The Sun.
London, England, 1839-04-29 00:00:00

111 E SUN, LONDON, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 1839

NATIONAL CHURCH ESTABLISH-
MENTS.

Dr. Wardlaw last week delivered his sixth lecture
upon National Church Establishments, the Rev. Dr.
Vaughan having previously offered a prayer. The sub-
ject of the lecture was the efficiency of the voluntary
principle. Christianity was essentially "a spiritual sys-
tem, and the contributions for the maintenance of the
Christian worship ought to be from the heart and the
willing mind.—(Cheers.) The voluntary principle war
in harmony with the genius of Christianity, as every-
thing compulsory was opposed to it.—(Hear, hear.) In
a State religion—that is a dominant sect, supported by
exactions from other sects—what a large amount of un-
welcome offering must there have been for the service of
God.—(Cheers.) Dr. Chalmers, indeed, had laid it
down that a National Church Establishment was
but the aggregate voluntaryism of the nation.
This was an Utopian system, which, even if real,
would be objectionable, but -at present in our
own country it was otherwise, and must always be so
where there was liberty of thought.—(Hear, bear.)
And compulsory offerings were anything but acceptable
to him who said, " I hate robbery for a burnt. offering."
—(Laud cheers.) Dr. Chalmers had devoted his second
lecture to vindicate a religious establishment in opposi-
tion to the economists and the free-trade system. It
was only as one of the many questions indeed of politi-
cal economy, that the sevens of whom the Doctor spoke
cared to discuss the question. He (Dr. Wardlaw)
would not enter the lists with Dr. Chalmers on political
economy, but simply would confine himself to the ques-
tion of Church Establishments. Dr. Chalmers was an
advocate for free trade in general ; he was against boun-
ties and restrictions, and he was for leaving trade
to be regulated by demand and supply ; but he
said that there was a great difference between
commerce and religion—that the former might
be left to the natural demand, but the latter
could not—that Christianity must go in quest of na-
ture, for that nature would not go in quest of Chris-
tianity. Certainly the principles of Christianity must
be made known to the world in order to create a de-
mand, and that could be done by Christians from bene-
volent and philanthropic motives. The command of
God was "go and preach the Gospel to all nations," and
not " wait till they send for you."--(Cheers.) The
great fallacy in Dr. Chalmers's argument was that lie
confounded the official application of public funds with
the voluntary benefactions of individuals.—( Hear,
hear.) Dr. Chalmers had stated the question thus :
" That the outcast millions ought to be reclaimed from
ignorance, idolatry, and heathenism, we were all
agreed. The only difference is as to the parties by
whom the great achievenvnt should be attempted ;
by the voluntary efforts of Christian benevolence ; or by
an enlightened Government under the influence of a pa-
ternal anxiety for the highest weal of its subject popu-
lation." The question was here stated rather partially,
for the collective philanthropy of the Church ought to
be included on the one hand along with the " volen-
tary efforts of Christian benevolence"—and on the
other hand, it could not be presumed that there would
be any paternal Government acting from a sincere de-
sire for the highest weal of its subject population,—
unless composed of real Christians ; and when would
such a Government be found ? Now as to the effici-
ency of the voluntary principle—there was a previous
question which he (Dr. W.) deemed should first be
resolved, for when once it was settled, all difficulty
ceased—implicit obedience became an imperative
duty—and that question was, whether the voluntary
principle in religion had divine sanction, and he (Dr.W.)
believed it had.—(Hear, hear.) It would have been
well if Dr. Chalmers had fully satisfied himself upon
this point before he spoke of the voluntary principle
with such lofty superciliousness, as " the most frail
and fluctuating of all securities"—" the grand sectarian
specific"—" essentially impotent in its imbecility."--
(Hear, hear.) Dr. Chalmers had spoken of it as of very
recent growth ; but at its latest date, it was coeval with
the days of Christ and his Apostles.—(Hear, hear.) And
if it bad become, in the progress of time, subject to abu-
ses, it should be recollected that a principle ought not to
be disowned because it had been attended with cor-
ruptions.—(H: ar, hear.) The voluntary principle had
been resorted to, to a great extent, in the Church itself.
and the Church-going population was chiefly composed of
Dissenters.—(Hear, hear.) It was not fair, therefore,
to represent voluntaryism as inefficient, from a glance
at the present state of the country.—(Hear, hear.) If
Dr, Chalmers argued that the Church Establishment
system had failed, because it had not been carried far
enough, the same argument might certainly be used by
the voluntaries.—( Hear, hear.) The voluntaries
did not represent that they would be able alone to sup-
ply the country with religious instruction, hut that the
Church, when separated from the State, would be ren-
dered thereby more efficient, and would, with assistance,
be competent to the work—or ought to be ; and one
good effect of the present controversy would be, to in-
duce the Christian community to come forward more
zealously with their worldly goods, for the diffusion of
religion.— (Cheers. )

MERCANTILE MARINE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR,--I herewith send you a copy of a notice to
master mariners, marines, mates, and seamen, of a petition
to Parliament now lying for signature at Llo) d's C,-ffee•
house and other places, praying the interfercnc, of the
Legislature in the attainment of a moie equitable distri-
bution of the funds deducted from their wages, for the
support of sick, maimed, and disabled -seamen. and the
widows and children of such as 01111 be killed, slain, or
drowned in the merchant service. By the petitin it an-
pears that an account was rendered to Parliament in May
List from the Merchant Seamen's Corporation and Trustees
at the outports, from which a balance sheet has been pre-
pared, and the A ecou t stands thus :
Interest on Funded Property contiibuted

by Seamen themselves or others, for
th it benefit, in the hands of the Mer-
chant Seamen's Corporation and Trus-
tees at the Out•ports to 31,t of De-

comber, 1837
Equal to a Capital of upwards of 160,000 0 0
Income for the year ending 31st of
_

December, 1837
Am,unt expended for pensions far the
same period
Ditto, temporary relief, ditto
Ditto, Management, ditto
Balance in hands of Merchant Seamen's

52,415 11 9

28.912 8 4,
3,278 1
4,633 2 2

Corporation and Trustees at the Out-
ports on the 31st of December, 1837 45,067 9 7/
Hence it is evident that large sums contributed in youth
and manhood to support them in age, or when invalided,
are unappropriated. The allegations set forth, are of too
grave a nature to pass unheeded, as justice, policy, and
humanity alike demand that an immediate and rigid in-
quiry should be instituted, whether those large sums now
lying dormant, in the hands of the Merchant Seamen's
Corporation, and Trustees at the Out-ports might not be
advantageously appropriated for the benefit of those for
whose use they have been accumulated. It appears
that Sir Edward Codrington has taken this matter
in hand, may every success attend the Gallant Ad-
miral ; it is an effort worthy of him, no man can under-
stand the value of British Seamen better than that
Officer, nor can consequently feel for the want and
degradation to which too many are reduced by causes over
which they have no controul. This effort may be hailed as
the first tangible step that can be taken for the improve-
ment of the mercantile marine, and the collective wisdom
of a Committee composed of Naval Officers, Officers of
the Mercantile Marine, and Merchants, cannot fail to ac-
complish that which is partially. attempted by many Societies
now existing for the benefit of seamen. May I beg your
insertion of this, in the hope that by the publicity thus
given, the mariners at the various out-ports will get up
similar petitions and intrust them to their representatives.
Such measures 1 consider them bound to adopt, not
only in justice to themselves, but to second the efforts of
those who really have their interest at heart, and prove the
sinecrity of their professions by something more tlern words.
A SUPPORTER OF THE SHIPWRECKED
AND DISTRESSED SAILORS' ASY-
LUM, RATCLIFF HIGHWAY.
April 25, 1839.

ROYAL GERMAN SPA, BRIGHTON.—Under
her Majesty's especial Patronage.—The Pump-room will
re- open for the season on Monday, May 6. To the list of
mineral waters prepared and dispensed at the establishment
will be added the lodine and Bromine waters of the Ade-
laide Spring in Bavaria, and of Kreuznech near Bingen.
Prospectuses may be obtained of the London agents for
the sale of bottled waters, George Waugh and Co., che-
mists to her Majesty, 177, Regent-street, and of I. Lucas,
63, Cheapside., A detailed account of the establishment
will be foundin Dr. Granville's work on the Spas of Ger-
many.
EXTRA ALLOWANCE TO SOLDIERS WHEN
MmtcHlNG.—The commandants of garrisons have within
these few days received a letter from Lord Howick, the
Secretary of War, regarding the extra allowance to be
made to various regiments on their removal from ono part
of the country to the other. The following is a copy of
his Lordship'a letter : —" War Office, 16th of April, 1839.
Sir,—lt having been represented that soldiers who are
conveyed by rteam.packets, canal-boats, and railways,
from one part of the United Kingdom to the other, fre-
quently arrive at the place of their destination or disem-
barkation, much exhausted from the length of the
voyage and the inclemency of the weather; or at so
late an hour of the day as to make it very inconve-
nient for them to obtain the necessary provisions for their
support immediately upon their arrival, I have the honour
to acquaint you, that under any of the circumstances above
specified, I shall not object to extend in such cases the al-
lowance to inn-keepers of South Britain of 10d. a-day for
the usual hot meal for each man billeted upon them, and
actually and necessarily supplied therewith on the day of
arrival. For soldiers disembarking from steam-packets or
canal-boats, or arriving at their destination by railroad con-
veyance in Scotland or Ireland, under similar circumstances,
an allowance equal to one day's marching-money, at the
rates fixed for those countries respectively, will in like
manner be granted. These allowances are not to be
granted in cases of short voyages, or journeys by land, or
where rations in kind shall have been issued at the public
expense for the day of disembarkation from a steam-boat or
other vessel. The charges in the public accounts made
under this letter are to be vouched by a certificate from the
commanding-officer of the regiment or the inspecting field_
officer of the district, by whose directions the allowance
has been in each instance paid, showing %%hat circum-
stances induced him to sancton the payment.—l have, &c.,
(Signed) " Ilowicc"