Star.
London, England, 1810-01-20 00:00:00

PROTESTANT DISSENTERS.

It was hoped by the real Friends of our Constitu:
lion ; nay, by the best Friends of the Church of Eng-
landas established by Law, that the measure pro.
posed by Lord SIDMOUTII towards the close of the last
Session of Parliament would not be revived. It. is
Tenoned, however, that his Lordship means to bring
the Same business again before Parliament early in
the approaching Session ; and as the plan has occa-
sioned a considerable degree of interest, .we think we
shall render a service to the public by now-republish-
inz hi; Lordship's speech on that occasion on the 2d
of June last :
Lord Viscount SIDMOUTH rose to 'move for an at.
count cf the number of Licences issued within a cer-
tain period, under the Act of 1 W. and M. c. 18.
commoni Y called the Toleration Act, and of the 19.
Geo. :;. c. 44, entitled, " An Act for the further re-
lief of Protestant Dissenting Ministers, and School.
master;." It Appeared, he said, to be highly•desira-
tile and important, that the information which it was
the liject of his motion to procure, should be pos-
-s.,ssed by Parliament and the public. He had no
reason to doubt, that a large majority of those, who
had obtained licences under these Acts, had applied
for them from motives the most strictly conscien-
tious; as little could he doubt, that the wise and
policy, by which these Acts were dictated, had,
in numerous instances, been grossly abused. That
such was the fact was well known to Magistrates, who
were in the habit of attending Oaarter Sessions of the
peace in the several counties of England and Wales.
r.. der these Acts, it was competent to any person
calling himself a Protestant Dissenter, of whatever
age, or condition, however ignorant, however excep-
boilable in conduct and character, by taking the
oaths, and making the declarations hereby required,
trillify himself, as it was termed, to preach any
s!oetriaes he pleased, and thus to obtain an exemption
from a:: parochial offices, and from serving on Juries
or in the Militia. Thus was a strong incentive af-
forded to schism, and in proportion to its success, an
increased burthen thrown upon the members of the
established church. He desired, however, to be un-
derstood, as applying his complaint on this point
sn!ely to immunities claimed by self-appointed
preachers and teachers, not attached to any dissent-
ing congregations; or by those, who, being in the
ministry, were also engaged in secular occupations
.ad callings. Persons duly appointed and devoting
taiselves to the performance of their spiritual du-
tits, ought, in his opinion, to enjoy the same immu-
iitizs as those who had received episcopal ordination.
As to the description of persons, to whom licences
ought to be granted (for they were now claimable as
right,) it was a point of extreme delicacy, and im-
portance, concerning which he should be averse to
any regulations, but such as all sober minded, and
rational dissenters must approve. He could not,
however, but presume that every individual of
teat description must be desirous that the doctrines,
wilich he believed, should not be publicly preached by
ersons wholly destitute of ordinary attainments ;
of persms not arrived at that period of life, previous
o which Deacon's orders could not be conferred, or
f whose moral characters and conduct satisfactory
v!!estations had not been adduced, It was also

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',ighly desirable (and surely it would not be deemed
unreasonable, or improper to require,) that persons
laiming Licences to preach should state, if not the
rounds of their dissent, the denomination, at least,
d' Dissenters to which they professed to belong ; that
.hey should be recommended by the religious society
of which they were members ; that they should be at-
tached to a known and distinct place of public wor-
:hip ; and that they should not be at liberty to offici-
ate habitually elsewhere without a fresh Licence.—
Whether these or any other regulations should be
adopted, it would be for the wisdom of their Lord-
and of the other 1-louse of Parliament, to de-
=mine : but it appeared to be due to that profession
of faith, concerning the fundamental doctrines of
which we were all agreed, that no subordinate diffe- '
elites of opinion should allow us to be regardless of
ie qualifications and characters of those by whom
aigious instruction was to be conveyed. With re-
:pea to the tenets of the various sects of Dissenters,
we had, indeed, no right to interfere : but to endea-
tour that, be they what they may, they should not be
preached and taught by the grossly ignorant and
Ile profligate, was surely no infringement on the
4Unti principles of an enlightened toleration. That
la number of persons who frequent meeting houses,
ad conventicles, had, within the last few years, consi-
tably increased, could not be denied : but it was not
to be supposed that the number of Dissenters had in-
ceased in the same proportion. He believed the fact to
be, that the awful occurrences of the last 20 years had
cleated a more general sense of the truths, and import-
ance of religion, than was previouly entertained; and
that whilst these impressions were spreading, and the
?Illation of the country rapidly increa sing, the num-
bit of plates of worship under the established church,
'I clergymen engaged in the performance of paro-
cl,ial duties, remaineil nearly the same. Many per-
3ons wcre therefore induced to prefer an attachment
to tenyenticles, and meeting houses, to a neglott of
blic worship altogether. By an Address to his
'laiestY with a view to the improvementof small Bene-
jos, to which their Lordships had unanimou sly agreed
tte preceding day, a step had been taken, which
41'i7gst its other advantages tended to obviate oneof
!It causes of apparent separation from the Church ;
'assmuch as the inducement to unite many small
, 1
•I'.:ngs for the purpose of affording a decent subsist-
e, would be weakened, as the actual value of
each was materially improved ; and thus whilst the
Ivnber cf pluralists was diminished, that of the
Isident efficient Clergy would be increased. But
rie great and most effectual check to the progress
?t, schism, as proceeding from the causes to which
:1- had adverted, must be derived from an aug-
zotation of the number of churches properly en-
colved, to which all persons should have access.—
Proprietary Chapels would in no degree answer the
Par Pose, unless it were enacted, as he thought it ought
tqx, by the authority of Parliament, that for a cer-
tain proportion of the area of places of public wor-
aal) to be consecrated in future, no pew-rent should
taken. He was however of opinion, that the charge
t Providing additional places of worship, where an
. creased population appeared to require them, ought
z pan to be defrayed by local contributions, and not
.;)e thrown exclusively on the public. To these objects
truaed that the attention of Goveniment, and of.

Parliament, would be speedify and eettestly directed
it was a duty of primary, indispensable, and urgent
importance, the performance of which could not but
be intimately connected with our welface, and even
with the stability of our existence as a Tnation ; for
whatever might be our apparent prosperity, hOwever
extensive, lofty, and splendid the edifice of our power,
it would be insecure, and transitory, unless funded
on the basis of an established religion, firmly and zea-
lously upheld and protected by the supreme authority
of the State. Whether, if his motion should be a greed
to, he should submit any measure to their ships
in the ensuing Session, was matter of future consi-
deration. It would be far more satisfactory to him
to see this subject in other, and abler hands. He had
however discharged what he thought a duty, in en-
deavouring to draw their attention to it, and from the
manner in which they had been pleased to receive
what he had said, he was willing to hope that in that
respect he had not been disappointed.—His Lordship
then moved,. " that there be laid before this house an
account of the number of licences issued in each year
at the General Quarter Sessions of the Peace, in the
several counties of England and Wales, and at the
Registry in each Diocese, from the-commencement
of the year 1780, under the act 1 W. and M. corn•
monly called the Toleration Act, and the 19 G. 3.
c. 44, entitled an Act for the further Relief of Pro-
testant Dissenting Ministers, and Schoolmasters."