understood?

Now, Sir, keeping in mind the extensive meaning of the term Uni. tarian, before assigned; keeping in mind my own friend's explanation of the language used by ano. ther, which we are, in candour, bound to do; allow me to take a brief survey of your statement, and see how far it is really contra dictory to that in the note.

66

sense in which he wished it to be ferent. Your substitution of the term Unitarian" for "Humani tarian" has already been noticed. Speaking of Dr. Kirkland, the term "a professed Unitarian," is changed by you into an ac knowledged defender of Unitarianism." The statement, that “it appeared at an annual meeting, that 100 ministers declared them. selves converts," is first changed by you into their becoming con. You say, there are twenty-one verts in one day, and then inade places of public-worship" in Bos- "a miracle," and "a new day ton. In summing up, you remark of Penticost." After quoting my

you see that of our twenty-one friend's words, (though with the churches there are seven, at least, omission of "it appeared,") you that are Calvinistic or Trini. assert that "I candidly acknow tarian." Now if there be only ledge the doctrine to be new." seven Trinitarian, it must follow When such alterations as these that the remaining fourteen are, are designedly made, a disputant in the sense before explained, appears more like a quibbling Unitarian. What should we lawyer, straining to gain a point, think, if such were the case in than like a Christian minister, adany town in Great Britain of vocating the cause of truth. I 33,000 inhabitants? Should we really do not mean to impute to be much inclined to quarrel with, you this wilful perversion, believ or very minutely to criticise, an ing that you were carried away expression similar to that in the by the warmth of your feelings, note, so used and so explained? but the effect upon others is the You proceed to give a detailed same.

account of the ten congregational The following passage in your churches; of the ministers of letter, conveys to the reader an which, you say, two are very idea, that you wish to represent decided Calvinists." And really, Dr. Freeman, as not being an Sir, from your own statement, I Unitarian, yet closes with an ac must infer that the other eight knowledgment, that he is. "Dr. are, in the sense before assigned, Freeman can hardly be considered (for to this we must still revert,) as an exception to the great ma Unitarians. Now what is my jority of his brethren. For though friend's statement in the note? on other subjects he is as explicit "Out of nine congregational and unreserved, as he is able and ministers in this town, eight are intelligent, I never heard him exeither Arians or Humanitarians!" press an Unitarian sentiment; and In justice to myself and my I believe he carefully avoids it in friend, I ought not to omit a re- the pulpit, because it might un mark or two, upon some passages necessarily disturb some of his in your letter, which, I think you hearers." yourself will wish, had been dif

To your triumphant conclusion

And does your letter merely contain your view of the subject,

I allude only to remind you that such expressions contain no argument, and are calculated to excite as a student at College? or is it unchristian feelings, both in the the result of your observations, writer and in the reader. since you became a stated minister of the gospel?

The result of the comparison, between your statement and that of the gentleman whom I have had the pleasure of meeting in Liver pool, is, in my own mind, a strong confirmation of the opinion which forms the substance of the note you have criticised: that if " the minds of men were left unfettered, unawed by threats, unallured by temptations," the worship of the One God the Father would be greatly increased. That it has greatly increased in Boston, though there may be various opinions, as to the extent of the increase.

As I am sure my wish is to obtain an accurate statement, if, now, on your return to Boston you will have the goodness to favour us with an account of the present state of Unitarianism, in its enlarged sense, I think you will gratify many readers of the Repository, and you will confer an obligation on

Your respectful

and obedient Servant,
J. GRUNDY.

Burning a Sinner. Hampton, July 1, 1812. SIR,

Travelling lately in Lincolnshire, I heard, upon unquestionable authority, a story which I think ought to be known to the public.

In that county a sect prevails, known by the name of Baptists of the New Connection: on enquiry, I found that they were Arminians,

I cannot conclude without taking the liberty of asking you one or two questions. Am I mistaken in the opinion I have formed, that you, in the sense so often referred to, are yourself an Unitarian? I ask this question, because it appears to me so astonishing that, if you are a Trinitarian you should not have preached Trinitarianism any of the times you officiated in the chapel, where the sermon, and differed from the Wesleyan which has caused your animad. Methodists only in the article of versions, was delivered. When a Baptism, in the independence of division of the Deity, into differ. their churches, and in a more zeaent persons, is never taught in the lous concern for the doctrine of sermon ; when One Supreme everlasting torments, Undivided Being is the sole object A teacher of this sect, who is of prayer, that I call Unitarian also a farmer, had taken a poor preaching, this I call Unitarian lad, a relative, into his house,

worship.

as a servant. The lad committed some fault, for which probably he deserved chastisement. He was brought before his master and mistress, and lectured upon the wrath of God and endless burnings. Not seeming to enter into the sub. 3 т

Does your letter profess to give an account of the present state of Unitarianism in Boston? Or was it written after an absence of two years, spent priucipally in travels on the continent? VOL. VII.

SIR,

I congratulate you and your readers upon the passing of the New Toleration Act, which I regard as the most important legis

ject readily, the following plan of Lord Sidmouth and the Dissenters. making him feel was adopted: a lighted candle was procured, and one of this religious couple held down one of the boy's hands, whilst the other applied the flame to it! The experiment was con- lative measure, next to the Act tinued, I suppose, till it appeared for abolishing the traffic in slaves, to have answered the purpose. The that has been carried in the preboy was afterwards seen by his sent century. For this Act we neighbours with his hand tied up; are indebted to Lord Sidmouth; this led to inquiry; the fact came he first united the Dissenters, and out; it even reached the neigh next alarmed the magistrates, and bouring magistrates; no legal steps hurried them into constructions of were taken; but a general indig the Acts of Toleration that could nation was excited in the neigh- not be maintained, consistently with the Dissenters' security, and this again led them to united efforts which have been crowned by a most wise and beneficent law.

bourhood.

It is now useless to discuss Lord

This indignation is the best security against such atrocities; and therefore I venture to communicate the story to you and your readers. Unless the depraved Sidmouth's merits as a legislator perpetrators of such a deed were in religion, in any other light than taught their error, by the express as a question of history, but in ed abhorrence of society, who this view it is not unimportant to could tell how high the gloomy have the matter rightly under. spirit of fanaticism might arise, stood. and whether it might not become a popular practice to burn the body for the good of the soul.

I am not disposed to charge upon a sect the misdemeanour of one of its teachers; but surely the leaders of the denomination should nake some disavowal of such a method of conversion. My informant (whose name I can give up if required,) told me that this sect boast of a recent revival, (as their phrase is); I replied that I hoped, whatever might be the case in another world, no proselytists would be allowed in this world to save men so as by fire.

Your's
ROBERT BROOKE.

The Dissenters have been com

plained of and reproached for mistaking and misrepresenting Lord Sidmouth's Bill; he meant, it is said, to improve their condition. Unfortunately for his advocates, his Lordship did not remain silent in the discussions on the new Act, but revealed what his apologists have denied, that his original and still prevailing desire was to curb the Dissenters and to break down the constitution of their churches. I find him in the Newspaper reports of the proceedings in the House of Lords, July 234, objecting to the repeal of the Con. venticle Act; and foretelling lamentable abuses from the proposed extension of civil immunitics. "He lamented, particularly,

that by this Bill no qualification gard to settled teachers no alterawas required from preachers or tion would have beet, effected by teachers, but that all persons, this enactment; they who are now whatever might be their ignorance content to hear or support a minisor their moral character, might, ter, would in that case have signed on their taking the oaths, be his test; the only good of the preachers and teachers. He regulation would have been its thought that some qualification troubling and puzzling the poorer ought to be required before they Dissenting congregations. were allowed to preach or teach, The test for students, supernuinstead of their being self-elected merary preachers, &c. must have and self-appointed, as they would been obtained (if obtained at all) be under this Bill."-His Lord. from ministers in the same conship, then, would have established nection as the applicants; and it by law, (to use his own words,) would have depended upon a 66 some test of qualification," as synod appointed by law, not by to the learning and the character the Christian people, whether of Dissenting teachers. Such a young men aspiring to the pulpit test would necessarily have thrown should be kept down or brought great powers into the hands of the forward. magistrates, that is, of the clergy, On this plan, a teacher of a docwho swarm upon the bench and trine not already professed a influence all its decisions; and mongst the Dissenters could not under such a new power, what have risen up; and if a country would have been the condition of gentleman, led by his studies into Dissenters? But suppose the Test a different faith from that of all not to have had this effect; it his neighbours and acquaintance, must have been exercised by some should have established worship individuals or some body of indi. in his house, and invited more than viduals: and these, whoever they five persons besides his family (the might have been, would have had regulation of Lord Sidmouth's fathe real nomination of Dissenting vourite Conventicle Act,) to join ministers, in violation of the inde his devotions, he might have been pendence of the nonconformist indicted for a misdemeanour: he churches. If a church should would have had neither congre have chosen a minister for whom gation nor connection to give him the certificate of qualification a passport to the pulpit and to could not have been obtained, they save him from prosecution. must have foregone their election Whether dissenting ministers or must have had a teacher sub- might not be improved in point of ject to direct legal penalties. learning and character, is a quesThe certificate might, indeed, have tion which Lord Sidmouth may been required only of the congre- fairly discuss, it he pleases; but gation choosing and appointing a it is the height of absurdity to teacher, but this would not have think that an act of Parliament answered the professed purpose of would have made them either securing his competent learning learned or moral. In point of and good character; for with re- virtue, it is a fact notorious as the

sun at noon-day, that ministers preacher should be obliged to among the Dissenters yield to no procure testimonials. These are clergy whatever; and as to the not to satisfy his hearers, but the rest, it is the vital principle of the Dissenters to choose their teachers, of whose fitness they are the sole judges. To take this liberty out of their hands is to unmake them.

state, which bestows upon him the boon of religious toleration, for religious liberty has not yet a chapter among the laws of England.

This Noble Lord was once If Lord Sidmouth had prevail. Speaker of the House of Com. ed, what would have been the mons. In that capacity he had event with respect to uncertificat few opportunities of discussing ed teachers, with whom the land legislative measures. He has, would, judging from all history, however, recorded the true cha have still abounded? The goals. racter of his professed liberality would have been filled with them! and regard for public morals, on a And yet we have been rebuked great occasion. I have now be for asserting that the Toleration fore me "The Debate on a Mowas in danger, and charged with tion for the Abolition of the Slave calumny in representing Lord Trade, in the House of Commons, Sidmouth's as a persecuting mea. 2d April 1792, reported in de

sure.

The first lesson of a good education is to teach us to call things by their right names; and I must ever reckon it a strange and mis. chievous blunder to rank in the same class the Sidmouths (if more than one of the species can be found) and the Erskines, Stanhopes and Hollands of the age.

VINDEX.

tail by Woodfall." In that debate the late Lord Melville proposed his scheme of gradual abo. lition. He was powerfully supported by Mr. Addington, who, like Mr. Dundas, professed abhorrence" of the Slave Trade, as it was called, though," he added, "it certainly did not deserve that name." Mr. A. then suggested that this trade might be " per. mitted to exist for a few years longer, possibly eight, ten, or Lord Sidmouth and the Dissenters. twelve," and in the mean time SIR, July 25, 1812. recommended a greater encouI perceive by the report of the ragement to the importation of proceedings in the House of Lords females than males, by means of a yesterday, that a Noble Lord, bounty on the former, or by subwhose lucubrations on the Tolera- jecting the latter to a heavier tion Act, attracted no small no- duty. (P. 113.) tice during the last year, is again Thus humanely this curator of generously anxious for the repu- public morals would have legis tation of non-conformist teachers; lated for the most helpless portion perhaps grateful for the compli. of a race more powerless than even ments he has received from emi- the pig-drivers and chimneynent individuals of that body. sweepers whom Lord Sidmouth This lordship still contends that a would have consigned to silence.