The Sun.
London, England, 1801-10-03 00:00:00

BISHOP OF' LOND6N's LETTER.

AV:TRACT •10i0I4'-A PRINTED I''R7CI:7I.AR Li7TElt,
ADDRESSED' BY THE PR'ESE NT 'BISHOP OF LON-
, DON TO THE CLERGY OF HIS-DIOCESE IN THE
YEAR 1788. , • •
• ."
It. will, I aril confident,' be yoUr wish and en-
deavour to appoint none to officiate for you but men
of the best characters and most exemplary manners.
But persons• of a very different' description, and
even some' who have: never been in Orders, are
constantly upon the watch to imppse upon the
good-natured and unsuspicious, and to insinuate
themselves, under false pretences, into employment.
- To prevent as much as possible such fatal impo.
sifioss, I must' request that you will engage no
person as your curate without previously acquaint_
. ing me with his name and the place he came. from,
and transmitting to. me the credentials he has- to
produce., As a Bishop is in some degree responsible
for the conduCt of his Clergy, the credit of the
Profession, and the due celebration of divine ser-
vice within his jurivliition, it is evidently unfit
that any one should be suffered to officiate- in his
diocese without his. knowledge and permission.—
Beides.many other obvious and important reasons,
vlhe may have information respeEting the charaEters
of aergymeo, which. those who,employ them have
. not, and may have .means. of detecting impositions
which are not within their reach.. Agreeably to
the Canons absolutely prohibit all Clergymen
from performing divine service till they have the
permission Of. the Ordinary, and a regular licence
under his hand anti
• If In the Cities' of London and Westminster, the
-.general refuge of the-worst charaters as well as the
resort of the best in every profession, still greater
care and circumspeCtion are -necessary with resped
to thosc,Who are allowed to officiate not only as
permanent, but even as occasional assistants in any
part °lour service. The most profligate Yuan flat-
ters hiinself that his charafter may pass unknown,
. and his vices be concealed in the crowd of the' Me.
Itr9polis„; and that
.where so .many Clergymen are
~.wanted, any. adventurer may be accepted.
1:7 « The. consequence is, that some with forged
:Letters. of thders, and some with none at all
—some with rec9mmendations.from public Register-
. OtTices, and some who cannot obtain recommenda„
tions.even- there, have too often, I fear, been
cautiously admitted to perform the duties of the
Church. pt an effeetual . stop to those mis-
chiefs, and to guard', against all uNAwrirtmtizzr:v
INSTITUTIONS for supplying Churches with occa;
sionsl Assistants, I must request, that in all cases
of doubtful or shspicious charaeters, you would ad .
vert to the soth Canon, which direEts that s neither
the )If;llirto7, Church,Warden, nor other .o.fficers
g of the Church, shall sujfer any max to preach
g iwithin their Churches or Chapels, but.such as by
• she-wing their licence 12 preach shall appear to
• them to 6e sufficiently authorized :hereunto.'
. The several direCtiOns -here given, if duly ob-
served, will, I trusi, effectually prevent (as far as
human prudence is able) the intrusion of any un-
ordained or, incorrigibly worthless men into employ-
ment in theChureh."

* Forty-eighth Canon.