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Norwich , Sir , February 3 , 1825 . riT ^ HE intention of some of the Cal-JL . vinistic party to attempt to plunder the Unitarians , had reached me before I saw the Repository for January ( p . 56 ) . You have spoken of that
intention in very appropriate terms . That there are individuals sufficiently regardless of their characters as men and as Christians to make such an attempt , I am not surprised ; but I am loth to believe that it can be
countenanced by the body of ortliodox Dissenters . They will probably think twice before they proceed to acts of open hostility against us . Xherp will consider well whether it be worthwhile to engage in a contest , of which the
benefit they expect to derive must , to say the very least , be exceedingly doubtful , and which must inevitably have the effect of depriving them of the advantages which they derive by their occasional union and connexion
with us . T will mention an instance or two . The Unitarian Chapel in this city was built during the ministry of Dr . John Taylor , " for the worship " ( as he expresses it in the Sermon which he preached at the opening of it ) " of the living and true God ,
through the one Mediator , Jesus Christ , according to the rules and spirit of genuine Christianity—that upon this ground the Society may be quite free to search the Scriptures , to discover , correct and reform , at any time , their own mistakes and
deficiencies , and at liberty to exercise communion with any of their Christian brethren . " During the period of his ministry , a pious and worthy lady of his congregation left a sum of money in the hands of trustees , members of
that congregation , to be by them every year distributed in such way and to such Dissenting Ministers as they and their successors might think fit , with this restriction only , that they should 1 > e resident in Norfolk or Suffolk . Now , Sir , from that time to this , the sum so left has been distributed
among- Dissenting Ministers of the Three Denominations , without regard to their creed , the only aim of the trustees having been to give it where it was most wanted . Thousands of pounds have been thus distributed by Unitarian trustees to Independent and Baptist Ministers- Tints fact the or-
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thodox Dissenters here know full well : and they also know that in no other hands would so fair a division be made ; for the Independents are well aware that if the Baptists had it in their hands , not a sixpence would
they ever receive ; nor the Baptists , if the Independents had it . It is equally notorious here , that hundreds of the ehildreri of orthodox parents have enjoyed the advantages of gratuitous education in ttie excellent school which ? is attached to the
Unitarian congregation hetfe . Twenty * five years ago , a Society was idfctituted In Norfolk for tire Relief of aged Dissenting Ministers and tfeeir Widows aa * bOrphans . To this Sacietv the members of the Unitarian
Chapel here largely contributed $ for , as appeared by the printed accounts , within five years after the formation of the Society , they had given £ 225 , \ 5 s . ± while the Independent congregation here had given only £ 87 . 8 s . Now , from the period at which the
Society was formed , up to the present moment , not a single claim has been made upon it by any Unitarian congregation or minister . But , I would ask , is it likely , can it be imagined , if this declaration of war be followed
up , that Unitarians will go on to exercise the same liberal and friendly feeling towards their orthodox brethren as they now do ? Have the latter reckoned up all the consequences which must result from the step they propose to adopt ? Let them take care . They have as yet only proceeded to words , but the moment the sword is
drawn , adieu to all the ties which now bind us to them as brother Nonconformists . I say nothing of the unkind feeling which must be engendered where friendship and good-will now exist ; I speak merely of the gross folly of their intentions : and I would
advise them , from mere motives of prudence , to desist . The zealots who urged on this pillaging scheme , have very little notion of the extent to which their friends throughout the
kingdom will instantly suffer . There is yet time for the reflecting portion of the Gaivinists to interpose and put a stop to it . If they neglect to do so , be the consequences upon their own heads . EDWARD TAYLOR .
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76 Mr . Edward Taylor on the " Evangelical " , Declaration of War .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Feb. 2, 1825, page 76, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2533/page/12/
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