SPEECH 
 
 OF A DISSENTER 
 
 CHURCH-RATES. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 PRINTED BY R. CLAY, BREAD-STREET-HILL, 
 
SPEECH 
 
 OF A D I S S E N T E II 
 
 
 On Wodiie-sclay, Jim. JSlli, ii!.refiil)l.v t() pulilio 
 iiotici;, a nmcting of the iiiliuhitimts ol Clielms onl 
 look place., to consider a c!iurc!i-ratc, rcipurcd by 
 tlie churchwardens, the rate of the 1st of 
 havin'^- Iiecn abandoned. The llev. C. A. St. 
 John Mieumay, the Rector, was in the chair. 
 A very warm opposition was olfcred to the g-raritnii;' 
 of the rate, the Rev. Mr. Gray, the minister ol 
 the Independent Chapel, licadiiig the anti-charcli 
 party. The Essc.r. HUindurd furnishes a very 
 interesting report of the proceedings, incl.n ing 
 some excellent addresses from Or. Hadeley, Mi. 
 Bartlett, &c. We are, liowever, compelled to 
 coniine ourselves to the following speech ol Jli- 
 King, a truly independent and enlightened Dis¬ 
 senter, which excited as much admiration Ironi I m 
 Churchmen as it irritated and annoyed the aiili- 
 church party:— 
 
 Mr. King, Surgeon.-Unaccuslonied as I aiii 
 
 to take a part in parochial allairs, lee i m.V 
 
4 
 
 duly to come forward on the present occasion. 
 I consider that the question on which we are con¬ 
 vened to decide, and the consequences that may 
 follow from that decision, are so intimately con¬ 
 nected with the preservation of the peace and 
 order of the town, that I feel it not only necessary 
 to come forward and vote in favour of the rate 
 (much cheering), but also to give my reasons for 
 diflering from that part of the community with 
 which I am considered generally to act, and for 
 w horn I entertain a sense of great personal respect. 
 I support this rate, because, from the observations 
 that have fallen from Mr. Butler, I am satisfied, 
 though I have not seen the estimate, that the rate 
 is required to keep the Church in decent repair. 
 (Cheers.) This is no time for the lavish e.xpen- 
 diture of the public money ; and if any person who 
 may be opposed to this rate convinces me that 
 any of the rate is wanted for useless ornament, I 
 should not vote for it; but it is tacitly admitted 
 by those who are opposed to it, that the sum is 
 wanted for the worship of God, and the preserva¬ 
 tion of his sanctuary. (Cheers.) I think that 
 great good arises in this country from the existence 
 of a Church Estahlishment, and if any one has 
 o])posed a rate on the ground of profuse expendi¬ 
 ture, they have now abandoned it. From the 
 observations made to-day, it seems that they have 
 taken what may he considered higher ground. 
 Mr. Gray says he opposes the church-rates because 
 he considers them anti-scriptural; and my friend, 
 Mr. Wells, opposes them because he considers 
 them almost a tax on the consciences of the Dis¬ 
 senters. Now I will beg to make a few observa¬ 
 tions on both those points ; and first of church-rates 
 being ami-scriptural. Mr. Gray maintained that 
 there is nothing in the Bible to countenance a 
 church-rate. Mr. Gray says that we do not now 
 
live under the old dispensation I grant that, but 
 f lie turns to the Bible, he will find that occasional 
 culls were made on the property of the JeM^ for 
 the maintenance of the temple. We read n Ewa, 
 that under Cyrus, all were taxed for the 
 of the temple; and that this was not an act of 
 which God disapproved, is shown by the language 
 of his prophet, when he fUs Cyrus Ins servant. 
 It is said tLt we do not find in t few Test^ 
 ment any mention of a National Church, the 
 reason of this is obvious ; none of tlio goveinments 
 of the earth having been then converted to l,hris- 
 tianitv; but. reasoning from analogy, if any ot 
 tliem'had been converted, they vyould have been 
 found maintaining a national religion, and lungs 
 would have become its nursing fathers, and queo. ..s 
 
 its nursing mothers. (Hear, hear.) I argue tins 
 the more, because the other day, in 
 last book of the Bible-(that of MalachD-l 
 saw a curse pronounced on the people of Is ael, 
 because they had not paid those nghts- hose 
 tithes—those contributions—towards the mainti 
 
 ,i.nice. of the religion of the country, wliicu they 
 ouo-ht. (Cheers.) Here the old disiiensation w.c- 
 about to expire, and the last prophet who wrote 
 under it, had spoken of the coming of the f ^ • 
 
 and yet the duty of supporting a national rel g.o 
 was as much enforced by that prophet .i- i < 
 by Moses, who was the first that wioU . n a 
 subject. So much for chiirch-ratcs 
 scriptural. And now with regard to art f 
 tice 1.1 compelling «s H-ssenters o pay rt tlu 
 support of a national religion . I au < ' 
 
 know what is meant by it. ‘ 
 
 professedly Cht.stian, we cxpcc *'>“ f "''‘j ;; 
 iiient will be Christian (cheers); > 
 
 should consider it a duty to provf; sac religion 
 instruction for the people, as they diem mo 
 
expedient—the best calculated to promote their 
 eternal happiness. So far from the Dissenter 
 saying this is an injustice, I will say that the 
 moment a government ceases to make this pro¬ 
 vision, it ceases to be Christian. (Cheers and 
 hisses.) It leaves the discharge of one of its first 
 duties to others, and betrays the confidence placed 
 in it by the friends of peace, order, morality, and 
 religion. (Cheering and hissing.) I am at a loss to 
 understand how individuals can think it right to set 
 up their own private judgment as to the payment of 
 taxes for religious instruction; why, they might, 
 by the same rule, think it very wrong to pay any 
 tax which had for its object the promotion of 
 social order and the defence of the country. 
 (Much cheering.) This is all involved in the same 
 principle; that which demands obedience to one 
 law, demands it to all. If I admit to-day that a 
 person may refuse payment of a tax for promoting 
 religious instruction, because it is not precisely 
 the sort of instruction which he best approves, I 
 can see no reason why I may not be called on 
 to-morrow, to admit that he may refuse to pay a 
 fax for the defence of the country, because it is 
 not conducted in the manner most accordant with 
 his feelings. (Great uproar among the opposers 
 of the rate.) If a man refuse to pay a tax for 
 religious instruction, because it is notin accordance 
 with his opinion, I repeat that I see no reason why 
 he should not be permitted to refuse to pay a tax 
 tortile support of social order, and the administra¬ 
 tion of justice, because it is not administered in 
 the way the most pleasant and congenial to his 
 feelings. (Renewed uproar.) If the government 
 protect me from insult, and secure to me the 
 enjoyment of my opinions as a Dissenter, and 
 liermit me to do that which my Bible tells me I 
 may do, and an interference with which I should. 
 
7 
 
 resist—if the government suffers me to worship 
 God according to the dictates of my own con¬ 
 science, I am satisfied (hisses and groans from the 
 Dissenters), and I never should accuse it of in¬ 
 justice, because it compelled me to pay my fair 
 proportion towards the religious instruction of the 
 country. (Cheers and groans.) So much for the 
 injustice of the thing. Much has been said with 
 regard to the folly of the church-rate, and that it 
 is an unfair tax. The advocates of the voluntary 
 system have told us, that if acted on it would pro¬ 
 duce enough to meet the demands, or rather the 
 exigencies of the country. Now let me examine 
 the truth of this. It must be considered a gratui¬ 
 tous assumption, for this country has never been 
 left, thank Heaven, to the mercy of the voluntary 
 principle. (Loud cheers.) But they say it has 
 been tried in Scotland, and what has it done for 
 Scotland? Much has been said about the morality 
 and religion of Scotchmen—of their superiority 
 over the inhabitants of South Britain. I read an 
 able article in Blackwood of last month, and in 
 that I learned that in the city of Glasgow, contain¬ 
 ing 240,000 inhabitants, the voluntary system, 
 with all the assistance which the government is 
 able to give them, there is not, including every 
 church and chapel, accommodation for more than 
 97,000 persons. (Cheers.) So much for Scot¬ 
 land ! But they say it has been tried in America. 
 (Hear, hear.) The extent of religious accommo¬ 
 dation in that country afforded by the voluntary 
 .system, I am unable to state ; but if any criterion 
 is to be drawn from the manners of the inhabitants 
 of the country, one would suppose that America 
 would be the last spot on earth to which a great 
 nation like this would look as an example in point 
 of religion—(cheers and hisses)—a land where 
 the inhabitants, with the sacred word of liberty on 
 
8 
 
 their lips, hold a large portion of their fellow- 
 creatures in chains— (1o\kI cheers) —a land where 
 Lynch law prevails--where an infuriated mob 
 can roast people to death with impunity—where 
 the editors of papers are liable to be stoned to 
 death because they dare to oppose popular fury, 
 and this is all done without subsequent inquiry— 
 a land where ruffian riot and intemperance seem 
 to have their jierfect working in every section. 
 (Cheers and hisses.) But now let us come nearer 
 home, and coolly sit down and calculate what the 
 voluntary system has done for the religious instruc¬ 
 tion of our own neighbonrhood. 1 have in my 
 hand a list of four parishes within a short distance 
 of Chelmsford, viz. Broomfield, Borehain, Great 
 Baddow, and Great Waltham, comprising a popu¬ 
 lation of 5470 inhabitants, and yet in all these the 
 voluntary principle does not provide any regular 
 accommodation for religious worship. (Cries of 
 Hear, hear, and from the anti-rate men, of It is 
 wrong.) I also have a list of four other parishes— 
 Writtle, Springfield, Little Waltham, and Great 
 Leighs, comprising 5629 inhabitants, and for their 
 accommodation the voluntary principle has fur¬ 
 nished three small places of worship, capable ol 
 accommodating about 800 persons (hear, hear); so 
 that of eight parishes in the immediate vicinity ol 
 Chelmsford, containing 11,090 persons, the volun¬ 
 tary svstem furnishes religious accommodation for 
 only 800; leaving 45 out of every 50 unprovided 
 with accommodation so far as the voluntary system 
 goes. Now can those who advocate that system, 
 and oppose the church-rate, contemplate without 
 some concern the condition of those irorsons, who, 
 if the system were acted on by the adjonnug 
 parishes, would be destitute of religious accom¬ 
 modation, or be dependent on the pious and bene¬ 
 volent Churchmen I (Hear, hear.) But it may 
 
9 
 
 be said, that great exertions would be made by 
 the friends of the voluntary system, and that the 
 pious Churchmen would do so; but I ask the 
 advocates for the abolition of the church-rate, 
 whether they consider it fair, equitable, and just, 
 to throw the provision of the loose population of 
 the country on the Churchmen, while they only 
 provide. (Here Mr. Thorogood again interrupted 
 the speaker, by vociferating, “ They’ve got the 
 tithe.”) 
 
 The Chairman. — Mr. Thorogood, I must 
 desire that you will not thus repeatedly interrupt 
 persons who are speaking. If you wish to ad¬ 
 dress the meeting, I will take care that you shall 
 have a hearing. 
 
 Mr. King continued.—1 would entreat of you, 
 who come here this morning to oppose the grant 
 of the church-rate, to reflect seriously on the mis¬ 
 chief which a perseverance in this mode of pro¬ 
 ceeding may produce on the eternal interests of 
 thousands. (Cheers, hisses, and laughter.) They 
 have done much towards the education of the 
 poor i)easantry of the neighbourhood, but let me 
 tell them—let me tell this meeting—that educa¬ 
 tion unaccompanied by suitable religious instruc¬ 
 tion, will prove an injury ratlier than a benefit. 
 (Hear.) Where there is culture of the mental 
 capacity, without religious instruction, it is hut to 
 increase the capacity of our fellow-creatures, and 
 make them more fit for mischief; it will but make 
 the peasantry dissatisfied with their station, and 
 encourage the more vicious and debasing prin¬ 
 ciples of our common nature. (Cheers.) I would 
 now speak a few words to the more humble part 
 of this meeting. Many of you are brought here 
 this morning, under the supposition that in voting 
 against the church-rate you are aiding a measure, 
 from which you will ultnnatelv reap benefit; be- 
 
10 
 
 lieve me, as your friend, your true and devoted 
 friend, if you suppose that you shall receive those 
 benefits, you are mistaken. (Cheers and hisses.) 
 It is one of the most striking, and to me alarming 
 circumstances, connected with recent events, that 
 every measure brought forward by the self-styled 
 Liberal party, who court popularity, has been 
 based on the injury and degradation of the lower 
 orders. (This observation put the anti-church 
 party into a towering passion; they hissed, groaned, 
 hooted, vociferated—“ Shame, shame,” and ap- 
 ])eared to be nearly demented with rage. These 
 demonstrations of liberality were met by cheers 
 from the Churchmen, and cries of “ It’s true.”) 
 
 Mr. .Tohns called Mr. King to order, observing 
 that he had no right to mention the government. 
 
 The Chairman said his opinion was that Mr. 
 King had spoken on the assumption that the 
 abolition of church-rates would be one of many 
 measures to oppress the poor. If he made direct 
 allusion to the government he certainly was out ol 
 order. 
 
 Mr. King.—I have no wish to go out of order, 
 and to prove the truth of my assertion, I forbear 
 what may, by some, be considered an infringe¬ 
 ment on the rules of the meeting. I will only say 
 it is impossible to conceive of any measure more 
 pregnant with mischief to the poor, than would be 
 the abolition of the church-rate, as it would de¬ 
 prive them of that legal right to accommodation 
 for religious worship, which they now enjoy, at 
 the expense of the state. (Renewed uproar.) 
 The interests of the Church and the poor are so 
 closely united by the wisdom of our ancestors, that 
 it is impossible to separate them. (Uproar.) Of 
 the truth of this any one may easily convince him¬ 
 self ; and it is impossible for any one to aim a blow 
 at the institutions of the country, without its being 
 
11 
 
 injurious to the poor. (Cheers and hisses.) Let 
 them look round and see to whom they are in¬ 
 debted for the public chanties, schools, a ms- 
 houses, and asylums; why, nine-teiitlis of them 
 oridnated in the liberal donations and contribu¬ 
 tions of Churchmen. (Loud cheers and hisses.) 
 Let them look round and inquire where the men 
 are to be found, who of late have niaintaiiied bo th 
 in writing and in speeches, that all chanties, pub he 
 and private, are iniurioiis to the morals of the 
 country; and they will find them among those who 
 oppose church-rates, and try to persuade us, con¬ 
 trary to justice, not to pay these rates. (Renewed 
 uproar.) If the people of the country have a 
 r^ard for their own interest, they lyill now stand 
 forward manfully, in support of the institutions ol 
 the country. As the feeble ivy twines its tendrils 
 round the majestic oak, so ought the poor to 
 cleave to the established institutions ot the coun¬ 
 try, for the same blow that overthrows the one 
 will throw their best and dearest interests in the 
 dust. (Renewed uproar.) If you love your coiiii- 
 try, and are thankful for the many benefits you 
 enjoy, and wish to hand them to your children and 
 their posterity uninjured, you w. 1 come forward 
 and support the church-rate, the man wio Cc 
 aid, in the slightest degree, by his vyote or influ¬ 
 ence in this good cause, and yet is deterred from 
 doing so by mean calculations of interest, timidity, 
 or supineness, shamefully neglects the du‘y ^ 
 owes to posterity, and most righteously deserves 
 all those evils of which the overthrow of the reli¬ 
 gion of the country would be but the foiei .inner. 
 
 Mr. King concluded by declaring that Im gave 
 his cordial support to the rate pressed. [ m a - 
 nouncement wL received by the Churchnien w 
 loud cheering, and by the anti-cliuich p-tj witl. 
 
12 
 
 the loudest groans and hooting, several of them 
 furiously exclaiming,—" He’s mad,”—" shame, 
 shame!” with other similar logical and sensible 
 observations.] 
 
 [We ought to add that the church-rate was 
 carried by a majority of at least three to one.] 
 
 N. B. The Report of this Speech is taken from Ihf 
 SwNDAP.D, without alteration.