The Sun.
London, England, 1839-05-16 00:00:00

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM SOCIETY.

The Friends of this Society dined tocrether yesterday,
at the London Tavern. About
.120 gentlemen sat
down to dinn,r, at six o'clock in the Large Room—
many beim.; Dl;senting Ministers. We olis,rvi.d Mr.
C. Baer, M.P.-, Mr. Evart, M P., Mr. .Eas.hurie,
M.l'., Mr. Ward, M.P., Mr. Baines, M.P., Mr.
Hawes, M.P., Rev. John Burnet, Rev. Dr. Cox, Hon.
Mr. Langdale, M.P., J. Conder, ESq , &e.
CHARLES LUSHINGTON, Esq., M.P., took the chair.
The cloth having been removed,

The CHAIRMAN rose and said, it was not unusual to
pass over certain toasts as a matter of course ; but he
felt that if he were to follow that course upon this occa-
sion. in reference to the toast he was about to give, he
should not only do violence to his own feelings, but
grievously offend the justly loyal expectations of the
audience.—( Loud cheers) This toast bore an illus-
trious and beleved"- tiatne.—(Cheers.)-.-2ta Which all
Reformers were deeply indebted, and which more re-
cently had been additionally endeared to them—
(Loud cheers)—by a magnanimity of conduct which the
plaudits of grateful millions were powerless adequately to
commend—(Continued cheers)--so yOUng, and yet so
firm—(Cheers)—so ingenuous and yet so discreet—
(Cheers)—so exalted and yet so gracious—(Cheers)—
so inexperienced in friendship, yet so faithful to her
riends.—( Reiterated cheers.) By the re.cent acts of
iur amiable Queen it had been shown that Royalty
!out(' no lustre by decoronSly yielding to' the gene-
ous feelings of human impul,e.—(Loud cheers.) Her
a.I jesty had evinced that she could combine the dig-
!my of the monarch with the tenderness of the woman
—(Cneers.) Her Majesty, it might alMost be said,
alt imbibed enlightened principles with her. earliest
autriment—educution and maturity had fortified them,
aid when sae ;was brouget to. the ,test, by the
xercise 'of her powers, she proved the . steadfastness
at her character in the choice of Liberal; Ministers, and.
,uhsequentiy, by
.her steady attaehment to her intimate
adherents —(Loud cheers.) Trusting, therefore, that'
tie spoke the feelings of the whole of the meeting, he
.would hail our young and amiable Queen as the Sove-
reign Lady •of our fealty, our hopes, Our confidence,
our gratitude, and our reverential admiration.—( Loud
cheers.) And he would give 'a. Her Majesty, the
Queen, with three times three."—(Drank with' all the
honours and immense cheering)
The next toast was the Duke of Sussex,,7—(Drank
with great applause.)
The CHAIRMAN, in rising to give the" Religious
Freedom Society," said he was happy to find that local
associations were to be established throughout the coun-
cry, for promoting civil and religious . equality.—
J-;heers.) The " Committee of Deputies," matni(tated
to wateh over the Interests of the three Deno-
minations of Baptists, Independents, and Presbyte-
rians, had in view only sectional interests,; 'and the
Protestant Society for' the Protection of Religious Li-
aerty, was by its very title confined to Protestants.—
Hear.) The new Society, however, Would not be the
Ippenents, hut the cordial coadjutors of these institutions.
—(Cheers.) Throughout the_ kingdom its efforts would
ue directed Co supporting the rights,of conscience against
the encroachments and persecutions of, an arrogant, a
;rasping, a Actatorial hierarchy--(Loud and long-con-
,inued cheers)—which would inflict indiscriminately, on
tie country,. the Thirty-nine Articles in religion,
and the Catechism in Education.—(Renewed cheer-
mg.) Persons of all religious persuasions were
invited to join the Society, to maintain the great princi-
ple of the inalienable right which every man possessed,
to worship God according to, his own religious convic-
tions.—(Cheers.) And all parties, without any distinction
of religious sect, might apply to the Society for advice
and assistance.—(Cheers.) The object of the Society
was the most important that could- be conceived, and
was too reasonable and just tor the most subtle sophistry
or the most malignant bigotry to controvert, and the
ulti-
mate effect of its operation would be proportionably noble
and sublime.,---(Loud:cheers.) Still the Society must
expect the opposition and misrepresentation of those
whom . all equali,zing plans'
.naturally- offended and
alarnied.—(Cheers.) The Church of England, which
claimed pre-eminence, was itself divided by opposite
opinions—(Hear)—and included men who were guilty
of the hypocrisy of rejecting the beautiful prayer of the
Liturgy—" Show thy mercy upon all prisoners and
_!aptives;" and the committing to gaol their fellow
citizens who objected to the payment of some paltry
Church-rate.—(Cheers.) How long were such atroci-
•ies to be allowed ?—(Hear, hear). No means could
:at; more advantageous for their prevention than the ope-
-ation Of this Society, and, therefore, he called upon
then' to respond, hea-tily, to the toist.— (Loud cheering )
The Secretary, JosIAH CONDER, Esq., then read
paper from which it appeared that— .

Local associations have been formed at the follow-
,ig places :—Alton, Bath, Bedfordshire, Birmingham,
ticistol, Cha ham, Rochester, and Strood, Cheshani,
Colchester, Coventry, Essot, Frome, Qosport, ILmel
Hempstead, Hull, Huntingdonshire, Leeds, Liverpool,
Lymingtoo, Mis:enden, Nailsworth, Newcastle-upon-
ryne, Nottingham, Oswestry,_ Preston, ?Reading, Ste&
Ordshire, Potteries, Stinderlasid, Swansea, Tavistock,
rotnes, Truro, West Bromwich;;,Wotton Underedge,
ind Dursley, .Wycombe,. Beaconsfield., Marlow, and
Woburn.
Corresponding Associations at Beaminster, Fareham,
Isle of Thanet, IVareham and Purbeck.