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    questions in the Assembly ' s Catechism , the matter was violently opposed , as an infringement of Christian liberty , and they divided into two paitie& -of subscribers and non-subscribers , * ' I .-132 , 163 *

    The decision of the synod was worthy of nonconformists . On dividing , it appeared that there were for subscribing articles of faith 53 , against it 57 ! This ever-memorable majority stamped ' an honour upon the cause of Dissent , and have redeemed ecclesiastical assemblies from disgrace . Coldlv as

    Mr . "Wilson writes of . the triumphant party in this part of his work , he uses , in another place , II . 6—^ 8 , the language of warm approbation which becomes therfriend of liberty . Amongst the voters at Salter ' s Hall were Thomas Reynolds , pastor of-the

    Weigh-hoiise , and James Read , his assistant : Reynolds was in favour of subscription , Read in opposition to it . The vote given ny Read caused his orthodoxy to be suspected , and he was persecuted with artful questions , and not giving answers satisfactory to

    Reynolds and his orthodox party in the church , which was the majority , Was at length dismissed . Two of the ; questions urged by the inquisitors on this occasion deserve to be recorded as a model for " such as may in future be desirous of screwing and racking conscience : they were , " ^ .

    ' * 1 . Whether a person that pays religious worship to Christ , but at the same time disowns him to be truly and properly God , ( that is , in the strictest and strongest sense of the word ) be chargeable with downright idolatry ? 2 . Whether such a one has forfeited * his claim to Christian communion ? " I . 170 .

    In this connexion , our historian uses gravely , and without a note of admiration , the phrase «* Arian heresy 1 " Protestant Dissenters ought surel y to have learnt by this time the folly of language which implies on the part of the speaker or writer theological infallibility . The pccasional mention of € t Mr . . Tollie ' s church at Sheffield / ' leads Mr . Wilsdn ( p . 177 . Note ) to name Archbishop Seeker , who , in early life was a meixvbetf pi ^ that , church , arid who ttfterwasds studied for the X > isse . nting mmistapy under the learned | rfr : / Jones , x £ / JPewkeabury . Seeker delivered a probationary , Sermon in then meetingintHXse a ^ Bolswejr , Derbyshire . Afad

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    yet the late Bishop Porteus , in his life of the ArchVtshop , hte patron , asserted that < c he never was in communion with the XJissenters !"—The Primate is cotwicted of having been a Presbvte - rian minister , in "A Collection ' of Letters and Essays in favour of Public

    Liberty , ' * published in 1774 , in 3 vols . duodecimo ; but he appears to hate purified and prepared himself for the church of England by a course of scepticism and medical study and practice ( midwifery ?) € * The Archbishop had a dissenting education , was designed for the pulpit among that people ; but had not so much freedom from

    doubtmgs , as to allow him to engage in the service o& a . public instructor in the Christian religion ; and therefore turned his thoughts to the study of physic . Bishop Talbot ' s arguments reconciled him to the faith of the civil churchestablishment , in April , 1721 , and he became more and more confirmed in

    that faith as he made his advances ia the church , till he reached the See of Canterbury . " Collection , &c . III . 34 . One of the most interesting

    biographical sketches in the D History , is that of Samuel Wilton ^ D- . pastor of the church , formerly Presbyterian , now Independent , at the \ Veigh-house . Dr . Wilton distinguished himself as an ardent friend and able advocate of

    religious liberty . He took , an active part in the application of the Dissenting ministers to parliament for relief from subscription , and . published in 1773 "An Apology for the Renewal of an Application , " and in 1774 , " A Review of some of the Articles of the

    Church of England , to which a Subscription is required of Protestant Dissenting Ministers . " The latter publication 19 still read and admired and will never be out of date whilst the articles continue to be imposed as a test of orthodoxy in the parliamentary church . With other eminent

    faculties of mind , Dr . Wilton possessed a very strong , and retentive memory , it was partly from his memory , as well as that of Dr < Furneaux , that hord Mansfield ' s celebrated speech , establishing the right of Dissenters to

    exemption from office in corpo rations , was published . A good portrait ot him ornaments this part of the J « story . ' Dh Wilfc > n'fe ' public character is the rpore tfbpervable ori account of « u ' .. " / I / - ¦* " ¦ '•

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    4 | # Review .-1—JVilsofbs Dissenting Churdkes . 1 \ . v

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1816, page 412, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2454/page/40/