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the inquiry will not allow of its being overlooked altogether . It must be acknowledged , that amongst the Dissenters are to be found some men of sterling talents , and every way qualified to be the expounders of religion . But it is equally notorious that these
are thinly scattered , and confined chiefly to large cities ; that many of their congregations are served by men as ignorant as their hearers ; and that , of those who have been educated at their private academies , a large proportion come forth into the world with all the" defects of half-tearned
pedants , raised into imaginary importance , which is fostered by the character of their people . It is a misfortune to the Dissenters , that their richer members but rarely bring up their
sons to the ministry . The consequence is , that being taken from inferior stations , they are , ki most cases , wholly dependent upon their people for support ; and thas is often very precarious .
Whilst upon the subject of pecuniary compensation , it inay not be amiss to observe that , with aonrte few exeej * - * tions , the Dissenters have been deficient in that liberality to their ministers , to which the nature of their services , and the station which they occupy in society , so justly entitle them . And this may hare been one reason that
has deterred many from entering upon that profession , or from continuing in it , who would have been ornaments to the Dissenters . Dissenting congregations , in most
places , consisting chiefly of tradesman , mechanics , and persons in fctttnble life , the management of their temporal affairs consequently devolves upon them ; and the dissensions that so fre *
quently arfcfc , toay be often traced to this equality of condition between the governors and the governed . It is as unfortunate for th < 3 peac& as fot the re spectability of Dissenters * that they aavc not ii few perd < ms of education aftd influence to mke the lead hi their
oongfeg-atiattsy a » d give a * *© h « to the banner * of fcte r * te £ Much tffctford tto&lcl be thgraby prevented ; n gm& % et < k&ree of Itoetality ^ o fiM be tbrotfii ?*«* thfcir dcwwternsi the pride of
^ oraittfe woufo be reMmsed T ' and to * teh of the ifefflroatsh m * A fi £ s at tbe ooor otf uhe mgsfegtfcris ctf retogkon on a&totny ; of thelp » eie 4 flJtK ) nance . wovld
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be rolled away . Ignorance fe the parent ?> oth of pride and intolerance ; and when clothed ki the garb of piety , often passes current in the world for , genuine Christianity . But when religion becomes thus debased , as the
profession of it is in too many iasfcqmce * amongst Dissenters * we are not to , wonder if they are shunned by persons of good taste and refined manners . Although death levels all distinction
of ranks , and in the grave the rich and the poor , the wise and the ignorant , meet together ; yet whilst we live in the world , We must submit to the laws by which it is governed , and consent to take the station marked out for us
by Providence . The fences of society are not to be broken down by imaginary notions of spiritual rank . Let religion be rather employed in the real amelioration of man in his present state * whilst we enlarge the boundaries of his hope in another world .
Another thing tkat operates to the disadvantage of the Dissenters is the mode of admission into their churches , which , amongst the orthodox , is well known to be through the door of an experience ; that is , a tecital of their opinions , feelings and religious
impressions * This ia either written or verbal ^ and is submitted to the judgment of the whole church at one of their private meetings . The candidate for membership has previously passed through the same ordeal at his own house , before the ministers and %
deacons , ^ ho report thereon o the church ; and if they think him sound in the faith ,, or , ass they express it * "In a stat ^ of grace , " he ia admitted * Now , if we consider upon what sort of hands tlie liiuzk&gement of this business usually devoke » , it must always
operate as an exclusion to men of sense and education . For , admitting that religion is equally adapted to all classes of society , yet it rnay bo fairly argued thai ; the mode of administering it should be such a » td give no
unnecessary offence > dither to good taste 01 * to > sbtiftd discretion . In th £ present state of society , paid partietiJ&rly of title DissQirfers , it seems ioipoliiic to requite any farther tenaas ^ for coqmuuftiott than thofce ia which all Christians agree . By narrowing the e 4 nditions » we ejcelticU * firany ^ p « son » of Wdrth and rssbectabttity , alnt ottbfidt the **
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A ^ ISss&y on thM Xfamtis qf * the Decline Nomrottformitpt 39 $
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v . xviii . 3 e
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1823, page 393, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1786/page/25/
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