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( ore they asked wore wjieji they ap * plied for . fke . samte indulgence * Td fee sure they proposed to maintaitf the formalities a , s to banns and registration , but they gave jio security , for the parties being bond fi ( i $ Unitarians , nor , for the
character of their ministers . As to the fees to be received , that \ vas a subject that he spoke of vvith some regret . and doubt * It was very true , that in large towns a considerable part of the emoluments of the clergy arose from marriage
fees ; and he was most unwilling to take from them any portion of those fees , or any otru * r part of their . income . Still he was very unwilling to plaice the minister in the situation which this Bill -would
place him . In his view , th £ Chiirch lose more by this plan . in privilege than in emolument . It placed the minister in several respects , In a disagreeable predicament . At present , the gracious part of the service , that of uniting two per- * sons attached to each other , lay with
lam , and that kind and pleasurable office was often remembered with gratitude through life . Ufecler , this Bill that gracious part of the office was transferred , and the minister of the Church had only to appear in i the odious character of a
tax-gatherer and an imposer of delays and forms . He felt therefore great difficulty hi retaining thkt : clause , at the same time that he did not like , by giving it up , to offer any sort of premium to dissent . '
Lord £ Joli < and observed , that theques * tion was so plain > and so ably elucidated by the Noble President of the Council , and especially by the most Reverend Metropolitan— -in . such a Christian dispose tion , he would add , as proved that the Church of England deserved much of the credit attributed to it by a Noble Lord
( Calthorpe )—that he could say but little on the question . Some objections , however , had been urged to the Bill bf a Right Reverend Prelate , and b y the M © i ble and Learned Earl on the woolsack * to which he would shortly address - Irita- > sel f ; aad he did hope that the Mdble and Learned fcord would not leave the House
without entering a little into sortie explanation of the opinions he had offered to-nighc . And first , as to the Right ; Reverend Prelate ( the Bishop of Chester ) - There was ; a figure of rhetoric which they had aH beaixl used but too often in that
House , and on this sort of occasion $ th&ti when iMflian jvas about to violate any Important and received principle , he thou ^ hf it necessary to begin bV very loud ancf anxious praise of it ; Trveauing it | Uieend to violate . it . - Bhetttrician ® M tVis de- > 1
scnption dealt with suchprinciples ! Sis hbertines- did with weak woiiien , think-
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\ &g that the ttroist certain vrtif to \ viii them to the !* ruin ^ and W lii re to det struction , was tlie applicatidEi of extravagant praise and compliments The Reverend Prelate had begun his speech Vy observing , that never was man mare
deeply impressed with the principles of toleration than himself . He ( Lord Holland ) believed hirii ; but he was sbri 7 tb observe that the Rt . Rev : Prelate , witfi so inuch in his breast , should so seldom ap ^ prove of arty particular application of his general doctrine . The lit . Bev . Prelate
considered that the scruples of certain individuals Were not such as ought to be respected by Noble Lords , and had entered into a detailed and ingenious ai ^ gutnent to shew that there were iio grounds for such scruples . Now really , in the first place , every man was himself the best judge of
his own scruples . If a man told hini that he felt them , he ( Lord Holland ) knew not what right he had to doubt his sincerity . The individual must be judged by his own lan ^ iage and actions , and not by the opinion of another , however learned the personage might be . The Right
Reverend Prelate had said , that the Unitarian , in the marriage service , was pot required to subscribe or repeat any thing contrary to his conscience , and that oh other occasions he repeats the very words he here objects to ; that is tq say ^ hej repeats iheih on an occasion a ^ nd in a sense In which he thinks them used id
scripture , in the sense which he affijCes to them , and which is _ Jknown and understood in his '( th ( fe Unitarian ' s ) church . But really this \ vas a mbst criiel reqcti ^ itioh . Thcf Unitarian was to be required to repeat words to wliich it was avotve . d the priest annexed bhe tneahing and he another . Could it be wondered at that
the Unitarian objected to ^ he repe tition of Words id this way ? . . Btit' thori c ^ me the Benedictibiv ; and ^ the Learned Prelat e sllpt Over this Very ingeniously . It does the Unitarian no good , ip J > e sure , h ^
said : but < lid it do him any harm ? Good God ! was this tlie language they were to hear , and from a prelate too ? Was this the way such * matters were to be disposed ? Why then did tie renounce the
Virgin Mary arid the invocation of saints ? Would it l > e painful to him to join lti sudi worship ? " Atid \ vhy then did hk erect himself intp a judge of the UnitJiriah ' s c 6 iisciehce ? It was quite cleiar that such matters must be paJaiftft and
levoitihg . ** Oh ! but , " ( said the LWd ChaticeHor ^) " they n ever founfi it oii i tilt tK& Adt agafrist them w > s repealed .. Why , h& asked , had they never foun ^ but fcMt Jtefore ? : Wiiy did they iievei coiii-|> laki ? Tte Nf <) We and LeahHeii Lord , 111 the lumber of years he had held his pre-
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hitelligeftce ^ Parliamentaryy : Unitarians' Marriage Milt * 249
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VOL . XIX . 2 K
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), April 2, 1824, page 249, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2523/page/57/
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