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a sinner , and I am desirous that others should go to heaven as well as myself . " ( Great applause . ) " To what denomination / ' says the Bishop , " does your preacher belong ?* ' The poor man hesitated . " Is he Methodist , Independent ,
Wesleian , Calvinist or Baptist , or what ?" The poor man was still silent . * ' You are a pretty fellow , not to know whom you belong to ! " ( Sneering . ) ( A laugh . ) " What is your preacher ? Is he a shoemaker , or cobbler , or what ? " " He is a preacher of the gospel , " says Amos , and belongs to a Missionary Society in London , and follows no trade or business
besides . " " Where does he preach ?" said the Bishop . " At Watlingrou and Chalgrove , Stadhampton and Ewelme , " answers Norroway , " besides other places . " When the Bishop replies , ' « I think it a vp « ry mean and scandalous trick for such a fellow to enter villages , and lead the best of the people astray from the Church . " < c The gentleman , " replied Norroway ,
means no such thing , Sir ; he comes to Instruct the ignorant , and teach poor people the way to heaven . " ( sJpplause . J " Why , " said the Reverend Bishop , " all the people of this parish belong to me , ( loud laugh , ) and if I suffer any person to lead them astray , I must be answerable for them . " Ah , dire responsibility ,
too often and too long forgotten ! " But if they will not come to church , that they may be saved , that is their own fault ; but I should wish you to know that I can preach as good doctrines as that fellow , let him be who he may ; and if you were to hear me , perhaps you would like me as well as him . "
Norroway— I have never heard you , Sir , and I have never attended at church . since the Lord gave me to see that salvation is all of grace , through faith in Christ , without the deeds of the law . " " But is there not grace , " replies the Bishop , " to be found in the church ? " Norroway— " Yes , I believe the grace of God is in his
church ; but then that church is a congregation of good and faithful men . " ( Loud and long-continued applause . ) The Bishop then said , " I tell you what , Norroway , I am highly offended with you . " He , Mr . Wilks , did not wonder the Bishop began to be weary of his guest . We generally , said he , close discussions angrily , loudly , abruptly , when we have
nothing more to say . " I tell you what , Norroway , " says the indignant Prelate , " I am highly offended with you , and , unless you give up your meetings , you shall feel the effect of my displeasure ; but if you give' them up , I will take no further notice of it . " The poor man had doubtless never read the lines of Racine , — " Je crains Dieu , cher Aimery et n ' ai point d ' ewtre crainte . "— " I fear God . but
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kuow no other fear . " But he felt the sentiment uttered by the heroic Hebrew —and the scene once acted in the plain of Dura by the captive Jews , before the Babylonish monarch , was again performed ; - —they could aot yield- —nor could the British peasant . ( Cries of bravo , and
loud applause . ) " Sir , " replied Norroway , " I cannot promise to give them up . " " Why cannot you give them up , as well as begin them ? " the Bishop continued . " However , if you do not give up your meetings , I will do all in my power to make you ; for I am determined to put a stop to them , so you may go
about your business . " To which , said Norroway * " Good morning , Sir . " Thus the conference was ended . ( Laughter . ) You will suppose , said Mr . Wilks , after the Bishop had thus invited a competition between the Baptist teacher and
himself , ( a laugh , ) that he would have begun to adopt the » ame means as were adopted by that worthy man ; that he would have visited some of the cottages of the poor , aud conversed with them familially , and proved that he could sympathise with them in their distresses , and practically point the path to heaven .
Then , indeed , they should suppose , episcopacy would resume her best and ancient honours . Those every true friend of religious liberty would wish to see her wear . But , no ! power , not argument , was to decide the fray . Scarcely was it credible , but it was true—the poor man has been served with a notice to leave
his cottage . But , gentlemen , ahall he quit ? ( No , no , no , from various parts of the room . ) No , gentlemen , not , said Mr . Wilks , if I spend the last fragment of my fortune , he shall not ! ( Very loud and long-continued marks of approbation . )
No ! gentlemen , he may quit that cottage , but there shall be reared in that village another modest cottage for that poor man ! And he shall not be perforce a wanderer ! It shall be a cottage such as becomes me to build and him to dwell
in . It shall not be a chapel , but a cottage ; and I hope that often thence the pious prayer shall ascend , giaieful as incense , and that , amidst the stillness of the summer ' s eve , or tempest of a wintry night , the melodies of praise shall echo through the vale . On the front of that cottage shall be placed this inscription , " An Asylum from Persecution . " And when
the Bishop alternates his abode from his palace at Landqff' to his canonry at Oxford , and from Oxford to this village , this inscription will meet his eye , and then " to supper with what appetite he may V But , gentlemen , continued Mr . Wilks , I do not think that this Prelate will long there remain . An earchitpiscopal mitre might atyait his brfcwl But
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490 Intelligence . —Protestant Society : Air . Wilks * 8 Speech .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Aug. 2, 1820, page 490, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2491/page/46/
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