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a village *** Oxfordshire , called Ewelme . That , indeed , was a village interesting to the lovers of picturesque scenery and of antiquarian research ; but to him , from the proceedings he should teil about , had become a village in which he should feel deeply interested to his dying day . ( Hear , hear . J The rectory , with a
rauonry at Christ Church , Oxford , by the gift of King James , was connected with the Regius Professorship of Divinity in that University . It is held by the Bishop of Landaff . Mr . Hertford , a Baptist Missionary Preacher ? entered the parish to disseminate doctrines that he deemed as seeds , of which the blossoms were
fragrant and the harvest good . Here , too , a peasant registered his cottage as a place of religious meeting for some neighbouring labourers , and Mr . Heafford occasionally preached . The worth of those uncompensated labours would be best illustrated by their effects . That a mere cottager should venture to introduce preaching into a parish once
celebrated for its chalybeate spring , for its " polyphonous echo , " for its wide-spreading elms , for its prospects of a delightful valley , through which the Thames or Isis gently flowed , and without episcopal authority , gave to the Right Rev . Prelate great offence . He deputed a messenger to Amos Norroway , the poor man whom he was presenting to their notice . By the curate he had been visited . His
eloquence could not induce the peasant to shut his door ; and as persuasion was xmavaiiing , he told him , unless he would desist from permitting the visits of the Dissenter , he should hear further about it . Gentlemen , ( continued Mr . Wilks , ) this poor man was thus placed by his firmness and integrity in a situation in which more lettered and wealthier men
might have been overcome . He was but a labourer , a day labourer . But mark the influence of religion on the mind ! Not only does it improve the manners , and breathe tenderness into the heart , but it bestows a matchless energy on the mind . It gave a mild but constant lustre
even to the sons of want , such as the artificial lights of mere wealth and pomp and learning never could confer . Amos , returning from his daily labour , found that the Bishop ' s servant had been to his . dwelling / and had said , " The Bishop desires you will come up tomorrow morning / ' " Bless me / ' said
Amos , " what cam he want with me ? I dare say > it is about the preaching /* " Well / ' said his < wife , " had you not better give it up ? " « No / ' said Amos Norroway , « > l will not give it up , t <* Pfltowi 0 . Ji ftfd * not while * my life shall ^• ' Wflittly would no % vnnh me ««* bom muth hatoier now we a ***
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( Loud applau&e . ) ' * Wei 1 / ' says the good wife , " you art ? right tAm 6 s ; persevere ; trust iin God , Amos , and fear not . ( L&ud and vehement applause . ) ** And will you visit the Bishop ? " says the wife . ** O yes / ' says Amos , " t must go and see him . " In the morning , dressed , doubtless , in his best leather breeches and a clean
smock-frock , he visited the parsonage . { A laugh , ) He went . See the poor peasant knocking at the door , opened by livery servants ; Amos ushered into the hall , the servants wondering what their lordly master could want with this labouring man . " Your name , friend /* was
asked . " Amos Norroway . " He was announced . He enters the Bishop ' s library , and in his own words" I will relate , said Mr . Wilks , what is reported to me
to have been the dialogue . I prefer , said Mr . Wilks , to give you his own words , because you might think that too great warmth of feeling made me caricature ,, and tint in too lively colours , this memorable interview . That interview reminded
him of ancient times—of times , he thought , gone by for ever—of dialogues they might yet read about in Fox ' s Martyrology . Yes , it reminded him that faith was ever faith—religion ever was religion—manly principle yet was manly principle — and though they might view many fluctuation 3 in society with pain , yet there was
something in every human heart which , when touched , would vibrate ; and hence sometimes man in every climate , under every circumstance , possessed a simple native greatness which proved him little lower than an angel , by his Creator crowned with glory and honour . ( Applause . ) You will observe , said Mr . Wilks , the poor
peasant in the company of the Bishop . " Norroway , what is it I hear of you ? I understand you encourage a Methodist preacher at your house . " ( Sharply . ) Norroway . — " Yes , Sir , I do . He has been several times , and here is the license of the house . " I have a copy of the license in my hand , but will not trouble you with reading it . The Bishop looks at it , and
reads it . I need not state to you , gentlemen , that it came from the Deputy Registrar of the diocese of Oxford , who certified that the certificate was brought into the Registry the 31 st Dec . 1819 . " This never came from Oxford / ' says the Bishop ; " it is a forgery . " " Yes , " says Norroway , " it comes from the Bishop's office at Oxford ; Mr . Heaflford brought it . " ( Shewing the certificate . )
" Oh , oh , " says the Bishop ; " why any house , or any blockhead , may be licensed for eighteen-pence . Well , what is the reason for your holding meetings at your house ?? ( Laughter . ) " Because / ' says Norroway , " by the preaching of the gosjpel , Ihave been lied to see that lam
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fn $# lltgen € & . ~ Prote 8 tant Society : Mr * Wilhtf * Speech . 489
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Aug. 2, 1820, page 489, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2491/page/45/
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