The National Register.
London, England, 1817-04-07 00:00:00

APRIL 7.

kuntiap AmitOcincntlt

DEFENCE OF THE CLF.RGY.-TIIE NEW RELIGIOUS

sEGT IN RUSSIA., icc. &c. &e.

WE are compelled to be very brief in this depart-
ment fur the present week ; but whatever we may
want in extent will be amply compensated by variety.
We commence with some notice of the National
Society for Promoting the Fducation of the Poor in the
Principles of the Established Church.
It is pleasing to mark the progress of religion anti
education among the poor ; and it is highly to the
honour of our national clergy that they exert them-
selves, with so much rational zeal, for the spread of
knowledge among the lower or lers of society.
much does this conduct heli-• the iattecent and infa-
mous libels which disaffected and restless refiirm-
ers, arc for ever cast ng fiirth against the persons
and profession of the ministers of religion, as if it
were the wish of the clergy to " keep Vic people in
ignorance, than which a greater falsehood never is-.tied
from the " father of lies.' It is their wish and their
interest, as the guardians of the public morals, to pro-
mote the ditilision of knowledge and u.;clUl learning.
We have only to east our eyes over the lists of sub-
scribers to and patrons of all our gre tt establishments
for the support of these objects, and we shall soon learn
that the clergy of the established church are every
where exe:ting themselves, both by their personal ser-
vices and by their purses to enlighten and instruct the
ignorant poor. Ignorance has ceased to be (if it ever
was) the m ether of devotion. The most undevolit and
profane are generally the most ignorant and illiterate.
The NIP ti011:11 S )(Am has now been established about
five years, and already we real on the lists of its sub-
scribers the names of many hundreds of the dig f ace 1
clergy of the chureh. The Archbishop of Canterbury
is the President; and the co:n nittee includes the wh 'te
bench of bishops, with the Archbishop of York at their
head, in which also we find the bishops of Quebec, Cal-
cutta, and Nova Scotia. They are all Vice Presidents.
The two Universities, the Dean and Chapters of our
Cathedrals; and in fine, the whole strength of church
influence, anti church patronage, has been exerted to
the support of this great object. Alxmt one thousand
two hundred diocesan and district societies and schools,
&c &e. are mentioned in the last report, generally in
union with, and all having the same object in view as
the National Society. These are scattered throughout
the various towns and villages of the united king loin,
and th..ir influence is extending through all parts of

u rope.
Yet we are told that the clergy wish to keep the
people in ignorance, that they discourage learning
among the poor, and seek only to enslave the minds of
theia parishioners, that they may more easily lead them
into superstition, and futea on the fruits of their in-
dustry.—Calumnies like these are the natural effects
of infidelity and irreligion.—No man ventures to slan-
der the clergy, whose own conduct in life is not re-
proached by the religion which the clergy preach; and
nothing is so gratifying to the minds of the profligate
and the unbelieving, as the errors and defects of persons
professing the religion of the Son of God. These are
their flmd—these, their "crown of rejoicing."—lt
seems to bring their superiors on a level with them-
selves; and they are mighty lovers of equality in every
thing of a vicious and base nature; but, at the same
time, arc highly indignant at whatever seems to reflect
on their views, their feelings, and their privileges, for-
sooth! These Age-of-Reason-men are the most unrea-
sonable men breathing. On Saturday a new weekly
l'o!ith.al Register made its appearance. We have not
had time to notice its contents with sufficient attention
to warrant any remarks on its spirit and tendency
What little we have seen of it, however, seems to be
marked with a rather more ;gentlemanlike character
than its predecessors have, thought proper to as-
sume; bat Mr. Sherwin's attack at tit..., Ministers of
religion shall not escape our animadversions.

The Duchal,orski, or as they ought more properly to
he called, Ikukabors, to whom the Emperor Alexander
has recently accorded his royal toleration, are a fort of
Quakers of the Greek Church. They profess a system
of universal equality, founded on a pecular interpreta-
tion of the Evangelists, refuse obstinately to make the
sign of the cross, and reprobate the use of oaths.—Paul
d. by persecuting them, only augmented their numbers.
The present Emperor thought it a wiser plan to isolate
them, and for this purpose assigned to them certain
fertile but desert lands on the borders of the river Mo-
lochne. north-west of the sea of A zof, in the Government
of Tauridium. Here they have accordingly settled and
have built a village, which they called " Bogdanowka,"
or the Gift of God. The number of males in the set-
tlement amounts to 1150.
The Swidv of Evangelical Missions at Basle, have
commenced a Journal which is intended to serve as a
history of foreign Missions, and of the propagation of
the Scriptures. Blumhart is the Editor. The first
number states, that ofthe population of the four quar-
ters of the globe, 63 millions are Christians, 9 millions
are Jews, 160 millions arc Mahomedans, and 65(3
mil-
litms are Po:211r".