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These measures have been adopted in several , if not all these towns , within the last three ' months , and in direct consequence of the extravagance of the dominant party , and particularly through the ' four days ' meetings / I mean that these meet-. ^ ingsjmtl the ^ excesses to which they
have led , have been the immediate occasion of this simultaneous and strong movement on the part of the more liberal . Unitarians there have been , for many years , decided and known Unitarians , in all these places . But they have either been so much
a minority as to think it their duty to be quiet , or they have preferred peace to division , and , however strong , have taken no advantage . But these recent extravagances , accompanied as they have been in some instances with violent denunciation
and exclusion , have been a little too much for their philosophy or their religion to bear . They have seen that the time had come to act as well as to think , to try and use their own strength , to stand forth on open high ground as the advocates of a rational
as well as earnest faith , and bring reason and religion fairly into the conflict with fanaticism and bigotry . This they have begun to do , and already the consequences are far more favourable , than could so soon have been expected , to the views we hold and the interests we cherish .
In the town of G- —«— , in the county of Worcester , where the preaching has long , if not always been orthodox , a four days' meeting was lately held with no little Vehemence . As soon as it was over , many of the society declared they
coujd not endure such things patiently , and would now see what could be done of an opposite character . They called a meeting of the parish at once , and by a vote of about one hundred and fifty to eighty , dismissed their minister . It being the condition of his settlement that he should have six months' notice of such a step , they voted his salary
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for the six months ^ but declared it their intention to suppty the pulpit themselves during the interval , leaving him entirely at liberty . This was a more prompt and decisive measure than any I have known Unitarians to adopt in similar
circumstances . However great their ma" jority an ^ " ^ TJMirprtM ™ t r "" pTnverr they have usually deliberated long , made concessions , proposed some compromise , yielded at least half their lawful rights , until compelled to assert them . This yielding and conciliating course—conciliating in its design at least — has seldom answered its purpose ; and I am
inclined to doubt its expediency m almost all cases . They to whom such concessions are made , are eitHer not disposed or not capable of appreciating them . They never yield anything themselves , and they cannot understand or reciprocate the disposition of others to " yield anything . On this account I have hardly known a case in which Unitarians have not
lost rather than gained by these concessions . They get no thanks , but something very unlike thanks . They would do better to maintain always their rights , and exercise their civil and religious privileges with a mild , liberal spirit , but resolute and unalterable purpose .
The town of L , in the same county , has always had a large number of professed Unitarians ., some of them , members of the church , but remaining under the ministration which tlie majority were supposed to prefer . Their minister used formerly to exchange with Unitarians , but has not done it for some time past , though he
has always told his liberal parishioners that Ins not exclianging ^ wifs only a prudential step , not owing to any conscientious scruples of his own , Lately he has had a four days' meeting , &c . —and now finds that he has conscientious scruples himself as to holding any ministerial intercourse with Unitarians , and has refused to do it , when formally and respectfully
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158 UNITARIAN CHRONICLE .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Sept. 1, 1832, page 158, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1819/page/14/
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