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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Untitled Article
tft tfrt&tiiftfetaKfeii as f viras , fcptrti - ttil bfcfiasibft that rt&gfcri ^ jttetarited Itefclf Jtt this town , fcf witiresster £ thfc eoteecfation of a Cfhattel of Easte td this Church and Pariah of 8 t . Andrew . * Th £ term consecration I imagine led us all astray ; ^ jid the Churchmen were as raucn f iteasetl as I cdrtfess myself to hare been , on discovering th&t there was not even a tincture
of superstition in the whole service , which was conducted in its different parts by the bishop , his official principal , his chaplain and the gentleman Who is appointed to do the duty of the chapel . The ceremony might very well be called a dedication . It \ vas little different from what might be observed in a Dissenting Chapel
on a similar occasion ; excepting the signing of a deed drawn on parchment by the bishop , constituting that building a place for divine worship according to the ritual of the united Church of England and Ireland . A
clergyman , on receiving orders , binds himself to his bishop not to perform or assist in divine worship in any building that is not set apart for that purpose by a bishop of the English Church : therefore , until a licence
had been obtained from the bishop of the diocese for using this chapel as a place of worship , no deacon or priest of the church could do duty in it . The ceremonies which were gone through were as follows . On the day appointed , the bishop , attended by his vicar general and
other officers , entered the building by the west door , when , having put on their respective robes , they went out again into the yard , where the parishioners Waited for them . Then a person deputed for the purpose offered a petition to the bishop hi writing , at the same time requesting him in
the naftie of the parishioners , to consecrate this chapel to the uses mentioned in the petition . To which the "bishop replied that he was ready to do as they desired , and besought God to bless and jifosper the good work they were going about . Then all
entering together and passing up the middle aisle , they repeated the xxivth Psalm , the bishop beginrtitig , " The earth is the Lord ' s / ' &fc . The bisirop being seated at the side of the altar , the petition was thrift read , whifch was immediately followed by the m-
Untitled Article
stmmeftt of dmiatK > rt or endovvmem . In vrtucfc ptfOvfekiOr is in some way Made for a Salafy fo * the minister ami especial carei taken not to entrenc h in any respect on the rights , privk leges and immunities of the vicar or
rector of the parish . The bishop then bespoke the attention of the audience , as to the expediency of having fit houses of wdrship , and observed " that devout and holy men , moved either by the secret inspiration of the blessed Spirit , or by express
command front God , or by their own reason and sense of the natural decency of things , " ( which last expression I am pleased to see inserted after the others , ) ' * have erected houses for the worship of God , " &c . Then followed suitable , prayers , collects and lessons , after which the instrument of
consecration , that is the licence , being read by the official principal , it was signed by the bishop , and the remaining part of the prayers and a sermon followed .
The ceremony of consecrating a burial ground , which took place at the same time in a neighbouring parish , is of a similar character , a mere licence to use it for the burial of the dead ; and , that it is not considered in a religious or sanctifying point of view , is evident from this circumstance , that the parish having occasion to make use of it before the bishop could come down , obtained a dispensation from his office and actually buried many bodies in the ground before the consecration took place .
I had a short time since the pleasure of hearing the first charge delivered by the present Bishop , E > r . Carey , to the clergy of this diocese , in which it appeared to me , that he was aware of his duty as chief steward of this portion qf the ecclesiastical estate ; for , excepting a slight hit at
Antlnonaianism , which he did not consider to belong to the Church-of-Engiand religion , * his design was evidently to shew , that he should make it his business to see that every of the lessees tinder this estate did h \ & duty , in the post he held under his lord . He spoke of service beipg regularly performed according to law , curates being properly paid , too pmk » service not being <* ovetovisly « fi * er ' taken # y one man , ^ pars onages bdW
Untitled Article
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Nov. 2, 1823, page 636, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1790/page/20/
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