The Sun.
London, England, 1825-07-20 00:00:00

FOR THE SUN.

THE CLERICAL CHARACTER.
Ma;;Eorrort—ln the account in your Paper
cl yesterday respecting Mr. FLETCII cit's Chapel,
I see the names of the Rev. Mr. Irons, the Rev.
:Mr. Smith, and the Rev. Mr. Williams. Of the
'latter Gentleman's title to this prcenomen I
know nothing ; but I beg to inquire, through the
medium of you; Journal, what right to it is pos-
sessed by the two former. The custom at present
14. firat, to cry down the Church for intolerance
.ased bigotry ; then to strip her of all her rights
and dignities ; and, lastly, whenever she acts in
pure self-defence, to deprecate still more her
monstrous encroachments. She has yielded her-
self too'rnildly to this persecuting spirit; she has
allowed its advances too far ; and what has she
gained by her ill-judging lenity? The candid and
zealous members of her communion, while they
admit that her failings lean to virtue's side, can-
not but feel that this self-betraying is an import-
ant failing .; while her enemies, whose whole
character she mistakes, are so little to be moved
by benevolence or "generosity, that they exult
whenever her confiding hands entrust the weapons
of her death to their's. What man of plebeian
rank, however estimable and respectable his cha-
racter, would dare to designate himself the Hon.
Mr. ? Lord -- ? or Sir ? Would
not the common sense of all classes, no less than
the Legislation of the land, soon turn him forth
to shame and ridicule ? Why then must it be ne-
cessarily required of the toleration of the Church
of England, that she should permit a journeyman
labourer and a cabin boy, men who have never
been ordained by any Church, to call themselves
Reverend ? It is most preposterous. It is a
disgrace to the common sense of the country, that
persons having no pretensions of education or or-
dination to the sacred office, should assume its
titles and exterior, and go forth to the world as
44 the Reverend Gentlemen !"
If either of the " Reverend Gentlemen" (I
suppose Lord King would not call these " reve-
rend animals") had chosen to assume the title of
master in the brick yard, or Captain in the ship,
he would have been promptly taught ss.lf know-
ledge : but let him assume the hierarchy, and
the case is altered. A man may be allowed " a
wise master-builder" in bricks and mortar, who
cannot edify the Church of Christ : he who may
guide the rudder of a ship, may not necessarily
be a pilot through the spiritual water-floods of
the world. To take upon himself the spiritual
instruction of others, without any commission,
without any pretensions to learning, is an act so
grossly conceited and arrogant, that he who could
commit it must be utterly destitute of that most
beautiful and Christian grace, humility.
To pass from this subject to the Reverend
Mr. Fletcher. The Public has had enough of
bim : therefore I shall only say that lie is one
proof amid a thousand of the liberality of the
enemies of the Church. Had an established
Clergyman acted as Mr. F. has, he would have
been the object of ceaseless persecutions, his
Church would have been deserted, and himself
sent to Coventry. But a Dissenter! this makes
all the difference. lie is courted to preach cha-
rity sermons at all the Ebenezers and Zions
about town : he is then " set up" in a new
chapel, independent the independents! And,
to crown all, he, in the most Christian spirit, de-
signates the authorities of his own communion
" tyrannous, unjust, and oppressive," and writes
this atrocious calumny on the foundation stone of
a Temple to the God whose essence is charity,
charity, which Mr. Fletcher himself calls the
substance of divinity ! " The Reverend Gentle-
-man concluded by breathing a love of charity for
ALL denominations of Christians." So, Mr.
Editor, says your report. Did lie indeed ! "
words of his mouth were softer than butter,
having war in his heart : his words were smoother
than oil, and yet be they very swords."
Recommending to the above Gentlemen the
humility they preach and the charity they parade,
I have the honour to be, -
Your obedient Servant,
ANGLICANUS.

Dulwich,. July 15.

'nig LATE BISHOP OF QUEBEC.--Died, on

Thursday, June lfi, at Marchmont-house, near Ouehec, in the
75th year of his age, the Right Rev. JACOB Mot' TAI N,
Lord Bishop of Quebec, formerly of Camas College, in the
University of Cambridge. He was the first Protestant Prelate
in the Canadas, where he presided over the Church, with
apostolic zeal and piety, for 32 years. During this period he
was, in concurrence with his Majesty's Government and the
venerable Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, the instru.
nient, in the hands of Providence, of raising a regular Epis-
copal Establishment in the two Canadas, and promoting the
formation of Missions and the erection of Churches in all
the more populous townships, which he regularly visited, even
when age and infirmity rendered so vast and fatiguing a
cuit a most arduous and painful undertaking. The Cathedral
Church at Quebec, erected under his auspices, and in conse-
quence of his exertions, will serve as a monument to his me-
mory ; and his name will be honoured in the North American
Colonies, as long as respect remains for high and cultivated
talent, for dignity and suavity of manners, for integrity, for
benevolence, for loyalty, for religion. The language, how-
. ever, which is usually employed on such occasions would very
inadequately describe the distress of his family, the grief of
hia friends and dependents, the lamentations of the poor, and
the -regret which will pervade all parties and denominations in
the country. His Lordship was the second son of Jacob
Mountain, Esq. of Thwalte Hall, in the county of Norfolk,
and enjoyed in early life the honour of a particular intimacy
with the late Mr. Pitt. At the time of his being selected by
that Statesman for the See of Quebec, the preferment which
he held was the livings of Holbeach, Lincolnshire, and Buck..
den, punts, together with the Prebenciall Stall of South Kel-
. sey, In Lincoln Cathedral, all then in the gift of the present
Lord 'Bishop of Winchester, to whom h; was Examining
Chakdain.

A i*pectable individual of Syston sent for a
Methodist Tilinisterof this town, a few weeks ago, and pre-
sented btu With a thousand pounds, in aid of the funds of the
M ethodist:Atissionary Society.—(Leicester Chronicle.)

CitirtiO 'maim TO DEATH.—In our Paper of
yestfq4sy we inserted a letter from Mr. JOHN
ktgo ?I, of Berners-street, stating that no such
etetit had occurred at his house. The Reporter
vflio brought us the paragraph, whom we have
d ways found correct, states that the fact is cer-
lain,- though the name of the father of the child
was not properly given. He states that the child
belonged *int to Mr. JOHN WATSON, hut to
a Mr. CIIARNA EDWARD WATSON ; that it
was taken to the -Middlesex Hospital, that it
died, and that the Coroner, Mr. STIRLING, who i!
-examined the evidence, brought in the verdict cif
:" Accidentally burnt to death."