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affect the real interests of the Church . If it did , none would be a more decided opponent than himself . But he could not see anything in it which in any degree did that . Neither could he admit the force
of that prelate's objections to the validity of the Unitarian ' 3 scruples . As to the repetition of ' * the Father , the Son aud Holy Ghost , " he confessed that it did appear to him to be a strange cavil to object to words which they themselves used . But then came the benediction ,
and there , he fuirly confessed , tie could conceive most serious objections in the mind of a person feeling a conscientious difficulty in giviug an implied assent to a doctrine which he disbelieved , on one of the most solemn occasions . But really the question was not whether they
understood the scruple , and admitted its validity , but whether it was a scruple , bond fide entertained : —that was the true question . He would not go so far as to say , that auy person was entitled to relief on account of scruples which might be obviously frivolous and unimportant , but no one could sav this was such a case .
Would their Lordships allow themselves to be blessed in the name of Mahomet ? And yet , perhaps , the case might not be very different in the mind of an Unitarian to having a benediction in the name of JHahomet .
Lord Chancellor . " Would you permit a Mahometazi to set up his religious scruples ?" Lord Harrowby . " Why not ?—Why not a Mahometan as well as a Jew ?—I ask , why not a Mahometan ? Marriage Is , as we consider it , a civil ceremony ;
to which , to give it a more binding and solemn character to the parties , we affix a religious ceremony . The very object of this is to make it binding < ui conscience . And how would you effect this , by beginning at the very outset with
violating and offending the very conscience on which you depend ? " Feeling the justice of the claim as strongly as he did , he would wish to give relief without endangering any of the civil sanctions of society , much less would he injure the Church . This led him to the Lord
Chancellors objection . If he could see that the Church was to be made auxiliary to the encouragement of Dissent , lie would as decidedly as any one object ; and on this ground he did feel some difficulty as to the provision for granting licences . But how otherwise was the
Church brought forward , except as its officers act in a civil capacity ? Banns were published in Church , because from the number of persons present publicity is given . The register might be as well done by a layman as a clergyman . It did
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happen , however , it was and very properly , confided to the Church ; but this was not in an ecclesiastical capacity . Perhaps the banns might be altogether left to be proclaimed in the places of
worship of the . Unitarians , and then the objection would be totally removed . He regretted to see such jealousy on such subjects . He was attached to the Church ; he was zealous for its dignity and security ; but he could not see how these were
advanced by raising objections light as air into importance . He objected to much of the Bill as at present framed , but would go into a Committee where it could be improved . Lord Calthorpe could not help feeling that the degree of relief which this Bill afforded ought to be granted to the
Unitarians , as offering them an opportunity of being married without any violation of their principles ; for he thought the strength of the Church did not , and could notarise from persecution . She loved to relieve the honest scruples of men , if , at the same time , she could satisfy herself that the measure of relief was consistent
with great aud important interests . Considering the remarkable observance of the decencies and proprieties of life by the sect of Unitarian Dissenters , and considering their regular and exemplary discharge of the duties of their situations , which afforded the Church a sufficient
guarantee for the due and proper performance of this solemn rite by their ministers , the Church ought not to press her forms upon them too strictly . At the same time , he thought she owed it to herself to seek a separation from persons so totally opposed to her ; and he could not help thinking that she ought
to do something which would effectually prevent them from being identified with her . —Feeling , as he did , that the doctrine of the Trinity was affirmed by the English Church ; that it formed the base of her structure ; and that it was infused into all her articles ; lie could not help thinking that she was bound to shew to those individuals who differed
from her in that essential point , however respectable they might be , that she could encourage no ecclesiastical com in union with them . He wished to do justice to the merits of the Unitarians , aud he should do them great injustice if he did not recognize the excellence of those virtues which had often placed them in the foremost ranks of the friends of
humanity and truth ; but while he said this , he could not refrain from broadly and decidedly expressing his dissent from the lamentable opinions they held . He called those opinions lamentable , for they appeared to him to strip the Christian reli-
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246 Intelligence *— -Parliamentary : Unitarians * * Marriage Bill .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), April 2, 1824, page 246, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2523/page/54/
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