The Sun.
London, England, 1827-02-05 00:00:00

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No. 10,735.

PUBLICATIONS.

This day was published, Bvo. price 2s. 6d. sewed,
THE PRINCIPLE of the CORN LAWS
VINDICATED.

By' THOMAS GARDINER BRAMSTON.
Printed for J. Hateliard and Son, 187, Piccadilly,

DISSENTERS' MARRIAGES.

MAETLEBONE NEW CHURCll.—Yesterday were mar-
ried by Dr. Sprey, Rector of Marylebone Mr. G. Hum-
phries, of Oxford-street, and Miss Sarah Leggett Temple,
of Bayswater. •11‘he parties being Members of the Church
of God commonly called Free-thinking Christians, were
attended by the Elder, Deacons, and others of the body,
and presented a Protest against the Established ceremony.
The Minister having received the writ-ten protest, pro-
ceeded with the ceremony. Upon the bridegroom being
required to repeat the words, " in the name of the Father,
and of the -Son, and-of the Holy Ghost,". he paused, and
then solemnly protested against the recognition of the-Tri-
nity; upon which the Minister closed the book, and pro-
ceeded to the vestry, refusing to complete the marriage.—
After considerable discussion there 'relative to the views
and motives of the parties in protesting verbally, as well as
in writing, the Minister returned to the- altar and com-
pleted the ceremony. This ease was thns considered re-
markable by the performance of the ceremony. in7two dis-
tinct parts. The pariipaexpressed their deep sense of the
forbearance and kind consideration of the officiating Minis-
ter. The Protest delivered on the . occasion varies from
former ones, inasmuch as it is designed to be a vindication
of the conduct of this body in protesting, and also a de-
duration of their religious opinions :--

COPY OF THE PROTEST.

" PROTEST AGAINST Tut MARRIAGE CEREMONY, AND EXPOSI-

TION OF THE REASONS FOP PRESENTING, THE SAME.

" The undersigned, being Protestant Dissenters and Members
of the Church of God, commonly known as Free7thinking Chris-
tians, hereby avow"imil iefftirth, that they are at this time de-
sirous of entering together into the state of marriage.
" That they regard the rigkt'to enter into such state both as a
natural and civil right, and the duty so to enter therein as one of
religious obligation.
" That, in the present circumstances of society, they should
hold it sinful in themselves, and pregnant with mischief to the
community, to enter into such state without a legal sanction
thereto, which sanction it bath ever been regarded as a first
duty of Legislation to afford, am! that with facility to all con-
cerned.

" That, in order to obtain- such sanction, it has, since the
passing of the Marriage Act in the 26th of George 11. become
obligatory upon Dissenters to appear in a Church of the Esta-
blished Religion, and then and there to submit to a certain reli-
gious rite or ceremony administered by a Priest of the Esta-
blishment.

" That, as Disciples of Jesus, they have conscientious scruples
against all outward rites and ceremonies in religion, and more
especially. against that which is by law established for the solem-
nization of Marriage.

" That; to guard against any implied approVal on their part of
such rite and ceremony—to purge their
,consciences from all sup-
posed assent to whatever therein contained, is "cMitiary to God's
holy word—to avoid the sinfulness of dissimulation in religion—
to stand acquitted in that day when God shall judge the secrets of
men by Jesus the Christ—we hereby offer our solemn protest, and
appeal against the same.
`f, That, regarding the Clergyman as in this Instance, the
Minister, of an oppressive and wicked law, to which, -by his
Ordination oath, he bath rendered himself a party, such Protest
and Appeal is delivered into his hands, and through him to all
whom it may concern/
" That, considering the tune and place in which the law would
compel hypocrisy and falsehood to be the only time and plae in
which the delivery of a Protest could ease the consciences of the
party protesting; such Protest is; for such reason, delivered in the
Church, and at the time when the ceremony is to be performed.
" Against the present established mode of legalizing Marriage,
by compelling submission to a religions ceremony by law ap-
pointed, they hereby offer the following especial grounds of
protest :
" Because it introduces a religious rite into a merely civil
compact.
" Because it is an interference of human authority in matters of
faith.

" Because it operates as a test of religious opinions.
" Because it becomes an act of compulsive conformity with the
Church of England.
" Because it establishes a rite or ceremony in religion, all such
being contrary to the commands of Jesus, and to the spirit of that
religion of which he was the divinely appointed teacher.

" Because, although marriage be sanctione,, and its duties, like
all the several duties enforced intthe Scriptures, it is no where ap-
pointed to be entered upon by a religious rite, In no single in-
stance in any age, either in, the antediluvian, in the patriarchal,
or the Jewish, does it appear that such rite was performed. Nei-
ther by Moses, nor by the Prophets, nor by Jesus, nor by his
Apostles, was such rite instituted.
" Because the marriage ceremony, as contained in the ' Book of
Common Prayer,' is a Popish rite rendered compulsory in the
Church by a corrupt Pontiff (in the thirteenth century), and by
him raised to a Sacrament, together with transubstantiation and
auricular confession, as a means of increasing the revenue of the
Clergy.
" Because, by reason of its origin from the Popish Mass Book,
together with the obsoleteness of certain of its terms, its forms are
superstitious, its meaning in many places has frequently become
obscure,- its assertions false, and its allusions indelicate, offensive,
and revolting.

" Because it is performed in a place of worship,' and is part
and parcel of the ritual of a Church, whose claims are unscriptural,
whose foundation is not of God, whose authority is human, whose
existence is dependant on the State, whose days are unnumbered
according to the ' sure word' of prophecy, and from whose com-
munion we have separated ourselves in obedience to that heavenly
mandate, Come out of her, ye my people, that ye be not partakers
of her sins, and that ye receive not her plagues."
" Because being performed by a person in Priests' orders,'
it implies a recognition of the claims of the Priesthood—an order
which, upon the extinction of the Jewish Priesthood, hath never
been re-established by Divine authority, which possesses no one
claim that is sanctioned by Scripture, and can exist only by an
usurpation of the rights and liberties of the Church of God, the
equality of whose members is by Jesus and his Apostles so ex-
pressly asserted.
" Because, as being an act of public and social prayer, it is
without authority from the Scriptures, contrary to the example,
and opposed to the positive commands of Jesus, who, when
teaching his Disciples to pray, directed them to pray in secret,
and forbade them all Synagogue worship, and who, upon anti-
cipating the approaching termination of all Temple worship, de-
declared that man should worship neither in this nor in that
Temple, but that the . true worshippers should worship the
Father in spirit and in truth.'
" Because the worship cohnected with this ceremony is Hea-
then, being addressed to a plurality of Gods, each of whom is
separately invoked, as 06d the Father,.- God the Son, and God
tthhee
FHaoltyheGnhosoft—whwom are all
bilsttous, there is but one true God, even
things.
" Because it is idolatrous, the language of prayer being there-
in addressed in addressed to Christ,' or, as the word implies, the anointed,
the Illessias, who, in his office as the Messias'' is in Scripture eir-
s,ha'ltthwe worship the Lord thy God, and
of Man,' and who bath
calledproclaimed—`
sTJhe:tui
him only shalt thou servo.'
"Because the doctrine of a Trinity of Gods is a 'palpable cor-
ruption of divine truth; an image of Pagan idolatry, which not
all the riches or honours it may dispense, or the terrors it may
assume, can induce them to do homage to. And, should this
their testimony against the same expose them to the fiery fur-
nace' of persecution, they will exclaim, with some of old, Our
God whom we serve is able to deliver us ; hut if not, be it known
unto thee, oh, King ! that we will not serve thy Gods, nor wor-
ship the golden image which thou bast set up.'
"In concluding this protest, and in order to remove all doubts
touching the nature and certainty of their faith, as well as to shew
the obligation which is . impcsed • upon them by their prin-
ciples, to make such protest in the face of the Established Church,
as their brethren have hitherto done, the undersigned both on their

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