The Sun. — London, England, 1817-12-25 00:00:00

THE'CIIISRCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY An ADDRES to a NIF.ETING holdeh at the TOlvn-Halt. 'in the City of Bath, und , r the Pr ,, Sidency of the Hui. and Right 'Rev. the Lord BISHOP of GLOUCESTEIt, on Alonclathe Ist 'Day of Drertaber, 1817, for the pur pose of furating a 'CIIITItCH IVINSIONARY SOCIETY I that •City, , -word for wor delivereiT from writing; witl. ft PROTEST against the estabhshriaent of such a Society 'in Bath. By the Rev. JOSIAH TimmAs, Archdeacon of Bath. • My LORD VICE-PATRoN and PRESIDENT of Meeting. A Church Society holding a Meeting with ii this city, and presided tirer by a Bishop of the Church of England., will, I presume, allow do right of the Archdeacon of Bath to declare hi• sentiments on the subject of their Meeting. As I am nut in the habit of attending stick meetings, and do not chose " to talk without book," I be leave to deliver my opinions from this :paper; to which I can hereafter resort, if !Ste occasion_ . desire ) however, before I proceed, that it be understood, that my attendance on this meeting is altogether qficiai t and, therefore, as 1 con clude that I am addressing a Church Assembly, I shall speak as a Churchman to Churchmen ; and if I should b ing some strange things to the ears of many, they will be such as the Hon. and Right Rev. Fire-Patron, .who presides over this meet ing, cannot, as a Bishop, disallow ; however ob solete they may have become through disuse. However I may and do revere the piety and well-intending zeal of sonic individuals, whom I know to be members of this Missionary Society, 1 scruple not to express my convictions : . I. That this - Church Missionary Society was originally tinntctssary ; because the Incorporated Society for the nopagation of the Gospel in Fo , -ign Parts, was, and is, in existence, and in action. • H. I hat several of the rules 'and regulations of this Church Missionary Society, and especially the means which it employs ►o increase its f un d s , are ut t e rly . unworthy Of the name which it would assume—that of a Church of England Society. 111. That this Church Missionary Society tends to the subversion of ecclesiastical order; and to promote and angment divisions among the mem bers, and especially the Clergy of the Church of England ; being plainly supported in conformity to tie views of a New Sec; in the Church : a Sect, of which the adherents di.tingnisit them selves by the names of Serious Christians, and Evangelical Miuisterc, IV. That the formation of a riranch of this Church Missionary Society, in this city, will be pernicious ; because it will promote religious feuds here, as similar speculations have done hi othe. places. Of each of these in their order. 1. I said that this institution was originally - un necessary Incorporated Society for the Propagation of the Goipel in Foreign Parts has been in existence and in usefulness, but, though a Church of England Society, little encouraged, more than a hundred yea's. It ;s probable that many of this auditory, in all respects qualified-to be members of that Society, never heard of its name. To them I take leave to recommend it, not as a new project, hint as an established and Orderly syStent. And certainly the zeal and the liberality of members of the Church of England, would be more consistently employed in the sup port of that, than in the formation of any new Society. 2. I said that I considered some of the Rule and Regulations of this church Missionary So ciety, and especially the means which it employs to increase its Funds, to be utterly unworthy of the name which it would assume ; viz. that of a Church of England Society. For example, Is it worthy of the Church of England, is it worthy of the members of the Chinch of England, to authorise persons to go about, collecting pence and farthings from servants, school boys, and apprentices, in order that the collectors of one s tilling per week, or five shillings per month, may be elevated into members—of a Church of England Society ? And, moreover, be tempted o the additional honour of voting at meetings, of receiving copies of the Annual Report and Sermon, and one Number of the Missionary Re gister ? This is the statement in Rule VI. of your At port : but I proceed to other matter. 3. I said that this Society tends to the subver sion of ecclesiastical, order, and to Promote anti augment disisitms among the members, and espe cially the Clergy of the Church of England. Can vronger proof of this assertion be offered than at this moment, exhibited before your,. eves ? Here you have the Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Gloucester peesiding in the chief city of the diocese of Bath and Wells, over the for— mation of a Society, which the Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells disclaims. Does tire Honourable and Right Neverend Vice Patron of this Church of England Missionary Society know this fact ?-- If not, by what role, not of Apostolical atulto rity, but of common propriety, does be invade the province of his venerable brother ? By what right does he come hither, thrusting his sickle into aunt her man's harvest ? *Pet haps Ire thought the husbandman asleep ! I trust that he will find us waking and watchful. But it his Lord ship did know the sentiments of his venerable Diocesan as well as mine (for the Dean of IVells is as much under canonical rule as any other cler gymt;n), I ask, if his Lordship did know the sentiments of his venerable Diocesan as well as mine, could he give a more decisive proof of. his indifference to the dignity of the' high office, to which he has been hurt a few years consecrated, as well as of his Contempt of ecclesiastical order? Btu tLis is a Church of England . Society !! Where are the Majority of the Established Clergy of this city, and of the neighbourhood, that they attend not to support a meeting, convened under that assumption ? Did they not hear of it ? Was it possible for them not to he Kr ? not :l e Newspapers announce, not onl'y the imblic e e Of this Society, bu't tlO, to promote the ..iews Of 'this Institution, a Sermon would be ;reached by the Hon. and Right Reverend the bord Bishop of Gloucester, at the Octagon Chapel Owe the very words of the adver tisement.) 1 ask again, where are the Major:ty ot the Established 'Clergy of this 'city and neigh- Oourhood, that they emend not to support this ;Iturcli of England Society ?. Perhaps if may be s a id that the Archdeac!oi infiuenbed their winds The Archdeacon solemnly declares, that he has u(et communicated, nor anthorised ;ID'S' person to ommunicate, to any one of them his intentiOn to here. lin! I have said, that this Church Missionary Society is plaioly supported in conTOrmity.to the views of a New Sect in the Church ; a sect,. of which the adherents distinguish themselves by the . names of Serious - Christians, and Evangelical Ministers. Igo further,. That this Society is in ny.respect calculated to promote the sober, or derly, manly, intelligent, and intelligible piety of the Church of England, Ido utterly deny. I look at the names of the prime and principal pro mote's of this project; names, I allow, of the highest respectability on many accounts, but cer tainly of very little weight in the balance of the Chinch of England ; since some of the .parties, to whotti those names belong, have nut scrupled to con , municate with those, who renounce her doctrines and diSeipline. Do not imagine that I mean to speak with disrespect of Conscientious Dissenters. I quarrel with no man for his religions creed. I love Ho nesty, though I may think it perverse. I vene rate Piety, though 1 may think it erroneous. Bin those respectable Dissenters do not halt between two opinions ; they are not of the Church to-day and of the Meeting-house to-morrow ; and we know their meaning. But do the Ministers of any Dissecting coninmuity go about ploclaiming the insufficiency, the %vorldly•mindedness, and the want of gospel-zeal IN THEIR OWN Brethren ? Does any party of Ministers, in any Communion, among Them, lissome to itself all the piety and all the virtues of their cornmon function ? or look down with supercilions horror on their less as suming Brethren Does any Minister among the Dissenters intrude upon the charge of a Brother- Minister, not Only without leave, but in, defiance of all denial ?—No. These are perfections of re ligious zeal, peculiar to certain elect persons,• who have set up this, and some other institntioos, themselves Serious Christiaus, and Evangeli cal Ministers. Serious Christians ! What "? Is no man in earnest respecting the mercies of God in the re demption of uirtiikind ? is no wan serious in his faith, and earnest in his religions and moral du ties ? has no Mall :4 regard for the salvation of souls, except this Party ? Evangelical Ministers too ! Why more evan gelical than their brethren—who have received the same Apostolical ordination ; profeSs the sante faith; have taken the same oaths ; use the same loin) of sound words in the services of the same Church ; and exercise the sante Pt ie‘thood at the same altar % I S peak to members of 'the Church of England,. (for such by the title of the meeting I may fairly conclude all present to . be ;)- and I r.sk, in what sense, but as the Shinboleth of a Party, this exclusive title of Evangelical can be assumed by Ministers of the Church of England over their brethren ? over men, in every respect, whether of piety, of morals,. or of learning, at least their equals ? 1 ask, why I cease to be a true Minister of the Gospel, became I disdain to join a Sect of whose disorderly proceedings 1 dis approve. Respecting this Church of England Missionary Society, I beg leave to call the attention of the Meeting to two extraordinary circumstances : First, that on looking over the list of Vice-Pa trons, I see the names of only two Bishops : one, The lion. and Right Rev. Prelate here present ; the other, The Right Rev, the Lord Bishop of Norwich ! Now, if this Society were founded on principles so firm and so evangelical, by what fatality did it happen that the other Bishops did not join it at first ? Nay, how comes it to pass, that they have not conic in on conviction ? can readily account for the reluctance of a man to tread back the hollow and rotten ground over which he has travelled; but this reluctance to set toot ou firm ground; on the ground of the Chula of England! This is a mystery too deep for me to fathom. Secondly, The next extraordinary circumstance is, that among the list of High Persons on the report of this Clinch of England Missionary So ciety for the east, I see not the name of the only person who can give either order or consistency to their proceediags in that quarter of the Globe. I mean the truly teamed and sound Bishop of Calcutta.—What ! was that great titan solicited to take under his care and controul—which, as the Hon. and Right Rev. Vice-Patron knows, the Church of England wonld demand—was that great man solicited to take under his care and contront the pious missionaries, who should be sent into his Diocese from this Society;—and did he refuse to receive them Or, did the 'toady adherents to the Church of England, who pro jected this Society, never apply to his Lordship for that purpose ? I profess myself utterly igno rant on both these questions. But of this lam certain, viz.—That " the concerns of the Society in the North of India" are stated in the Report ender the article of Missions, to be under no other authorif y or control'', than " the management of a Corresponding Committee." A Church of England Missionary Society, under the management (that is the word) of Corresponding Committee !! ! I have indeed heard, but I will not assert it as a fact, a circumstance that would solve these diffi culties ; to wit, that the leading persons of the London Missionary Society, which consists of persons of all kinds of religious persuasions, ate on the best of terms with the leading persons of the Church Missionary Society for Africa and the East. This circutustmice, if trite, would also account for other circumstances in the history of restless and disorderly pietists, compassing sea and land to . gain proselytes ; and distturbt»g their own country with religious contention. 4. I now proceed to the last consideration, viz.: THE SUN. frOLEII QUIS DIOERE FALSUM A [IDEA . '" ? LONDON, THURSDAY; DECEMBER 25, 1817 We received last night the Paris Papers of Sun day last s and this tttoi•ning those of Monday. We give extracts from the former in our laS't page. They almost Wholly rel►►te to the proceedings of the Chamber of Deputies on Baturday, relative to the Projet regarding the Press. It will be seen that an important point has been Carried by a small majority against the Government. In the original Projet $ power Was reserved to the Police to seize a \Volk ut the Press previous to the pub if it ecinttilled a direct excirewulit N 'lhe t6nonittee who consid c 1 11("' crime. jet had intich disVOtsion as to the nie,min,4 11 ' 41 might be attached to the phrase used, a ild length ditided reen(nmending i ts lij4 struck Out. !n Clianiber, oil S4l ti rdeP affer agreeirt to separate the article rcspecti 4 the J otunalh (\vith the restriction on them or►1;1 • till ti►e end of the Bt..sion of ISIS) from tlizf jet, and to several Articles of the latter, 4 vei.y warm debate took place on the ah( o7e ' mentioned paragraph. The power of seiii 4 works at the press, on the ground of their 'containing an excitement to crime (to which many Meanings might be attached) was tti ° tempting to the Ministry to be given up witlpoot a struggle, and accordingly we find the Mini' sterial men Warmly contending for ir. The re' stilt was, a defeat to them on a scrutiny, til e numbers were lOl for—and 110 against th e paragraph, which was in consequence struck out' The Chambei• adjourned the consideration of the remaining articles till Monday. The following are•Exttacts from the Journo ls of 'Monthly : " PARIS, DEC. 22.—YOterday at a privat e audience the Chevalier de Britto, Portuf , tiese ulster Plenipotentiary, notified to his Majesty the marriage of the Prince Royal of Portugal to the Princess Leopotdine of Austria. " It is understood that the Projet of Law re' specting the Journals agreed to on Saturday hi the Chamber of Deputies, will be presented thig day by the Ministers to the Chamber of Peers: • " Five hundred witnesses are to be conveye d from Rhodes to Albi, to give evidence respectiog the assassination of M. Ullaldes. " At the ti h 1 of Maubrenil on Thursby Donay, the defetulant objected to the competet of the Court ; the decision is not, yet known, " It is understood that thesMinister of Financic receives every day new propositions respecting 0 6 loan ; and that they are favourable bud: Irma 1 0 ' reign houses and the first domestic houses, 1) 4 there is reason to bel;eve that the Minister will not treat for the loin until after the law o n the Budget is agreed to, provision being made for the public service at the commencetnent of the year. " FIVE PER CENTS. " Saturday 64 f. " TANGIER,' Nov. 24.—The Captain awl crew of a French vessel from Goree, destioeil for Mat' seilles, have heel) arrested in Nif:roceu, at Sairr i Croix, where they pitt in to ye; pimiSious water. The determination of the Emperor rt." ! specting this circumstance is waited for. " An English vessel has arrived at Madlior , from Gibraltar, with two English Officers of Artill lery on board, who are supposed to be on smog I IiSSLOII. " MADIUD, DEC 9.—Two Portuguese trigatego destined to cruise in the Meditetranean, arrived ka Gibraltar the 27th ult. " FRANKFORT, Dec. 11.—M. Las Cass is tO reside in future in the Prussian Suites. He hag set out for Berlin, accompanied by a Prussittli Utlicer of Police. " Several letters from Russia state, that the stay of the Court at Moscow will be longer Oa° at fitst supposed, and that ►he Emperor will n( return to Petersburgh ►luiring the winter. " MADRID, DEC. 9.—Orders have been issues for the trial of the accomplices of General Lacy•' We have before noticed that reports have beell some time in circulation, stating, that a negocij' tion was actually on foot between Spain and 1 0 . 4 revolted ColOnies, and that the former was posed to make such concessions in favour or the latter, as might rescue them from the instigatioo s of those foreign adventurers or domestic contents among the Colonists, who seek to tridevi and indeed render the breach irreparable bet wee° them and the Parent State. Our Readers uvill perceive, in our Extracts from the French Paper s ihis day, that the report is repeated in The Ca' zette tie Ranee. We sincerely hope, for the salo of both parties, that it is well founded. We Wye received this morning a private lettO front M. A. Ft.:Notx, jun., Merchant of Ad' (Herne Department of Firlisterre, requester' us to publish a Notice to those whom it may coo' cern, that a vessel was wrecked near that place the night betikeen the 7th and Bth inst., a !t art ' .7t the cargo of which, consisting of muskets, pistol° sheets of copper, chandeliers, knives, forks, at'' haS been saved, and is in his possession. All'. pliCations to him an the subject be requests rod he properly authenticated. CummoNr CouNc.m.—For the honour of oti r , eitiz,ns be it recorded that a certain niodei ° Patriot has fa led in. his attempt to become Member of the Common Council. It is enooo that such. men can vent their doctrines throne the medium of the Press—it would be too mud) tin be Cc CAI of ra br t T , hat the foul - ration of a Branch Society , in this 1 place would be pernieions. The peace of the city is. ha'rdly yet restored, from the confusion OccasfiOned by 3 feligioU ' S . . febd 3 in which (Where the blame lay is no (vies (ton at present), but in which, the Rector was not only instilled, groSsly itisolted, in the per formance of his duty, in his own parish church, but was coMpelled to resort 16 the police-officers to protect him from personal Outrage. For my part, I declare my opinion, that if you proceed to gratify the sa ne Party, who geuera:ed that feud, with the triumph of a Church MisSionary fiociety, iu the furtherance of which that Party is chiefly in terested, and they too are members of the Church, you will renew the feuds, which may otherwise sink into oblivion ; and will render Bath, like a neighbouring city, a hot-bed of heresy And Schism. And sure I am, that the mischiefs which you will occasion at home, will never be compen— sated by' any good that a Society, so formed anti managed, can do abroad. Pertnit me here to observe, that if any person supposes me‘ to be hostile to the professed object of this Church Missionary Society, viz. the uni versal diffusion of the knowledge of the mercies of God in Christ Jesus ; he totally mistakes both my principles and my character. The professed ob ject of this Society is, I trust, as dear to my heart as it is to tile most zealous of your mem .bers ; as it is to the Honourable and Right Re verend Vice-Patron himself. But that grand pur pose will never be furthered, much less accom plished, by such means as are offered or afforded by an irregular association like this : an asso ciation of a character so equivocal, that had not the Lords Bishops of Gloucester and of Nor wich honoured it with their exemplary names, it might as well be supposed a Church of Bowe Society, or a Scottish Kirk Society, or a Swedenborgian Church Society, as to pertain to the Church. of England. No—The conversion of the heathen to the faith of the Son of God must be founded as at the begion'ing, on a system of Order and of Union ; ministered by men duly qualified, and orderly consecrated to their holy office. On such a system, and on such men alone, can the grace of the Eternal Spirit, the God of Order and Unity, and not of confu sion, be rea3onably expected tO descend. The ground-work, and little more than the ground work, of such a system is now laid in the Ea§t, founded on a regular t tpostolie,d commission, under the superintend:lnce of a sound apostolical Bishop. But with neither of these, it seems, does this Church Missionary Society bold communion ! But, whether that be the fact or not, I call on you, as members of the 'Church of England, to look to that Church. Von ate summoned hither to discuss the pro 7 ptiety of establishing a Branch of this Church Missionary Society this City ; under the pa tronage, not of the Lord Bishop of this Diocese, but of the Lord Bishop of Gloucester ; who, him self, as Dean of ‘l', l ls, owes canonical obedience to the Bishop of Bath and NVellS; and who, moreover, has no manner of jurisdiction in . this city, nor in this diocese, beyond his deanery, As AncurmAcoN OF BATH , In the name Of the Lord Bishop of this Dio cese—in my own name•—in the name of the Hec tors of liath—anci in the name of 19-20tlis of the Clergy in my jarisd:cf I vuoTesT against the (urination of such Society in this City. IVhether, or in what manner, the Hon. and Right Rev. Vice-Patron and: his friends will con descend to notice this•Protest,-1 shall not stay to see. Advertisenzent to the Second Edition cf the pre- ceding Protest. The First Edition of this Address was published, accord ing to the Title-page, as delivered front writing. It has been suggested, that, in justice to myself, I ought to say something about my threatening to call in the Mayor's Officers. The Address, as delivered from writing - , could take in nothing in cidental; and I could 110 i Calelllate ou being hooted, hissed, and insulted in the grossest manner, by aChurch Society, for executing my office. On being so treated, I used, to the hest of my recollection, these words I stand here, as " Archdeacon of Bath, in the'execution of my duty. Not all " the hisses and clamour that you can utter shall prevent " me from performing that. duty; nor shall the business of " your Society proceed, fill I. have said what I intend to " say; and if you pi tiered to further outrage, I shall call " in the Mayor's Officers." , 1 take leave also to observe, that the most violent clamour took place, when I repeated the words at p. But this is a Church of England Society !!" I then spoke thus— " Is this a Chotch of England Society, or is it not ?" No an swer was given. I then demanded again emphatically—" Is this a Church of England Society or is it not ? What is it ?" No answer again. I then said—" Well then, I will take it for a Church of England Society ;" and proceeded in reading my Address. I am also informed, that my, quitting the. Room, without waiting for reply, gave offence. To which I answer, that I did nut go to that Meeting for debate—but to Protest against the Purpose of that Meeting. And, I apprehend, it is not usual for a person to wait for an answer to his own Protest. J. 'l'. TO CORRESPONDENTS. AN OLD BARRISTER, WIC,IFF. and the Article from QUEBEC To-morrow. MAILS. ARRIVED—I France, I Lisbon, I Haniburgli, 1 Gnernsey and Jersey, .1 Dublin, 3 Waterford. I)uE.-1 11011:tad, 1 GottenlArgli, 11Vatcrfnri. CHRISTMAS-DA Y.—Holiday at he Ranh, Exchequer, East India and South Sea Houses. HIGH WATER. AT LONIA , A BRIDGE TO •MORROW. hurtling, 48 minutes alter 3. 11:veiling, utinutcs after 4