The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-02-03 00:00:00

/7.17 DA MAN SOCIETY.

The menthers of this society dined together yesterday at the
London Tavern, to celebrate the opening of the Finsbury Chapel,
which took place on Sunday, the Ist instant. The Reverend 111 r.
Fox, for whom the Chapel was built, and to compliment
whom the dinner was principally given, took the choir at file o clock.
The arrangements were highly creditable to the stewards, as well
as to the landlord of the tavern, by whom the dinner was served up
in excellent style. ►mnuudiarety after dinner, Non Nobis portiere
was sung with very good ether. by the professional singers in
attendance.

The CiiatillAW, after having proposed the health of the King,
rose and said, he fcludhat ro individual ever et:ruined the place he
now filled who had greater claims upon the charity of his auditors.
Ile had been worn out in mind and body, in a great degree, by the
services of yesterday ; and he was pleased to perceive that there
were many around him who would better contribute to the
enjoyment of the afternoon. The toast he was about to give
was one in every way important. There could be no civil with-
out religions !leen% —religious liberty, which is a civil right,
and to which men feel so strongly and so naturally attnthed ;
the deprivation of which ha* been the cause of more severe con.
fliers, and occasioned more debasement, than the deprivation of
any other civil right whatever. And if men have the right of
speaking on the character of a dead Monarch, how much more
should they have the right to speak of the evet.living God ? But
whether the cause of religious liberty was a successful or a
defeated one, such were the principles of that assembly, that
they noun be of it, because it was the cause to which their
reason and their hearts were unalterably attached. The Re.
verend Gentleman concluded by pmpostrig, " Civil and Reli-
gions Liberty all over the world." lie afterwards observed, that
as they were met together as friends to the Unitarian emote, the
cause which is so intimately connected with the freedom and dere-
lopetnent ref the human mind, they could not forget that the kohl,.
ledge of its truth and importance, and their sell torn,' spread, were
the fruit of the labours of men who were now gone to their rest,
but whose names deserved immortality. He Avoid select from the
many one which they would hear in silence ; but when so many
presented themselves to his memoir, he must mention a few. Dv.
Price, that warm and noble-hearted man, who was so useful when
America was struggling for the independence which she now
possesses; Wakefield, whose literary talents and acquirements
would never be forgotten ; Lindsay, whose stern integrity re-
sisted every temptation—who went forth, like the Patriarch
of old, not knowing where he went, hut trusting to Provi-
dence for his guide ; Itedlar, he who so long led men to think and
to reflect on all that they were and might be : but there was a name
in which the attributes of all these were combined, and that was
the name of Priestley. The memory of Dr. Priesdey was drunk
In solemn silence.
The }tev. Mr. A SPLAND. in rising to propose a toast, which he
obeetved could not be so well proposed by the Chairman, observed
that an age was scarcely gone by when Unitarianism was roof.dercd a contraband commodity, which could only be smuggled into
this country ; but happily. now the broad arrow of the King had
been put upon it. lie spoke of the obligations which Unitarians
owed to the Howie of Brunswick tin the liberal principles which
they had successfully instilled into the minds of their various Illi-
nisteta. Ile knew they had introduced into this country the feel.
ings of toleration which now existed in it. lie observed, that the
Society, whose removal to a more suitable place of worship they
now met to celebrate, was no new Soci,ty, bu. one which had long
existed, and which had gradually spread to its present extent.
One of its oldest Ministers WWI Mr. Vallee, who was loved by
many, especially by the young, while he ministered among then,.
Ile related an anecdote, which, he said, spoke more forcibly than
any words could do the character of the man. A person applied to
hint (the lice. Mr. Aspland), a short time since tOr "a piece of
ground," in which to bury his wife : and he said, that so warmly
did she cherish the memory of the good man, Mr. Vidler, that her
dying request was, that her remains might be laid beside those of
her former pastor. The Rev. Gentleman commented at consider.
able length on the advantages which had arisen from the removal 1
of the congregation front Parliament-court to Finsbury. place; and
he reminded the assembly that they were in want of some assist-
ance from the sympathy and co-operation of their Unitarian
brethren: and as their funds had been very limited, he compared
them to those who had entered on a matrimonial engagement with-'
out duly looking to future means ; to whom theirfriends should say,
" {Veil, you have been a little too hasty, but we must do the more
for you." The Rev. Gentleman concluded by proposing the
healths of the congregation of Finsbury Chapel.
Mr. Fs !END, in returning thanks for the congregation, objected
to the term cluipel, for which he would substitute that of church.
Ile observed that he had lately visited three places of worship ;
the old Church of England, which was the Homan Catholic ; the
new church, which was the Protestant ; and the Unitarian Church.
In the two first he found he stood as • culprit, and was damned to
all eternity ; but it was far different with the third. Ile then paid
a compliment to Dv. Blomlield, to whom he had referred, and offered
him a sort of challenge to meet the Reverend gentleman who then
presided, on theological ground. 1
Mr. Conn Ext, as treasurer to the chapel, or church, as sag.
;tested by tb.: gentleman who preceded him, returned thanks also tor
the congregation, and read to the meeting • statement of the funds
and expenditures of the Committee of the Finsbury Society. He
stated also, that it had been proposed to print the • rmon which :he
Rev. .Mr. Fox had delivered the day before.
A new glee, the words by Mr. Ir. Taylor, to the tune of " Wo-
rn:44 Apollo," was then sung by the professional singers.
Mr. Fox, in very energetic terms, proposed the health of Wm.
Smith, Esq. M.P. for Nora ich.
Mr. SMITH returned thanks for the very flattering manner in
which his name had been given and received. If he had at asy
time done ought to merit the praises which the Chairman had
lavished upon him, he owed it not to himself, but to the education
he had received among the forefathers of many present, lie al-
hided particularly to Dr. Price and Dr. Priestley, from whom he
had received the principle' he trusted he should keep to his dying
day. If he had succeeded, he owed more to the spirit of the times
than to any strength of his own: for he remembered the time when
it was scarcely safe for any man who was and to be the friend of
Dr. Priestley to show his head. It was true he had succeeded in
what Mr. Fox had failed in ; but it wan impossible forniim not to feel
that it had been owing to a change in the times equal to that in the
men, and it was a wonderful change indeed.
dr. Yount:, of Hackney, called the attention of the meeting to
the especial purpose for which they had rut; he observed on the
nature of the Establi4ted Church, that so long as he continued a
member of any established church, he should cease to be • Chris-
tian. Ile thought it would be as wise to tztablish the height as
the size of man.

The • HAI mAw, in proposing the health of Sir Wm. Rawlins,
observed, that the gratitude of the Finsbury congregation was due
to the Corporation of the City of London, for the liberality with
which they had treated them.
Sit R.N. RAWLINS, returned thanks, and assured the meeting
that the sentiments of the Corporation of the City of London. which
had been always in favour of civil and religious liberty, were those
of the wannest good wishes towards their body.
Glee—" Ye (lentlnnen of England."
Mr. Fox proposed the health of the Rev. Russell Scott, the
Ur.i avian Minister of Portsmouth.
Wm. SMITH. Esq. again addressed the meeting in proposing
the health of the Rev. Mr. Fox, whom he complimented highly
on his talents, and observed, that it weak) be hard indeed if such
a man was only tokraird. . lie would say, whet he had said before,
that the word tuleraliou was altogether against the principles of
English freedom.
Mr. Fox thanked the lion. Gentlemen and the Meeting for the
strong feelings which had marked the reception of his name. lie
delivered a long and animated speech 4 in the course of which he
assured them that he should enter the pulpit to which he had been
called with a determination to level those principles which place a
distinction between man and mar.. Ile should enter it for no per-
sonal or party objects, but with the Linn resolution that it should I
never be, what it had so often been, a place where the demagogue
could hold forth, or, still worse, where the principles of party or ct
oppression were promulg.tted. Ile had cr.e.nd the pulpit free, and
took no pen in Ins hand to write slave halve he ascend,d its alert.
The creed he should hold forth was simply this—that he believed
in the duty of free inquiry, and the rights of religious liberty. It
I was the one opposed to that of the fanaticism which made a mother
shudder over the cradle of her babe, while she doubted its election.
and which made a man tremble lest he should be the wretch which
was separate from the Elect.
The CHAIRMAN then proposed the health of the Rev. Mr.
.tsplanti, who returned thanks in a speech of considerable length,
liberality, and talent.
The Rev. CHAIRMAN afterwards alluded to Mr. Bowing,
whom he complimented, in the highest terms, as the friend of civil
and religious liberty. Ile alluded to the martyred Riegel, of whom
Mr. Bowling was the friend ; and said he .:new not where his body
lay ; if in the air, may every breath of heaven blow upon it the
blessings of the free ! if on the wall of some tower or castle, may
it be the standard of his country's freedom! if on the ground. may
armed men spring up front the sod ! Ile said, the name of his
friend Mr. llownng was connected also • ith Greece; with Greece,
where the battles of freesia n, of Christianity. and of humanity
itself, were fighting. With themes such as these he associated the
name of Mr. Roaring, and with his present feelings he proposed
his health.

Mr. BOWIII NO returned thanks for the manner in which his
name had been mentioned. lie considered the day they were met
to commemorate as a most auspicious one to Christianity—to ra.
tional Christianity. In alluding to the observation of the Iter.
Chairman on the affairs of Greece, he said he had watched with the
deepest interest the events which had occurred in that most inter-
esting country; that we bad seen in our own days new heroes
springing at Thcrrnopyls, and the wisdom of Athens was again
reviving in regenerated (+recce. Ile was sure that the flag of free.
dont and of civilization would yet be waving over that land, and we
should behold it with all that was bright iu the past to be all that
was glorious in the future.

The company separated at an early hour. and appeared to have
enjoyed all we plawsures which rational fehtivity could give thew.

Extract of a letter from Liverpool. to 3lesios..l. and A. Powles
and ('o., dated tint Janutry. :---" By advires received thin
morning, from Capt. Taylor, of the brig Jane, at Cadiz, it ap-
pears the said vessel, with the goods on board, have been seized
there, but upon what grounds we are not informed ; ennsitleralde
expenses are, however, alrcaiy incurred. and there still may be
more in the business: we therefore desire you to inform the
Underwriters of the circumstance."

The Urania, Newton, of held'. arrived safe at Port Jackson,
New South Wales, on the Itth or July last; the Andromeda,
Muddle. front ditto, arrived out on the illst of the same niorth ;
Ind the Rirwick, Jeffery, of London, which had also many pas-
sengers front Scotland, arrived at Port Jackson, on the th of
Anct.t. The Urania sailed fur Rio Janeiro on the Nth of the
a. is mor.:11.