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CHAPTER XIX.

THE REIGN OF GEORGE III. TO THE YEAR 1800.

Contents.

I. Auspicious Termination of this History.-II. Proclamation for the Encouragement of Piety.-III. King's first Speech in Parliament to the same Effect.-IV. Policy with regard to the Catholics.-V. Archdeacon Blackburne's Works on Confessions of Faith.-VI. Association for Release from Subscription to the Thirtynine Articles.-VII. Reasons for the Rejection of the Petition to that Effect. VIII. Uusuccessful Bill against dormant Claims of the Church.-IX. Bills relating to Subscription.-X. Socinians: Statement and Refutation of their Tenets.-XI. Indulgence to the Catholics in America and at Home.-XII. Similar Concessions made to Dissenters.-XIII. Alarm excited: Protestant Associations. - XIV. Lord G. Gordon's Mob.-XV. Infidel and immoral Writers: Chesterfield, Hume, Gibbon, Priestley-XVI. Profanation of the Sabbath.-XVII. Sunday Schools: Mr. Raikes.XVIII. Miss More and Blagdon Controversy.-XIX. Methodist Sunday Schools.-XX. Mrs. Trimmer and other Writers on Sabbath Education.-XXI. Episcopacy in America.-XXII. Corporation and Test Acts. -XXIII. New Proclamations respecting Piety and Morals.-XXIV. Slave Trade.-XXV. King's Illness and Recovery.-XXVI. Corporation and Test Acts,-XXVII. Lenity to Catholic Dissenters. XXVIII. French Revolution: Exertions of the

Clergy.-XXIX. Corporation and Test Acts. XXX. Heterogeneous Nature of the Dissenters.XXXI. Price's Sermon and Burke's Reflections.XXXII. Paine's Rights of Man.-XXXIII. Riots in Birmingham: Expatriation of Dr. Priestley.— XXXIV. Attempts of the Unitarians.-XXXV. London Corresponding Society, and Second Part of the Rights of Man.-XXXVI. French Emigrants.— XXXVII. Paine's Age of Reason and Bishop of Llandaff's Apology.-XXXVIII. Infidel Societies. -XXXIX.-David Williams and Theophilanthropism.-XL. Bishop of London's Lectures: Hannah More's Cheap Repository, and other Labours of Zeal.

I. AFTER pursuing the fortunes of our Church through a variety of reigns, and having beheld it sometimes basking in prosperity, sometimes suffering from the rapacity, the tyranny, the bigotry, the lukewarmness, the profligacy, or the heretical disposition of several sovereigns; it affords us a pleasure somewhat similar to that experienced from the drawing of a dramatic plot to a conclusion, to sum up the whole by presenting to the reader a monarch, the father of his people, the most amiable of men, the friend of true religion, and a pattern to all Christians*.

II. Almost the earliest act of this excellent sovereign's long reign (Oct. 31, 1760), was

*

George III. on his coronation, on approaching to receive the Sacrament, voluntarily took off his crown, and the same night composed a prayer for the future prosperity of his reign. -Brady's Clavis Calendaria, vol. ii. p. 158.

the issuing of a royal proclamation for the encouragement of piety and virtue, and for pre venting and punishing vice, profaneness, and immorality; which is directed and continues to be read at the opening of the assizes and quarter sessions, as well as occasionally in parish churches. In this instrument he pledged himself, and recommended the aristocracy, to encourage and advance persons distinguished for piety and upright morals.

III. Soon after, a further pledge was delivered for the King's strong attachment to the interests of religion during his reign, in his first speech to Parliament, in which he stated his invariable resolution to adhere to, and to strengthen, the excellent constitution both in church and state. "The civil and religious rights of my loving subjects," added he, "are equally dear to me with the most valuable prerogatives of my crown and as the surest foundation of the whole, and the best means to draw down the divine favour on my reign, it is my fixed purpose to countenance and encourage the practice of true religion and virtue." Many sovereigns have set forth with promises equally fair, and, perhaps, with intentions equally honest; but power and flattery have corrupted them as they advanced; they have forgotten those early pledges and principles of action, and their maiden speeches have sometimes proved a pointed satire on their government.

But it

must needs have afforded our late beloved monarch the sweetest solace of old age, to reflect, after the lapse of half a century from the delivery of this promise, that he had uniformly and steadily adhered to it; unseduced to vice by the temptations of power, and unshaken in his purposes by the clamours of faction. We may here further observe, that such high acknowledgments of Providence correct the pride of those statesmen who arrogate all to human power; encourage the timid and pious to advance without dread of ridicule into the field of religious utility; establish Christianity as the standard of reference, by which the systems of philosophy and caprice of opinion are to be regulated; and finally conciliate the favour of the King of empires and great Controller of events.

IV. The differences between the High and Low Church party had greatly subsided with the cessation of the Bangorian controversy; but the Roman Catholics having, about 1765, attempted to advance their claims and revive their power in England, these oppositions in sentiment were renewed. In regard to the Catholics, it had been the wise policy of the reign of George III. to tolerate their mode of worship, but to remember their spirit, to watch their movements, and to limit concession by prudence.

V. Archdeacon Blackburne's Considerations on the present State of the Controversy between the Protestants and Papists of Great Britain and

Ireland, as introducing, in 1766, his celebrated work, "The Confessional; or, a full and free Inquiry into the Right, Utility, Edification, and Success of establishing systematical Confessions of Faith and Doctrine in Protestant Churches," are here deserving of notice. "No publication, since the days of Hoadly, produced a stronger sensation in the Church of England than this: a sensation which did not subside for many years; but, on the contrary, roused the slumbering pretensions of her less orthodox members *.”

VI. Instigated by the warm representations of this Confessional, an association was formed at the Feathers tavern in London, A. D. 1772, by certain clergymen of the English Church, and several members of the professions of law and physic; whose object was relief from subscription to the Thirty-nine Articles. A petition to this effect was framed by the society, and after receiving the signatures of two hundred and fifty of the clergy, presented to the House of Commons. Having first descanted on the blessings of the Reformation, in allowing men to deduce their faith by the use of their reason from the Scriptures, they complained that fassent was demanded in the Thirty-nine Articles, to certain compositions of fallible men; and sought release from obligations, which they considered as utterly incongruous with the right * Brewster's Secular Essay. Coote's Addition to Mosheim.

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