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turners mo ^ t ; deeply and generally feel is of a different nature : ^—tteeir universal exclusion .-from all cbe offices of society conferring honour , trust and emolument , although they are called on to contribute , their full share to all the burthens an 4 expenses of the ; State * evten those levied
for purposes purely Ecclesiastical , is , doubtless " , a particular injury to some few of their body who might otherwise , probably , be occasionally appointed to such situations;—but this is an evil light and trivial compared with the grievance of which they principally complain , viz * that , by this exclusion , they are all ,
indiscriuiinately , held up to public odium , as unworthy to be admitted to such participation ; and they ask from what portion of this dishouour can the Indemnity Acts relieve them ; or how restore them to that , their just station , from which , for no crime either proved or even im * puted , they have beed so harshly thrust away ?
That your petitioners humbly conceive , that even allowing the abstract right of employing all means for the defence of an established religion , it would still re * main doubtful whether such restrictive laws confer any real security \ and far more so , such a degree of it as to render
expedient the use of weapons so questionable ; but that , on the contrary , jus * tice and liberality are the natural sources of strength and safety , while danger is the far more commou result of suspicious policy and oppressive conduct . In this
opinion , also , your petitioners are again supported by the same royal authority before quoted , as recorded in your journals , viz . €€ that granting ease to Dissenters would contribute very much to the establishment of the Church . "
They farther presume to represent , tliat the specific test imposed is liable to the imputation of profaning a solemn rite of Christian worship , to the great disgust of many religious members of the Established Church , aud to the scandal of religion itself : and that it is farther
objectionable , because it can only deter the conscientious , while it is wholly powerless against unprincipled ambition . But that ou sucli arguments , as affecting themselves , your petitioners are little
disposed to insist , because , by any other impediment equally efficient , they would still deem themselves equally aggrieved ; and that , for the impropriety of the test , those who ordain it > and not those who suffer under it , are responsible .
On the wholfc , your petitioners humbly pray this Honourable House to take the premiss inio their serious consideration , and to grant them relief : and they persuade themselves , that the improvement ^
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of their situation already caoc ^ wa , go far from affording any Jasfc reason far expecting them to continue passive under the re am ants of the gall leg yokey ma # rather be regarded ais aft eire <* tf # ageme ** $ from the Legislature , respectfully , but frankly , to submit to its wisdom ; the
expediency of abolishing every fragment Of that system of restraint oa religious pro * fession , which had its origin ia times <> £ darkness and intolerance , a ^ wtd by which your petitioners are to this day severely * and , as they presume to think , injuriously affected . And your petitioners shall ever pray * &c .
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Intelligence . ' H —ParliamejaHry . * Petitfan § f the Rev . Robert Taylor . 8 t
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JUNB 18 . Petition of the Rev . Robert Taylor for Religious Liberty . Mr . Hume presented a petition frofli the Rev . Robert Taylor , Clerk , Bachelor
of Arts , and Secretary to the Society of Benevolence in the city of Dublin . The prayer of the petition was , that he might be permitted to open a chapel for the worship of Almighty God , without any reference to the authorities of antiquity . The Honourable Member took occasion
to express his disapprobation of the pro ^ secutions which were going forward every day on account of religious opinions . Nothing , in his mind , could be more injudicious than the severe punishments which were inflicted . It was shocking to observe such , bigotry and persecution in this
enlightened age ; and if the j udges were to imitate the disgraceful conduct of the Recorder of London , it would bring the whole bench into disrepute * It was monstrous to find , that because a man conducted his own defence , he should be sentenced to three years' imprisonment ..
He thought the persecutors were worse than those persecuted , for they were subr orners of the crime . The practice was disgraceful in the highest degreed - He was sorry he did not see in their place any of the Law Officers of the Crown . He
had had the petition for some days , but was unable to find any of the Learned Gentlemeu in their place ; and he trusted that that portion of his Majesty ' s Ministers who were not bigots or persecutors , would put an end to this disgraceful
system . Mr . Wynn said it would have feeen mufch better if the Honourable Member had presented the petition in the presence of the Attorney or Solicitor-General , or
the Secretary of State for the Home Department ; for these prosecutions must of course be carried on under the authority of the Secretary of State . With respect to the q uantum of punishment , that must
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), June 2, 1824, page 381, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2525/page/61/
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