In addition to these efforts, another and more numerous Meeting has been assembled; consisting not only of regular Dissenters, but also of Methodists, Members of the Establishment, and other Friends of Religious Liberty. We insert also their Resolutions:

At a Numerons and Respectable Meeting of Protestant Dissenters, of various Denominations, and other Friends to Religious Liberty residing in different Parts of the United Empire, held at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate Street, May the 15, 1811, SAMVEL MILLS, Esq. in the Chair,

It was unanimously resolved, 1. THAT this Meeting believe that there are at least Two Millions of Protestant Dissenters in the kingdom of England and Wales, including persons of 'opulent fortunes, high literary attainments, and active benevolence: that their exertions have contributed to promote Industry, Knowledge, Good Morals, Social Order, and Public Prosperity. That they are not inferior to any of their fellow-subjects in fervent love to their country, nor in ardent loyalty to their venerable Sove reign, whose early promise, TO

PRESERVE THE TOLERATION IN

VIOLATE,' has made an indelible impression on their hearts; - and that any measures which might excite their discontent and enfeeble their attachment, would therefore, at any time, and especially at this period, be inconsistent with the national interest, and with wise and liberal policy.

II. That although this Meeting consider the right to worship God according to individual judgment 23 an inalienable right superior to all social regulations; and, although they have long anticipated a period when all penal laws for worshipping God according to their consciences would be abolished, they have been unwilling to agitate the public mind for the attainment of their hopes;

III. That the persons assembled at this Meeting have received, with great anxiety, the communications frequently made by the Right Hon. Viscount Sidmouth, of his intention to propose Legislative Enactments interfering with the Laws relating to Protestant Dissenters; that they did hope the applications he has received, and the information communicated, would have prevented his perseverance. But they have learned the disappointment of their hopes, and have ascertained the provisions of the Bill which he has at length introduced into Parliament with extreme regret, and with painful apprehension.

IV. That this Bill declares that all the Provisions relating to Dissenting Ministers, contained in the Toleration Act, and in the subsequent Act for their further Relief, were intended to be limited only to ministers of separate congregations; and enacts, 1. That such ministers, upon being admitted to the peaceable possession and enjoyment of the place of minister of a separate congrega tion, may, on a certificate in writ ing, under the hands of several

substantial and reputable House-/ holders belonging to such congregation, signed in the presence of some credible witness, who is to make proof of their signatures upon oath at a general Sessions of the Peace, be permitted to take the oaths, and to sign the declarations previously required, and shall then, and then only, during their continuance to be ministers of such separate congregation, be intitled to all the privileges and exemptions which the former acts had conferred. 2. That any other person who may desire to qualify himself to preach as a Dissenting Minister, must procure several substantial and reputable householders,being Dissenters of the

same sect, and of the same congregation, to certify on their consciences, in writing, to his being a Protestant Dissenting Minister of their sect, and of the same congregation, and to their individual and long knowledge of his sobriety of conversation, and to his ability and fitness to preach; and that such certificate must be proved as before stated, before he be permitted to take the oaths and subscribe the declaration, before he be exempt from the pains, penalties, and punishments to which he would otherwise be liable as a Dissenting Minister. And, 3. That any person of a sober life and conversation, admitted to preach on probation to any separate congregation, must produce a certificate from several Dissenting Ministers (who have taken the oaths, to be also proved on oath at a General Session) of his life and conversation, and to their long previous knowledge, before he can be permitted to lake the oaths and subscribe the declaration; and that he may then, during a limited period, to be specified in the certificate, officiate as a Probationer to any dissenting congregation, and be, during a limited period, exempt from prosecution and punishment. But neither of the two last mentioned classes of persons will be entitled to any privileges, or to the exemptions from offices conferred on Dissenting Ministers by the Toleration Act."

V. That the principle assumed as the foundation of the Bill is incorrect:-That the Toleration Act authorised any persons to become Dissenting Ministers who conceived themselves to be called and qualified to preach, upon giving security to the state for their loyalty and Christian principles, by taking certain oaths and subscribing certain declarations, and not only prevented their persecution under laws made in times less favourable to civil and religious liberty, but conceiving their labours to be of public utility, granted to them exemptions from all parochial offices and other duties which might interfere with their more important exertions; - That such construction of the Act of Toleration has been sanctioned by the

general practice of a century, and has never been impugned by any decision in a superior court of law; and that even if such construction be incorrect, and legislative exposition be required, such declaratory Bill ought to follow the intention of the Act which has subsequently passed; and should extend and not contract, protect and not im pair, the reliet afforded by the foriner ancient and venerable statute. VI. That the Bill introduced into Parliament is not justified by any necessity, and will be highly injur ous; that it is unnecessary, because the evils presumed to result from the abuses of the existing laws, by a few persons who may have improperly taken the oaths required from Dissenting Preachers and Teachers, do not exist but to a most incorsiderable extent; and because the extension of all such abuses bas been anxiously, and would be effect ually discountenanced by every class of Protestant Dissenters-and that it must be injurious, because it will introduce forms unprecedented, inconvenient, or impracticable, will render Itinerant Preachers, Students of Divinity, Ministers on Probation, and many persons to whose ardent piety and disinter ested labours multitudes are indebted for religious instruction, liable to serve all civil offices,-and will expose all ministers, or the witnesses to their certificates, to be harrassed by repeated attendances at different sessions, and to capricious examinations, and unlimited expence, because, by limiting the right of persons to become Dissenting Ministers, it will impose new restrictions on Toleration; and because it will create a precedent for future attempts at even more dangerous or fatal experiments against Religious Liberty.

VII. That, although most reluct ant to interference with political affairs, they cannot but regard the present attempt with peculiar sensations of alarm; and that venera tion for their ancestors, regard to their posterity, respect for rights which they can never abandon, and the sacred obligations which they feel, will therefore compel them to

disregard all doctrinal and ritual distinctions, and to unite by every legitimate effort, to prevent the pending Bill from passing into a law, and to oppose the smallest diminution of the privileges secured by the Act of Toleration.

VIII. That from the noble declaration of the liberal-minded and illustrious Prince Regent of the Empire, that he will deliver up the Constitution unaltered to his Royal Father, this Meeting are encouraged to indulge confident hope that a measure so innovating and injurious can never o tain the sanction of his high authority; and they also rejoice that it has not been introduced by his Majesty's government; That respectful application be therefore made to them for their wise and continued protection; That a Petition to the House of Lords against the Bill be signed by all the persons present at this Meeting, and that all congregations of Protestant Dissenters, and other friends of Religious Liberty throughout the Empire, be recommended to present similar Petitions, and that a Committee consisting of persons resident in London be appointed to effectuate these proceedings, and to adopt any measures they may deem expedient to prevent the successful prosecution of this Bill; and that Dissenting Ministers of every denomination resident in the Country, be also Members of this Committee; and that such Committee may increase their number, and that any Three Members be competent to act.

IX. That the following Gentlemen be appointed to be the Committee in London:

:

T. Allan, Esq. Rev. R. Aspland, Rev. Mr. Barber, W. Bateman, Esq. W. Blair, Esq. R. L. Brooks, Esq. J. Boggis, Esq. Rev. J. Brooksbank, Rev. C. Buck, Rev. G. Burder, Rev. H. F. Burder, Rev. J. Benson, J. Butterworth, Esq. Rev. W. Chapman, W. Christie, Esq. Rev. G. Collison, Rev. W. B. Collyer, D. D. J. Enterson, Esq. J.Esdaile, Jun. Esq. Rev. J. Gore, Rev. G. Greig, Rev. R. Hill, A.M. Rev.J. Hyatt, J. Hamilton, M. D. Rev. T. Jackson, Rev. E. L. Jones, Rev. J. Liefchild, Rev. T. Lewis, R. H. Marten, Esq. S. Mills,

XIX.

Esq. Ben. Neale, Esq. Oldham Oldham, Esq. Rev. W. F. Platt, Rev. J. Philips, Rev. T. Powel, Rev. T. Raffles, Ben. Risdon, Esq. W. Slark, Esq. Isaac Smith, Esq. Rev. Pye Smith, D. D. Rev. R. Stodhart, Ř. Steven, Esq. J. Stevenson, Esq. W. Summers, Esq. T.Tapp, Esq. Rev. J. Townsend, W. Townsend, Esq. T. Walker, Esq. Rev. Alex. Waugh, Rev. M. Wilks, Rev. Grif. Williams, J. Wilson, Esq. T. Wontner, Esq. S. Woodward, Esq. S. Yockney, Esq.

X. That these Resolutions be communicated to the Committee for Guarding the Privileges of the Methodists, and to the Deputies and Ministers of the Congregations of Protestant Dissenters of the three demominations in or near London; and that their co-operation and assistance be respectfully invited.

XI. That a Subscription be entered into to defray the Expences which may be incurred, and that all friends to religious liberty throughout the empire be invited to contribute; and that such Subscription be appropriated at the discretion of the Committee.

XII. That a Treasurer be appointed, and that Subscriptions be received by him, and by Messrs. Robarts, Curtis, and Co. and Sir J. Esdaile and Co. Lombard Street.

XIII. That Thomas Pellatt, Esqof Ironongers' Hall, and John Wilks, Esq. of Hoxton Square, be solicited to act as joint Secretaries to this Committee.

XIII. That the acknowledgments of this Meeting be presented to the Gentlemen by whom it was convened, for the vigilance meritoriously displayed, and for their prompt attention to every attempted infringement of the valuable and long-established rights of Protestant Dissenters.

XIV. That this Meeting present their ardent Thanks to the Chairman, for the attachment to religious liberty which he displayed, by consenting to preside on this occasion, and for the attention and ability which he has manifested.

XV. That their Thanks be also presented to John Wilks, Esq. for the ability and zeal which he has manifested as temporary Secretary,

strain the patriotic efforts of any of the Religious Communities of the Country.

XI. That as we deprecate the consequences of the Bill as it now stands, so we cannot see that any modification of it can meet the

VIII. That it does not appear to us that the present Toleration Laws are either so ineffectual, or the interpretation of them so uncertain, as to render any Bill necessary to explain them, much less to curtail the benefits intended to be conveyed by them; but on the other hand, we are satisfied, that if the present Bill should pass, the whole Law of Religious Toleration will become more obscure, and its meaning more uncertain; and thus a fruitful source of litigation and oppression will be opened.

IX. That the returns of the Archbishops and Bishops, of the number of Places for divine worship, &c. in their respective dioceses, upon which the present measure appears to be founded, are far from furnishing evidence of the necessity of restricting the operations of religious societies; but, on the contrary, they contain the most decisive proofs (from the inadequacy of the parish churches to contain the inhabitants of the kingdom) that the increasing population calls for all the means of religious instruction which well-disposed persons, of all denominations of Christians, have in their power to afford.

X. That from the manifest effect which the diffusion of religion has had for the last fifty years, in raising the standard of public morals, and in promoting loyalty in the middle ranks, as well as subordination and industry in the lower orders of Society, which so power fully operate upon the national prosperity and public spirit, we dread the adoption of any measure which can in the least weaken these great sinews of the nation, or re

Noble Proposer (whose character we highly respect) without essentially deteriorating the indefeasible rights and privileges of those who are the objects of the Toleration Laws.

XII. That, masmuch as this Act will most deeply affect our Societies, whose moral character and loyalty are unimpeachable, we feel it our duty to declare, that we do not believe there exists among them any practice or disposition to warrant a legislative measure which would abridge our rights and privileges.

XIII. That the introduction of the present measure is as unseasonable as it is needless and oppressive. At any time religious rights form a most delicate subject for legislative interference; but at such a time as this, when not only unanimity but affection for the government and laws of our country are more than ever essential for the patient endurance of the pressure of the times, and the repulsion of the bitterest enemy with which this country ever had to contend, the discussion of these rights is most feelingly to be deprecated. Much irritation,even worse than political irritation, would be produced, and the ardent affection of many a conscientious and loyal subject would he involuntarily diminished. We are impressed with these sentiments the more deeply, as not a shadow of a charge is brought against our very numerous body; and we can challenge the most rigid enquiry into the imoral and political character of our preachers and our people.

XIV. That, abstaining from all* observations on the abstract rights of conscience, but with the views and feelings thus expressed, we are most decidedly of opion that the present measure is radically objec tionable, and does not admit of any modification; and we cannot but feel it our duty to oppose the Bilt