The National Register.
London, England, 1818-03-22 00:00:00

BEI !Elv OF LITEIMTURE.

The Church her otrn Enerny.—Lctters to a Friend, on
• the talc Attack of the Archdeacon•of Bath upon the
Church Missionary Society, 4c.
By A MEMBER or vac CHURCH OE ENGLAND.

• is a very old and just Onsen-ation, that of all
quarrels, those on the score of re,Pgion are the most
olent and disagreeable. Never wiel this more fully ex-
emplified than at thp present -momer.t,, in the tremen-
dous war between the Church and Dissenting Intertat
respecting the Bible anti Missionary Societies. And
we must-say that.both parties have 'succeeded so adini.
rably in confounding truth and error, that it does in.
deed puzzle A philosopher to-separate their.. Thus it.
is with the .pcunphlett before us—there is such a mix.
ture,of right and wrong, of.:_general principles and see.
tarian views, that vice ‘are• at ri. her what judgment to
give upon the question. Thetzuth, we believe, will
be found to be this—that it is a struggle for power be-
tween the parties; the Dissenters have, till lately, con-
cealed thesr ultimate views, under the pretext bf sup-
porting the Bible Society ; while the Church, perceiving
their intent, charges them with it,.and calls ant Ilelp !
most loudly. For a, considerable time, the combatants
only skirmished, and seemed to be preparing themselves
for a grand contest, till at length the impatience of the
Archdeacon of. Bath could.r o longer brook delay. lie
commenced a furious attack on a Church Missionary
Society at Bath, and the consequence has bier., that the
trumpets are sounded in all quarters. !The. end may be
easily foreseen—we shall have abundanceof pamphlets,
and a great lack of charity. Our author does not scru-
ple to charge some of the Members of the Establishment
with preaching heathen ethics, (p. 9& 2) and the
Church replies, by asserting that the tendency of . a
mixture of Churchmen and Dissenters, is to-make infi-
dels and traitors ! What a quantity of misrepresenta-
tion and error must we wade through to arrive at the
truth. The} real state of the care appears to us to be
simply this :=The Church, -by an. unpardonable neg-
lect (arising, in a great measure from the evils of.:tc
present system of patronage) has suffered the Disser.ting
Interest to acquire a powerful ascendancy over the ma-
jority of the nation. The I)issenters have been active
and zealous—the Church idle and indifferent. The
Dissenter& have formed religious institutions—have dig.
seminated..their principles every where, and offerLd
themeansiof instruction to all, tialthe Church became
justly suspicious .of their increasing/power, ar.d, appa-
rently, not knowing what to set ahoutfint, commenced
a war against the Bible Society—the -very _strongest
Nfortress in their adversary'epossession. We cannot con-
ceive any thing more inconsistent than this opposition
to the. circulation .of she Scriptures. Our author ob.
serves,

" I shoulll be-glad to•be informed what the Clergy of the
National Establishment promise themselves by this line .af
conduct. It is clear that, popularity cannot be their obj.tit,
for the cause of tbe Bible *ocirty being almost universally
popular, they who‘yttesnatically oppose it, can care little
about.the pntiliclopittion. Now, although it snag be conce-
ded at•once, that popularity is not a certain. and infallible
test of truth, yet it is at Irkist collateral evidence in its.favate,
in which respect, perbaps,tt resembles common sense, whieb,
as Sir William Tvrnple.says, would never. Lave been so cox-
moni it bad not been the. best sense. '• At all events, do they
considerAhataa ophsien is not•viroag me relyi,because ft NI
popular ; and that it saay..be 'iglu &khan!' it happen to be
popular t Do the Established 'Clergy seriontlpcousider That
in this country, at least, nothing can be of periaanent and
certain continnance, which rata directly make to thejuds-

P

IrA RCM. 2.1.

The Church, in mar opinion, resembles an old ley
who falls asleep while reading by candlelight, and
when she wakes, discovering her cap to be on fire,
to prevent the recurrence of a similer calamity, verA.
wisely determines to put the light out. and sit in the
dark. It is not our purpose to enter into vindication
of the Bible Society, for we apprehend that the utility
of distributing the sacred Writings., mithoz:t n,:te or com-
ment, is too obvious to require illustration. But to
the plan of annexing interpretations (or, we might say,
misinterpretations) ro the text, we have a decided ob-
jection. This is the ostensible ground of difference be-
tween the Churchmen and Dissenters, though we are
perfectly convinced that both have a roost ardent desire
to do the same tiakng. Indeed now .the mask seems to
be thrown ofton both sides. The object of the Church
is avowedly the defence of its ordinances, its institu-
tions, and its emoluments ; the Dissenters openly attack
its principles :md privileges—interweaving their own
doctrines with the general question, and aiming at the
acquisition of power. We are amply borne out in these
assertions by the pamphlet before us, which (at p. 5)
give a long exposition of the religions opinions of those
Who are content to be styled " Seritais Christians and
Evinirelicel Ministers." Of the opinions themselves,
we shall only say, they arc not our's—ami the avowal
of them we consider as an uncquivoc:tl evidenee of the
real views of the Dissenters, viz. to overturn the exist-
ing Establishment, the neglect and. blunders of whose
advocates have afforded them every opportunity fin- so
doing. Our Author, indeed, speaks very plainly of the
evils arising from the connexion between Church and
State, (p. It.) but we shall lettre this question to the
consideration of the Episcopal Bench, who have no
doubt made up their minds upon it. We have already
expressed our opinion of the conduct of the Church.—
It has brought the mischief upon its own head, and its
enemies have so managed, that its only way of defend-
ing itself against their encroachments, is by standing in
opposition to the clearest light anti best interests of
Christianity ! Rome could not do more than this.—
We will not speculate upon consequences. Veak in-
deed is the position.which the defenders of the Church
have been obliged to take up ; they reward the friends
of intolerance—they preach it from their pulpils—and
may, perhaps, before long, be reduced to excommuni-
cate their opponents. The Dissenters have every way
the hest of the argument—they have, at least, an ap-
pearance of being actuated by a love of religion—their
zeal and exertions in its behalf have rendered them po-
pular, and*the benefits they have conferred upon man-
kind :Ire obvious to every Mc not totally blinded by pre
judice. The danger, however, does not proceed alto-
gether from the assaults of open hostility. No—these
" SariOua Christians" have finind means to introduce
themselves within the pale of the Church, and we ap-
prehend that the complaint in thi:. pamphlet, that

" Already are the pulpits of the Lstahlislinient too‘gene
rally closed, as by common consent, against those who arc
termed evans lical Ministers. Already has Episcopal Ordi-
nation been expressly refused to many of this class, some of
%how, however, have been distinguished for the streti4th of
their talents, tile extent of their acquirements, dud the holi-
ness of their lives

will soon be utterly unfounded. There is a Bishop on
the Bench who has no scruples on the subject, and who,
"e foresee, is in a lair way of being deemed little less
than an Apostle.
:lie Author sty:es himself " a Member of the Church
el. England," hnt dais designation is very equivocal iu
these. tunes, wizen it is fiu difficult to asecrtain what

!Pent end feefinti of its Protestant population ? Do they
consider thiet by their present opposition,. they are inakinit
"flown csuse with the ad ocates-tst the Pannisli Faith, %,h„
eontend twith li the Pope at their cud) that the Bible •• does
more harm than good,- and therefore is either to•be only dis-
-1
pl. WI. in the original languages, or only to be Itself by per.
ions who have the Priests' Licence for its-pisrusal,awil that
the Bible Society itself Is a noxious and pestilential thing,
which ought to be plucked up by the roots? I will. yentine
thaw publicly to state, that it is a had symptom for any Pro-
testant Church., when many of her leading members (who
might learitztore wisdom front the Church of Russia) are thus
found hand in-hand with that power which has invariably re-
sisted the free use of the Scriptures, that best and highest
triumph of the Reformation.. But if the Established Clergy
do not promise themselves popularity, is Truth their object,
and do they console themselves for the lois of the genets! es-
went, in the belief that they are discharging a positive duty,
which will more than indemnify them for the t: owns of the
ration? Where then, I- ask, upcn this ground, is their war.
rant for denouncing the Bible Society is it meant to be
said kit cannot be proved) that the Bible Society teaches dis-
loyalty or i ehellion—that it makes men factions subjects, or
bad members of society ? Is it ineant to he said, that liitide.
lity of any kind (front Atheism down to Unitarianism) is in-
culcated by the Bible Society) Why—say the objectors—
we do not charge it upon the Society, that it designs any
of these evils—religious oe political—but only that the neces•
airy tendency of a mixtare of Churchmen and Dissenters, is
to make Infidels and Traitors. How is it then, that after the
experience of fourteen years we witness no snob resiiks
Why do Churchmen and Dissenters meet in evey other Cha-
ritable institution in the Nation as well as this, without tiny
such consequences? The simple constitution and object of
the Bible Society is, to disperse the Holy Scriptures alone,
without note or comment; and until it can be sliewn that the
'necessary tendency of the general dispersion of the Scrip.
Aires themselves, is to propagate false doctrine, it will not be
very easy to shew that false doctrine is, or will be propagated
by the Bible Society, consisting, as it does,. of seine excel-
lent Prelatettrenany of the Kstisislistied Clergy, and a multi.
fade of persons of the first rank and consideration in. the
State."

NATIOVAL RE6TMT,It

those principhi actually are, and who is " tho real
Shnon Pre.'

Much is said these Letters of the conduct of the
1. Society fur prumosinc Christian Knowledge, which, if
the assertions.resrecting it are correct, ought rather tu-
be called the Society fur promoting Christian Quarrels;
but, a► we have already said, the contest is every day
becoming more violent : as the real objects of the par-
ties arc developed, the spirit of tolerance and charity
will gradually disappear, and we are fearful that our
Church Establishment will verify the maxim in Scrip.
ture,. " that a House divided. against itself will tall:*

An Inquiry whether Crime and Misery are prevented or
produced by our present system of Prison Discipline,
illustrated by descriptions of the Borough Cumpter,
Tuthill Fields, &c. etc.
u. TllO.llAs FOWET.I. BUXTON.

This is is a very interesting book upon a subiett of
the highest importance---the condition of the unfortu-
nate persons confined in our prisons. The state of these
wretched abodes has lately undergone much serious
discussion, and it has been found that a great number
of them have been and are, a disgrace to the British
Nation, and the facts that have been elicited are truly
afflicting to the ears of humanity.. We trust, however,
that the exertions of the benevolent men who. have in-
terested themselves on the occasion. will shortly re-
move or ditninish the evil. The work before us com-
municates many important facts, which we are anxious
to present to the notice of our readers, though we can
do little more this week, than extract souse of the Au-
thor's sentiments prefixed to the descriptions, which re-
fleet the highest credit on, his humanity and justice.
Its the course of his observations on the various causes
of imprisonnient—as debt, suspicion of crime, minor
offences, &c. he deduces the following considerations
on the kind and measure of ptutishtnent the prisoner its
to suffer
" It is ihereforc'evitledfs f conceive., that where the law condemns
a ratan to jail. and is silent rise his treatutentthere, it intends merely
that he should be emerced of his freedom, not Mat he shmild be rub-
/A.44 to dny tucks. severities. This is the whole of his sentence,
Ind ought then:titre to be the whole of his lattli4ing."
•• Taking slung with us the priuciple which has here been stated,
we must next consider particularly the treatment which a prisoner
should receive , and the equitable principle stains m be, that he should
suffer no damage either in mind or body, which is not fouhd in his
sentence: that his situation should nut be worse than it was before
his commitment, with the single exception of the 111.4 i 4.11. liberty. This
can only be done lay general rules. You cutsnot exactly adapt his
ttcatnwnt in prison to his preceding circumstances ; but by the estab-
lishment of equitable and liberal regulations, you may guard against
any violent infraction of justice; and if you err at 411 it will be on
the side on which we should all wish to err—the side tat humanity.
•• Let us then follow a prisoner from his first commitment, alivays
remembering that as yet his guilt is unproved. You have no right
to march him along the streets in chains, or to make him a spectacle
of ighotitiny.lporliapson the very spot, and amongst the very people
with whom he has hitherto held a fair character...4lolmq may be
the. penalty for crime, but it should never tw the conaspience of sus-
picion : you should, therefore, conduct him to his jail with every
possible attention to his feelings ; with decency and sixrecy. When
he 1, eraered within its walls, you have no right to load him with
iro::s : you have no right to subject him to bodily pain from their
%eight, or to that agony of mind, which must result twat styli syina
buls of degradation to a man of yet unhlunttd feelings ; and pet have
tin right to conclude that lie is not such."
•• You have no right to abridge hint of pure sir, wholesome and
sufficient food, aid opportunities of exenise. You have no right to
debar himitiom the craft on which his family depends, it' it can be
exercised in prism,. Yon have nu right to subject hint to sulliaioas
from cold, by want of bad-cloathing by night, or firing by day ; and
the reason plain,—you have torn hint fr An his home. and have
deprived him of the means of providing himself with the accessories
or conithrts of life, and therefore you are bound to furaish hint with
moderate, indeed, but raitable accommodation.
" You have for the same reason no right to ruin his habits, by
compelling him to be idle; his mists, t;"y compelling him to mix
with a promiscuous assemblage of hardened and convicted criminals;
nor his health, by forcing hint at night into a damp unventilated
cell, with such crowds of companions, as very speedily to render the
air hail and putrid; or to make hint sleep in close contact with the
victims of contagious and loathsome disease, er amidst the noxious
(alluvia of dirt and corruption. In short, attention to his feelings
mental and bodily, a supply of every norassarv, abstraction front evil
society, tile conservation tat his health and indintruats habits, are the
clear evident, undeniable rights of an unconvicted prisoner.
•• lie should he brought to his trial as speedily as possible, for
every hour of unnecessary delay in futitishing him with the opportu-
tiny of proving his innocence, is, at least may be, an hour of unjust
imprisonment.
•• At his trial, either he is acquitted.—in which case the, least you
can do, is to replace hint in the situatioa you fumed him, to pin his
expetwes home, and to furnish hint with sufficient to almost hunt till
he has an °pito/twiny of looking out for work ; or he is consicurl,
and then it is fire the law to appoint the punishment which is to tal-
low his otlince. That punishment must ha. ilitlicted, but you must
carefully guard that it be not aggravated, anti that circumstances of
soverity are not !hued in this ueattnent, which are not found in Isis
sentence. Now no Judge ever conitanned man to be half starved cold by day, or half sufliwated with heat by eight; who ever
Ise:stil of a criminal being sentenced to catch the Itheuniatisni or the
Typhus Fever Corruption of morals and contamination of mind,
are not the remedies which the law in itswisilson has thought proper
to adopt. We should teinember, to use the words of a former writer
on the sulito, • that disease, cold, fientiqe, nakedness, a contagious
anal polluted air, are not lawful punishmehts in the lianas of civil
magistrates; nor has lie a right to Jenson or starve his fellow-crea-
ture, though the greatest riiminal.'

We must defer the reverse of the picture until ,next
week, when we shall gladly resume the consideration
of a work which we think, likely to produce very bene-
ficial results, us it contains statements and feelings to
which no heart can be callous,

By ri decision at the Police Office, 'Tattoo Garden,
fimmled upon the ,47th of Geo. ru. eh. 59, it ap-
pears that every person letting out to hire what are
called glass coaches, must have his name, and the
name of the place where kept, painted upon
.the out-
sidepannel
.each oisch under the penalty. Cl 101.. for
.• . .
every ontiAnin. •