The Sun.
London, England, 1829-02-10 00:00:00

DINNER OF THE UNITARIANS.

Yesterday was the Anniversary of the Building of the
Finsbury Unitarian Chapel, in South-street, Muorfields,
and in consequence the members of its congregation met at
the London Tavern, for the purpose of celebrating it. It
is at this Chapel -that the Rev. William Johnson Fox is
the Pastor, and in order to do the more honour to the
celebration of the anniversary, he was invited to take the
Chair. His accepting the invitation was rendered the more
interesting, owing to the circumstance of his long illness,
which for many months—almost years,—has deprived the
Chapel of his services, and rendered hint equally incapable
of taking any part in the proceedings of his congregation.
The consequence was, that the anniversary yesterday was
more than usually well attended.
The Rev. Mr. Fox, in proposing " the health of the
King," said, that the toast had usually stood at the Lead of
their list, as a mark of respect to the Chief Magistrate of a
free Empire; but he could not allow it to pass over in
that way on the present occasion, when he remembered
that last year the King had put his sign manual to the
emancipation of the Dissenters, and when there was such
reason for hoping that he would this year put the same sign
to the emancipation of the Catholics.—(Applmse.)—lf
such should be the case, it would do more honour to the
Monarch than any act of his reign ; and when they should
all have returned to that dust from which they came, and
George IV. would only exist in the chronological tablets
of England's Sovereigns, that act would leave a sunny spot
attached to his reign, on which futurity would love to
dwell, and mark his era by.—(Cheers.)
The Rev. CHAIRMAN-Wheu the ship lifts her anchor,
the pennant is let fly, and so I in the commencement of
our voyage of this evening am about to unfurl our flag.—
. The toast I am now going to give is one, than which there
can be none dearer to our hearts—" The cause of Civil
and Religious Liberty all the world over." (Applause.)_
Yes, Gentlemen, the cause of Civil Liberty all the world
over, not even excepting Spain and Portugal—(Hear,
hear)—the cause of Civil and Religious Liberty, not even
excepting Ireland., (Cheers.) Every where may they
flourish—here in our own country—here, amour those
who are drawn by a common feeling among us Unitarians,
may these pi inciples earn a throne of glory ; and while
we wish for the universal diffusion of this blessing, let us
hope to see its complete establi•hutent here, where there
are minds to estimate it rightly, where there are hearts
who hold it dear as their life's blond, because they know it
to be the origin of all that is lovely and civilized in man-
kind. (Ilear, bear.) Without this blessing we are
little higher than brutes; with it we are little lower
than angels. (Applause.) It is only antler the influ-
ence of this, that the mind attains to the complete de-
velopment of its social and moral character. But
though we should not have been the less faithful to this
great cause, even if it had been a falling one, though
we would have supported it through sackcloth and ashes,
still we are delighted to feel that we are speaking of it in
the time of its success and prosperity. The flood is roll-
ing on, and nothing can resist its progress : its influence
is becoming universal • it has been Britain's glory, anti it
shall be Europe's blessing (applause)—it has been heaven's
charter, and it shall be earth's heritage—(applause)—and
when the time shell have arrived for its diffusion, bigotry
and despotism may endeavour to obstruct it, but will suc-
ceed no more than marble monuments sad iron rails will
be able to keep the dead confined when the tempest of the
archangel shall sound to the resurrection.—(Appl Luse. )
The Rev. Mr. Fox. in giving the next toast, spoke as
follows :—ln looking abroad at the world, and expressing
the warmest wirhQs of our hearts, still we cannot forget the
ties that hang tound us, and bring us back to our more
limited affections—we cannot forget that we have a coun-
try, nor that it is a country in which we have full reason
to glory—

" En2,land, with all thy faults, I Icve tine still !"
So sung Cowper ; and so, after hint, sung Byron—the one
a plebeian, holding the noiseless tenour of his way in the
middle walk of life ; the other a Nobleman, who wished
ever to be in the world's eve, and whose longing it was at
every syllable to make all Europe ring from side to side—
the one of a calm, quiet, unassuming disposition, going on
in a course of kindness, with pity for the erring and affec-
tion t it the good ; the other of volcanic passions, restless,
ardent, impetuous—whose mind was almost as mighty as
it was unfathomable ; the one a man of devotion—of mor-
bid devotion, carried to what we must almost term super-
stition ; the other, one who owned obedience to neither
God nor man—who delighted in trifling with every thing
that was most solemn, and in sbewing his fearlessness of
every thing that was most venerated. Surely there must be
deep and fervent truth in a sentiment that has entered
minds so differently constituted as those of Cowper and
Byron. There is, indeed, a truth in it, which all should
feel with gratitude to heaven, for casting our lives in plea-
sant places, and which all should endeavour to support, by
doing what public good maybe within their power. England,
whether we consider her moral and intellectual features, or
whether we look towards those snen who for genius have
the first station in the world, and who, like the chival-
rous champions of old, have gone abroad challenging all,
is entitled to a high rank among the nations. England,
too, is a country renowned for her benevolence; for there
is not a tire or an earthquake in the remotest corner of the
globe that does not freely draw upon her wealth ; it is a
country which has devoted itself to the principle of im-
provement in a most striking degree, and which I trust
that it will continue to support, so as to continue what
Milton has sleacribed as its ancient prerogative—of teaching
the n..tions how to live, and of giving its children reason
to glory in its name front generation to generation. I con-
elude by proposing as a toast—" The land we live in."—
(A (Applause.)
The Rev. CHAIIOI.II4 then proposed—" Prosperity to
the Finsbury Unitarian Congregation," and congratulated
its members on their trust deeds being shackled by no
creed, having boldly committed themselves to the storm of
opinion, with the assurance that the cause of truth must
finally prevail.
The Rev. Mr. Fox then proposed the health of Dr.
Bowring, and said that he was happy to mention hint in
connection with a toast, the agency of the subject of which
was for the good of all—he meant the Press—that mighty,
that almost omnipotent instrument, which Providence,
having withdrawn miracles, had given us to work miracles
for ourselves.—(Applause.)—None could be indifferent to
that instrument, however high their station, or however
influential their power ; it was the means by which bigotry
was put to flight, and by which the great ends of the
Divine will were brought into existence. He did not know
whose name lie could more appropriately connect with the
press than that of his excellent friend, Dr. Bowring,_
(Hear, hear,)—who had identified himself with it in so
many ways ; through him the blossoms of other countries
had been introduced into this, and encouraged to take root,
forming at once the most lovely and the most pleasing of
bonds between country and country.—(Applause.)—The
Rev. Gentleman concluded by giving " The Press—its
freedom, its activity, and its power," and in connection
with that toast, begged to add the name of Dr. Eutering.
—(Applause.)
Dr. Bowitisro expressed himself grateful for the way in
which his Rev. Friend had alluded to his name, though he
had done him dis-service, perhaps, in thus early introducing
him to the notice of the meeting.—(Hear.)—When, how-
ever, the heart was full of joy, the tongue might his allowed
to be fluent, and there never was an occasion in which any
man us-110 entertained sentiments of honesty—in which any
man who was able to entertain sympathy for the new pros-
pect that was opening upon seven millions of his fellow-
suhjects—in which a more fitting opportunity presented
itself.—(Hear.)—The principles to which he had to advert,
were great and glorious ones, anil there was therefore no
necessity to draw any line in giving utterance to them. The
principle that the Unitarians had always acted upon, aud
which he hail endeavoured to inculcate on late occasions, was
that a Government had nothing to do with human errors,
but only with human misconduct. All that he could say
was, that the wider the gate should be opened, the greater '
would be the delight he should feel. It was his firm belief
that the success of the Dissenters had only exciter( them to
attempt greater things, and the great progress that the
cause had undergone, was suffieiently shown in the declara-
tion that had just fallen from Mr. Peel's lips—" That re-
ligious opinions were no longer to be a ground fur civil dis-
abilities."—(Applause.)—The victories of the Duke of
Wellington on the Continent were of that nature at which
he (Mr. Bowring,) could not rejoice,' because misery must
always be the attendant of war; brat his victory of last
Thursday was truly great and glorious. That was a vic-
tory which cost no tears, unless tie Earl of Eldon should
weep—(a laugh)—that was a victory which would cause
no distress, unless the bigots feel it at knowing that the
day for exclusion was over.—(Applause.)
On the health of Dr. BIUKEECK being proposed, that
' gentleman shot tly returned thanks, and said he was glad
if any efforts of his had tended to the promotion of science
or to the advancement of knowledge.
Several other toasts were then drunk, after which the
Rev, Chairman withdrew, accompanied by the majority of
the company.