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proceeding . Lord Sid mouth broug ht his . crude notions into mrliamenn and obtained leave ,
though he was resisted with great energy by Lords Holland and Stanhope , to bring in a bill designed , as the deputies of the three deno minations term it , to abridge our religious liberty . The deputies had a meeting upon the subject , and entered into very judicious resolutions , which they
published , and agreed to petition the legislature against the bill . Their resolutions purport , that the freedom of public assemblies for relig ious worship and instruction , under such teachers , as men shall
choose for themselves , is an inalienable right , and in its peaceable exercise to be protected by the civil magistrate . It has been recognized * n the Toleration . Act , and its abridgement is designed by the present bill , whose tendency is to deprive the lower classes
of the community of those opportunities , which they have enjoyed to attend public worship and religious instruction under teachers of their own choice .
This act of the deputies shews , that they were at their posts , and watchful of every attempt against the rights of the bodies , which they represent ; but , since the formation of this delegated trust , anew body of Dissenters has arisen of far greater importance and far niore numerous . They go under the general name of Methodists ,
a&d to their efforts it is chiefly owing , that our poorer Christian brethren receive the benefits of religious instruction . What greater praise can be given ? c < To the
poor the gospel is preached /* are the words of our holy Maste ^ and to that test we would bring every
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religious community . Is your instruction , your institution , for the benefit of the rich or poor ? Differing as tve do from the Methodists in several points of
doctrine , we do most heartily applaud their zeal , and in general their method ; and it gave us the sincerest satisfaction and pleasure to see N that the attempt of Lord Sidmouth had called forth the
energy of this respectable body of serious friends to religious liberty . They had a very large meeting , comprehending members of other denominations , in which a petition was agreed upon to the ffouse of Lordsj and a committee was appointed to conduct the measure * Several resolutions were directed
to be communicated to the committee for guarding the privileges of the Methodists , and to the deputies of the three denominations . The resolutions state , that there
are at least two millions of Protestant Dissenters in the kingdom of England and Wales , not inferior to any of their fellow subjects in fervent love to their country ,
or ardent loyalty to their sovereign ; that though they considered the right to worship God , according to individual judgment , as an inalienable right , jet they had lived satisfied under the Act of
Toleration , which they have perceived with extreme regret is attempted to be violated by a bill ^ introduced by Lori > Sidmouth , of which the foundation is incorrect , and
the introduction is not justified by any necessity , but will be highly injurious to the country if passed into a law ; that disregarding all doctrinal and ritual distinctions .
they will cooperate in every legitimate effect to prevent the bill from passing into a law , and op-i
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State of Public Affairs . 30 $
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), May 2, 1811, page 309, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2416/page/53/
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