The repeal of the Test Act a vision / [graphic]

"A complicated design: advocates for religious toleration in a church, the pulpit occupied by Priestley, Price, and Lindsey. The central figure is Price, to whom the clerk standing below has passed up in a cleft stick a paper inscribed: 'The Prayers of this Congregation are desired for the Success of the patriot Members of the national Assembly now sitting in France'. Price takes the paper, and, raising his left hand sanctimoniously, says: "And now Let us fervently pray for the Abolition of all unlimited and limit[ed] Monarchy, for the Annihilation of all ecclesiastical Revenues and Endowments, for the Extinction of all Orders of Nobility and all rank and Subordination in civil Society and that Anarchy and Disorder may by our pious Endeavours prevail throughout the Universe - See my Sermon on the Anniversary of the Revolution" (see BMSat 7629, &c). Priestley leans over the left edge of the pulpit, his right arm raised; flames issuing from his mouth expand into four columns of smoke inscribed respectively 'Atheism' (smaller than the others), 'Deism', 'Socinianism', 'Arianism'. This blast strikes an angel carrying a cross; he flies out of a window (left), looking over his shoulder at Priestley with an expression of horror. Through the window is also seen a church steeple, being pulled down by a rope. Seated in a pew below is Fox (left) who looks up at the preacher, smiling; a similar column of smoke issues from his mouth and rises towards Priestley, inscribed 'Hear hear hear'. Lindsey leans over the right side of the pulpit, holding out 'A Table of the Thirty nine Articles' in a frame, this he tears to pieces. The back of the pulpit, above Price's head, is ornamented with an inverted and irradiated triangle containing the letters 'PPL', the initials of the three preachers. Above it is suspended a marquess's coronet with Lord Lansdowne's beehive crest. On the sounding-board are (left) two books: 'Priestley on civil Government' and 'Price on civil Liberty'. Beside them hangs from the roof a striped flag inscribed 'America' (Price's 'Observations on civil liberty . . .' (1776) had encouraged the Declaration of Independence, see BMSat 5644). On the books stands a small demon. Another demon, wearing the steeple-crowned hat of the puritans of the Commonwealth, sits on an open book (right) inscribed 'a Sermon on the Anniversary of the glorious Revolution'. Beneath the pulpit is a pew running across the church from left to right and containing the clerk's desk. In this sits Fox (left); facing him in profile to the left is Dr. Abraham Rees looking through a large magnifying-glass at a large open volume inscribed 'Bacons liber Regis' and 'Cantuar'. On the clerk's desk is a paper: 'Ye are desired to take Notice That a Vestry will be held on Tuesday to take into Consideration some necessary Reforms both in the Church and State'. Behind and between these two is a shadowy head, partly obliterated by the smoke issuing from Fox, identified as Sir Henry Hoghton. Next him is a woman with the closed eyes and upturned face of an enthusiast; she holds out an open book: 'Margt Nicholson her Book' (see BMSat 6973, &c). Seated in profile to the right is Dr. Kippis. Standing beside him is Lord Stanhope, smiling, his head turned in profile to the left. He tears in half a paper inscribed: 'Acts of Parliamt for the Uniformity of Common Prayer, and Service in ye Church and Administration of the Sacraments'. Beneath his elbow is a paper: 'Heads of a Bill for the Abolition of Tithes and other ecclesiastical Endowm[ents]'. In front of the pulpit the central figure is an exciseman standing with his back to the pulpit and looking over his shoulder at Stanhope with a smile. An ink-bottle is attached to his coat, under his arm is a book inscribed 'Excise'. His folded hands rest on the head of a cane, the tip of which is in a chalice which stands at his feet. Under his foot is a paper: 'Order for the Ministration of the holy Communion'. He is gauging a Communion cup, and is evidently Thomas Paine. Next him (right) in back view, kneeling, is a bishop, with enormous lawn sleeves; he is identified by Miss Banks as Edward Law, Bishop of Carlisle, but an open book in front of him is inscribed 'Watson Tracts', suggesting that he is Watson of Llandaff, cf. BMSat 7419. In the foreground on the left a kneeling man is flinging out the contents of an open chest on which are a bishop's escutcheon, and a female figure with a cross and chalice, probably representing religion. He throws out a large book: 'The Book of Common Prayer' to join a book of 'Homilies'. Beside this lie a mitre, a crozier, a chalice, a communion plate with bread at which rats are nibbling, a paper: 'The Communion of Saints, &c.' Looking over the shoulder of this despoiler of the Church is a bearded Jew, his hands raised in admiration, saying, "O vat fine plaat I vil give you de Monies for it Sar." On the right and in profile to the left sits a soldier, with the lank hair and upward gaze of the enthusiast; he holds his sabre by the scabbard. In his right hand is a steeple-crowned hat. Behind him sits a shadowy worshipper, full face, with upturned head and clasped hands. In the foreground on the extreme right a beadle is seated on the floor asleep. His hat is inscribed 'Oliver Condable St James'. Beside him are a dog and an open book: 'Killing no Murder a Sermon for the 30th of January'. Above the back of a pew on the extreme right is part of the back of a wig, identified as that of the Lord Mayor. A large mace is beside it, and a pillar surmounted by the Royal Arms: the lion is headless and in place of the crown is a puritan's steeple-crowned hat. Through a doorway inscribed 'Sanctum Sanctor[um]' is a three quarter length portrait in an oval frame of Oliver Cromwell. From a gallery in the upper right corner of the design, a ruffianly looking man leans over with a clenched fist, saying, "No Test no Bishops". In his left hand is a paper: 'The Rights of the Protestant Dissenters vindicated a Sermon by Jos Priestley.'"--British Museum online catalogue