cqnipetence of ' Parliament , nor should he he inclined to deny it ; but of this he was sure , that on knjr' principles' on which Parliament could wisely act , they could not interfere with the property of the Church— -that they could not touch it without weakening the confidence in
private property * He should tiot look ^ o the origin or antiquity of the 'C ^ U ti ^ k f > f Ireland ; but when the 'kow tfiifcR *^^ ber talked of the stipulations of Ipe * &Ct of IJUlbh ak the reasWI ^ f he" % d iiot abdliaH * eriUcopacy sitASm ^ ii lm' ^ m ask m&kiir t&fe miduMti ** W&&& couli pjrove it ctrisriimti '\ '< ft $ ®? i ® 4 W& * uddr < && mm * hm f n * mm ^ &
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gfe Jnteiti # erice ^ Fri& :: Cku . fck B § tiibiiskrrt § ht .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), April 2, 1823, page 252, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1783/page/60/
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