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172] ANNUAL REGISTER

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members of a Protestant establishment) but with much grief and concern apprehend it to be a great hinderance to the spreading of Christ's true religion: As it tends to preclude, at least to discourage, further enquiry into the true sense of Scripture, to divide Communions, and cause mutual dislike be-tween fellow Protestants: As it gives a handle to unbelievers to reproach and vilify the clergy, by representing them (when they observe their diversity of opinion touching those very articles which were agreed upon for the fake of avoiding the diversities of opinion, as guilty of prevarication, and of accommodating their faith to lucrative views or political considerations: As it affords to Papists, and others disaffected to our religious establishments, occasion to reflect upon it as inconsistently framed, admitting and authorizing doubtful and precarious doctrines, at the fame time that Holy Scripture alone is acknowledged to be certain, and sufficient for salvation: As it tends (and the evil daily increases) unhappily to divide the clergy of the establishment themselves, subjecting one part thereof, who affect but their Protestant privilege to question every human doctrine, and bring it to the test of Scripture, to be reviled, as well from the pulpit as the press, by another part, who seem to judge the articles they have subscribed to be of equal authority with the Holy Scripture itself: And, lastly, As it occasions scruples and embarrassments of conscience to thoughtful and worthy persons in regard to entrance into the ministry, or chearful continuance in the exercise of it.
That the clerical part of your
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petitioners, upon whom it is peculiarly incumbent, and who are more immediately appointed by the state, to maintain and defend the truth as it is in Jesus, do find themselves under great restraint in their endeavours herin, by being obliged to join issue with the adversaries of the revelation, in supporting the one true sense of Scripture to be expressed in the present established system or faith, or else to incur the reproach of having departed from the subscriptions, the suspicion of insincerity, and the repute of being ill-affected to the church ; whereby their comfort and usefulness among thier respective flocks, as well as their success against the adversaries of our common Christianity, are greatly obstructed.
That such of your petitioners as have been educated with a view to the several professions of the Civil Law and Physic, cannot but think it a great hardship to be obliged (as are all in one of the Universities, even at their first admission or matriculation, and at an age of immature for disquisitions and decisions of such moment) to subscribe their unfeigned assent to a variety of theological propositions, concerning which their private options can be of no consequence to the publish, in order to entitle them to academical degrees in the those faculties ; more especially as the course of their studies, and attention to their practice respectively, afford them neither the means nor the leisure to examine whether and how far fuch propositions do agree with the work of God.
That certain of your petitioners have reason to lament, not only their own, but the too probable misfortune of their sons, who, at
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172] ANNUAL REGISTER

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an age before the habit of reflection can be formed, or their judgement matured, must, if the present mode of subscription remains, be irrecoverably bound down in points of the highest consequence, to the tenets of ages less informed than their own.
  That, whereas the first of the three articles, enjoined by the 36th canon of the Church of England to be subscribed, contains a recognition of his majesty's supremacy in all causes ecclesiastical and civil, your petitioners humbly perfume, that every security, proposed by subscription to the said article, is fully and effectually provided for by the oaths of allegiance and supremacy, prescribed to be taken by every Deacon and Priest at their ordination, and by every Graduate in both Universities.  Your petitioners, nevertheless, are ready and willing to give any farther testimony which may be thought expedient, of their affection for his majesty's person and government, of their attachment and dutiful submission in church and state, of their abhorrence of the unchristian spirit of Popery, and of all those maxims of the church of Rome, which tend to enslave the consciences, or to undermine the civil or religious liberty, of a free Protestant people.
  Your petitioners, in consideration of the premises, do now humbly supplicate this Honourable House, in hope of being relieved from an obligation of incongruous with the right of private judgement, of pregnant with danger to true religion, and so productive of distress to many pious and conscientious men, and useful subjects of

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the state; and in that hope look up for redress, and humbly submit their cause, under God, to the wisdom and justice of a British Parliament, and the piety of a Protestant King.
  And your petitioners shall ever pray, &c.
  Sir William Meredith moved to bring up the above petition; but Sir Roger Newdigate objected to the receiving of it, as it came from performs who had done that which they represented to be wrong, and which they wanted to undo.  Lord John Cavendish wished the petition to be brought up, and examined with temper.  Lord North objected to it, as tending to revive the flames of ecclesiastical controversy; and wished never in that house to proceed to the discussion of orthodoxy.  On a division it was rejected, Yeas 71, Nays 217.

The following Letter, directed to Protestant Dissenting Ministers, has lately been circulated all over England and Wales.

   Reverend Sir,
It is the opinion of some very worthy gentlemen, and hearty well-wishers to the Dissenting-Interest, that an application to parliament to take of the Subscription required of Protestant Dissenting Ministers by the Toleration-Act, and to put Tutors and Schoolmasters upon a safer footing than they now are, would be highly proper, and might probably by successful.
  Many of the ministers thin it their duty, and of great importance, to petition parliament for that purpose.  As they act herein upon the great