DISSENTERS. 
between the city of Lordon and the diffenters, os 
the fine infli&ed by a bye-lawof the city on tho Oo re- 
fufed the office of theriff, was ‘aie “entirely on as 
ved the 
pini viz. * that the toleration a@ r rime 
as well as the penalty of mere con coneniy: ”” 'The ais 
“ments of the judges in this caufe turned upon the fingle 
int, * that the toleration aét removed the crime as well 
as the penalties of earns ;’? and in this they all, 
reed. 
nemine contradicente, the judgment 
delegates. Mr. Onflow, formerly ee of the houfe of 
commons, whofe excellent principles and character have been 
always held in high eftimation, declared his decided appro- 
“bation of the term aga as applied by the no — oe 
already mentioned to th of diffenters, and he 
over faid that this was che | langue which he bine always 
per, re that as» far 
its eau fupport and encoura 
confidered, that the eae infl'cted by 
tion on thofe who dilturb any diffenting congregation for 
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vi € e law, as it now exills with rega ard to 
diffenters, we fhall ee anodes. for the fatisfa@tion of our 
readcrs, a brief account of their principles and coadudt. 
a pele to be the more paige ina work that a 
racter 
the tribunal of this “Ualightencd pie can have acting 
to fear, as their caufe will be hi ‘berally tried and determined, 
* Judge Blackftone fpeaks of them as “a {pecies of non-con- 
formifts, who offecd through a miftaken or perverfe zeal, 
Such (be fays) were efteemed by our laws, enacted fince the 
time of the reformation, to be papifls and protettant dif- 
fenters: beth of which were {uppofed to be equally {chif- 
matics in not communicatirg with the national church ; ses 
this difference, that the papitts divided from it upon m 
rial, though erroneous, rezfons: but many of the diffencers 
upon — of indifference, or, in other words, upon no 
Vou. 
reafon at all.”’ He allows, however, that our anceftors 
w 
an all perfecution for diverfity of ‘opinions, howev 
ridiculous sales igus they may be, ‘is contrary 2 every pri 
ciple und policy and civil freedom names and 
ple of 
fineednaticn of the clergy, the potture of devotion, the 
materials and colour of the minifter’s garment, the joining 
in a known or unknown form of and other matters 
edigree, 
: v t 
after the period to which he refers, and which cannot be 
parallelled by an 
Interregnum,. The diffen 
were allowed) again’ the lad al secede 
mentin 1645, che igours of ar 
enn Whitgiit, and Land. 
he w more than 1co, and under the fecond, more - 
than pe picus and learned men, not. only members, but * 
minifters of the eftablithed church, were filenced, fufpended, 
m loaded with grievous 
t up in aeons gaols, where they 
expired flowly through’ penury aud difeafe: and he would © 
nter would contrait (if recrimination 
cao arlia- 
f Jefus, about Chrilt’s 
defcent i a hell, and Rae: orate points. e dif. 
fenter would call co mind the hundreds that were fequettered, 
driven from their livings, profecuted in the high commifion 
reed to leave the kingdom for not pun@tually con- 
might lawfully profane the fabbath-day by gambols and 
fports. He would, moreover, allege, that many of the 
canons breathe a perfecuting {pirit, and that the a@ of uni- 
formity was an unrighteous and perfecuting a&; by the ope 
ration of which more than 2000 excelient and plous mi- 
nifters were excluded from the church, and abandoned, with 
their flarving families, to great poverty and diftrefs, This 
diftrefs, it might be urged, was aggravate by another aé&, 
which banithed them five miles y city, pete or 
church i in wnich they had Gee officiated, and which re- 
move 
but in the eftablifhed ch 
fines, imprifonment, and 
confequence of thefe cruel a&s, 
they fuffered the greateft hardfhips, indignities, and oppref- 
fions; their houfes were rudely rifled, their | Boeds — a 
years, 
