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    lied , arid so established . If their Lordships thought proper to change the Con * stitution by passing such a . Bill as the present , to such a proceeding . he was no party . He acted upon his own opinion , from what he believed ehe conscientious discharge of his duty , as he had to answer to God . He would vote alone upon the Bill before it should pass . It was a matter of surprise to him that , from the period of 1662 to the present moment ,

    no attempt should have been made in that House to get rid of that species of test , if it were , in fact , so objectionable . Nothing should induce him , unless there were considerable alterations in the Bill , to give it his support . What the wisdom of our ancestors had left unimpaired for ages , and which had secured , not only the happiness of this country , but , s he was inclined to believe , the happiness ; of the world , ought to be preserved for posterity .

    The Bishop of Landaff stated that the Bill , in his opinion , contained abundant security for the Church . Too much was said of the wisdom of our ancestors , and the danger of making alterations in the forms they had bequeathed to us .

    So long as their Lordships maintain * ed the principles of the Constitution in Church and State , they might , without any impeachment of the wisdom of their forefathers , submit to the amendments of form which time and circumstances demanded .

    Lord Redesdaix said it was quite absurd to compel the King of England to be a member of the church , and at the same time to pass a Bill by which he would have the power of appointing Ministers who might be adverse to it . The Earl of Eldon proposed , as an

    amendment to the first clause , " That persons already qualified by taking the sacramental test before passiug of the Bill should not be required to take the declaration also ; and that those persons who were willing to take the sacramental test should be allowed to do so under

    the existing laws instead of taking the Declaration . " Lord Ellenborough opposed it . Lord Harrow by followed on the same side . The Bishop of Chester and the Earl of Eldon exchanged some rather warm language . The amendment moved by the Earl of Eldon was then put , and lost without a division .

    On the motion for passing the Declaration as It stood , being put , the Duke of Wellington / to conciliate opinions ,

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    proposed , as an amendment , that the test should open with the words— " I do solemnly and sincerely , in the presence of Almighty God , profess , testify , and declare . ** The clause as amended was agreed to . The Earl of Eldon proposed that the word " swear" should be substituted for the word " declare . " Lord Tenteruen wished the

    Committee to adopt the word " swear' * for " declare . " Lord Ellenborough opposed it . The Bishop of Llandaff recommended the adoption of the words "upon the faith of a Christian , " instead of making it an oath . ' *

    The Earl of Malmesbory was desirous of extending relief only to Christians—not to * those who called themselves Dissenters , but who were not Christians ; for his Lordship , even in these liberal times , was of opinion , that the sect calling themselves Unitarians were not Christians , strictly speaking ; and his Lordship would not willingly admit them into office .

    Lord Tenterden was of opinion that sufficient consideration had not been paid to the distinction between the qualification for corporation and other offices . He ( Lord Tenterden ) would humbly press upon their Lordships' attention the expediency of considering whether there ought not to be a material difference between the two Acts in the measure before the Committee . His

    Lordship intended to vote for the amendment ; and he was induced to do so with the hope that , before the Bill finally received the sanction of the House , it might be provided that the offices in the corporations should be filled by members of the Church of England ; but he ( Lord Tenterden ) did not wish to restrict the lest Act to the same narrow terms or limit !* .

    The Earl of Harrowby opposed the amendment in one of the ablest speeches yet delivered on the Bill . The Bishop of Durham supported the amendment . Lord Carnarvon said he should conclude by giving his vote for the word declare , instead of the word swear .

    The Bishop of Chester having made some observations on the importance of the question before the House , said he would vote for the word " declare /' iustead of " swear , " being introduced . The Bishop of Bath and Wells concurred . The Marquis of Lansdownb opposed the amendment in an animated speech *

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    ItiteUigJnct <~ G <> iW 9 mtion and Test Actf . 350

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), May 2, 1828, page 350, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2560/page/67/