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iians had at present no just cause for . complaint . He wished , however , to meet this important subject fairly and without reserve * aad be would , iherefare * admit that the marriage service of the Church added ablessing by the minister , in
theibllowing words : " God the Father , God the Son , aed God the Holy Ghost , b 3 ess , "&a Put here he would ask , if the Uuitarian did not couceii ^ f himself to receive any good from a benediction iu the name or mode of Deity , which he did not admit ,
still could he think it did him any harm ? He could have no objection to its being given In the terms which , in the apprehension of the minister of the Church , adequately described the Being whom he adored . The Unitarian was not bcrand
to assent to the accuracy of those terms . He might affix to them what meaning he pleased . There was no force or compulsion upon him to induce him to acquiesce iu them . The very minister who used
them , probably knew that he did not acquiesce in them , and how , therefore , was he aggrieved ? He ( the Bishop of Chester ) would deal with a 4 Jtiitarian as he should himself wish to be dealt with
under similar circumstances . Were he in a foreign country—in a country of Jews , of Catholics or Mussulmen—and it were necessary foi \ him to marry there , no consideration on earth should induce him to subscribe to any form of words , or to
declare his assent to any doctrines contrary to his own conviction . But m things indifferent in themselves , even though he might consider them as absurd or false , he should consider any objection as ridiculous , and should hold himself bound to couipjy with the established laws and
ceremonies of the country . Now really , the objection of the Unitarians to conform to the marriage ceremony of the Established Church , appeared to him to be of the latter description . It did not appear to him , that , by acquiescing in the terms of that ceremony , they could
be considered in foro conscientite , as sinning against any law , either of God or of man . As to the machinery of the Bill , the present was not the fit opportunity to discuss it ; but he would just observe , that in the Bill which regulated the marriages of Jews and Quakers , it was
provided that both parties must be either Jews or Quakers . If the present Bill passed into a law , let not the House lay the flattering unction to their souls that the same privileges and immunities would
not be required by the . other sects of Dissenters . Although he was far from wishing to say any thing against the Unitarians , he really did not think that they ought to be considered as a favourite sect . If , therefore , the other sects of
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Dissenters Were to he invested with the same privileges , let their Lordships consider what a falling off there would be in the number of marriages celebrated by ministers of the Established Church , and what a diminution of their emoluments .
He certainly did not mean to lay any great stress on this last argument * If ; the Dissenters were entitled to this indulgence , let it be granted to them . x < Fiat justitia ruat caelum" But unquestionably the effect of such a measure would be , and especially in large
manufoctunog towns , such as those within his own diocese , to make little livings still less . Now really it seemed hardly fair to deprive the possessors of those little livings of a portion of that stipend which was akeady sufficiently scanty . Marriage fees formed a large part of the stipend
pf those clergy who always resided on their livings , faithfully discharging all their sacred functions , and from whom , therefore , it would be very hard to deduce so important a portkwi of their income . He was aware that the Bill continued ' u the usual and accustomed fee * ' to the
minister of the Church , but it was well known that the fee fixed by the law wa ^ not the one usually given . Such was the view which he took of the question . Whatever effect the arguments which he had urged might have on their Lordships *' minds , he could assure them that they
had produced conviction in his owb . He should be extremely sorry if the opinions which he ha < J expressed should give offence to smy person . It was far from M& wish to give any such offence . But he was not so unobservant of the signs of the times as not to remark that those
who were most clamorous for religious toleration for themselves , were the least indined to grant even a little toleration to others . If , also , he had the misfortune to diflfer from any of those with whom it would be his pride and pleasure to agree * that would be to him a source © f still
deeper regret ; but every such circumstance was comparatively unimportant , when put iu competition with duty . " Amieu 8 Plato , sedmagis arnica verka&S * He trusted , that on all questions in which the interests and the stability of the Church of England were concerned , their
Lordships would never shew anything like apathy or indifference ; that they would think that in all these things , ** tva res agitur" He trusted that their Lordships would , on the present occasion , exclaim . ,
if not in the exact words , at least in the spirit and feeling of the ancient Barons" Nolumus leges EccLESiiE mutarij ' Lord Harrowby perfectly agreed with the last speaker as to the duty of that House , if the Bill did , as he supposed ,
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JnUttigeme ^ Parlwineniuryt Umtntfam * Mermnge BUk 2 M
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), April 2, 1824, page 245, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2523/page/53/
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