MORNING Ann EVENING PRAYER.—The following petition from Gene- ral Thornton,
on a subject of very high importance to the discipline and wellbeing of the Established Church, was presented to his Majesty at the levee on Wednesday. It shows very clearly the utter inexpediency of Parliament's leaving, when legislating any important duty to depend on the presumed watchfulness of parties over whose conduct they have no control, instead of providing for its due performance by punishing the omission of it.
"To His Most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth, The humble Address of Lieutenant-General William Thornton, of Grosvenor Gate, Park Lane, in the County of Middlesex.
"May it please your Majesty,--Your Majesty's most loyal and dutiful subject humbly prays your Majesty to take into your Royal consideration the danger arising to the Established religion, from the forbearance-of enforcing the performance of both morning and evening prayer on Sundays, in every parish church and parochial cha- pel, and the chapel of every extra-parochial place, throughout England and Ireland, whereby it it, rendered impossible for many persons to obey the laws, or the die- totes of their own conscience, by resorting to their parish church or chapel scum tomed upon every Sunday, without leaving their habitations unoccupied, and ex- posing their property to loss by robbers; consequently obliging those persons who are by such omission of a second service deprived of the opportunity of attending the Established Church, and who think it incumbent on them to go to some place of public worship, to resort to Dissenting meeting-houses, to Roman Catholic cha- pels, or to congregations denying the doctrine of the blessed Trinity—the only course, ES it appears to your Majesty's most loyal and dutiful subject, by which they can legally exonerate themselves from the penalties to which they are liable for not re- sorting to their parish church or chapel. " Your Majesty's most loyal and dutiful subject bad the honour of a scat in Par liament when the Act of the bith year of the reign of your Majesty's Royal father, Ring George the Third, of blessed memory, commonly called "Pile Clergy Residence Act,' was passlog ; and it appearing to your Majesty's most loyal and dutiful sub- ject, that the forbearance of the Bishops to enforce the power given them by the said Act would furnish no excuse to the Clergy for snch a neglect of duty,. as the non- performance of either the Morning or Evening service on Sundays, your Majesty's most loyal and dutiful subject strenuously urged, but unfortunately withoutsuccesa, that the Clergy should be liable to some pecuniary penalty or forfeiture for every such omission, which should go and be paid to the person or persons who should in- form and sue for the same. lt,was asserted that it might be safely intrusted to the Bishops to enforce the two services; but thirteen years of trial, since the Act received the Royal assent, have but too ft-Hy proved the necessity of au additional stimulation.
"Your Majesty's most loyal and dutiful subject being firmly attached to the Esta- blished religion, thinks it a matter ofjoy and,congrzitulation to all sincere Christians, that it is no longer open to the charge of bigotry and oppression ; and still farther to exalt it and to free it from reproach, your most loyal and dutiful subject is anxious to uphotilthe power all persons should of right enjoy, of attending its public wor- ship on Sundays, or of bringing to punishment such of the Clergy as, hr the non- performance of a second service on Sundays, shall deprive them of such an oppor- tunity. " Your Majesty's most loyal and dutiful subject, therefore, humbly prays your Majesty to adopt such measures for the benefit and security of the Established religion, as shall, in f.tture, make imperative the performance of both morning and evening prayer on Sundays, in every parish church and parochial chapel, and the Chapel of every extra-parochial plumes, throughout England and Ireland, either by issuing out your Majesty's Royal directions, as the Head of the Church, to the Arch- bishops and Bishops of England and Ireland, or by recommending to Parliament a legislative provision for that purpose, shouldlyour Majesty, in your superior wisdom, approve of any such proceeding. "Your Majesty's most loyal and dutiful subject, being impelled by a feeling of public duty, humbly trusts that your Majesty will be graciously pleased to pardon air appeal, addressed fortunately to a monarch who has experienced the value of good discipline, to a sovereign who has learned how to obey and how to command, and to a king who, immediately after succeediog to the crown of this mighty empire, made so handsome a .declaration of supporting and protecting the Established Church, composed us it is of both clergy and laity, requiring reciprocal duties." (Signed) WitLiAst TnottNToN.
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