The Sun.
London, England, 1815-06-05 00:00:00

11131,F, SOCIETIES.

. Whoever, takes the trouble to examine the con-
stitution of what are are called Bible Societie. , will
agree with us as COllidelifig them as acting int
'the most dangerous u- ttetples. Liberality and
4 .
-.. yeiig ip u s toleration have become cant words: they
are used to 'cloak every attach- on ,hdse establish,
•i ;vents that are most valuable in our moral-and pu-
. litical system, .and it is todeed alkirmil,g to see
limy many Of the itighest characters in the nation
h,ave- been, ptn-stiatieti to allow their names to be
. .
employed In ,inictio»ing the proceedings of the
Societies towhicli we allude.—We ititreat one
countrymen to lOott-fuytheriuto these institutions
than the, contents of those ostentatious reports,
which are so art Id 11, framed and so industriously eir-
Culated by their Commit tees. It will then be found,
that instead of the objects which tat nY of those
...
well weaning_ persons who,have int...ottionslyjoine‘t
them imagine they are promoting,
.they only tend
to increase the number of dissenters ;from the
Established Church, and disseminate error, in-
stead of serving
,the cause of truths. • There are
Other institutions 'which combine all the advan--
.
tai.res of e:itendin rt•li.ions k runv le.dv e in its tit.L
.:.0 . .
most Purity, and which, manned with the unob-
trusive . spirit of really Christian charity, have
done More real good than is generally under-
stood i—we allude liartieularlY to the Society for
propagating Christian Kriowledge.—We refer our
,
Reatiers,"•on the subject of these Societies, to an
authority of the highest orler. The following is
an abstraci of what was said on the subject by lice
D• A 01) o'e a.:•1 r • -
. iiiSll; NCOLNO !il his Pastoral Charge, deli-
vered to his Clergy on 111,inch,y last, at Bedford,
on the Occasion of Ws Triennial Visitation :-
- liis Lurdshipexpressed deep regret in obset ling that many
Of the Clergy of Ina tiiii.eese hail oecome merahers of the Bvi-
tish andl,oreigh Bi01.*!. Society, when they might have obtain-
ell every advantage they there sought from the Society for
Promoting Christian Knowledge; whose principles and practice .
have been long tried. He considered the constitution of the
Bible Society to be very dangerous to the Established Religion,
and to the orthodox principles of those who attended its meet-
ing, as it admits {nembers of any creed, and of no creed; and
• he thought that however sincere the motives might have been
which original;y induced ' unsuspicious . clergymen of the.
Chuich of England to join it, they must now have seen
enough in the published accounts of its general and auxiliary
meetings, and in the.proceedings and speeches there, to in-
duce them to' withdraw rrotis it; or-c_ least to raise some mis-
givings in their minds as to the real views of many of its
must act.',e members. His Lordship 'stated, that though it
be our duty to shew gentleness and forbearance, and caarity,
towards all titd-Christian Brethren;' yet that we are not ..,a-
thorised to give to rig-et-band ryfel(owship or co-operatiun,
to those who cause, divisions; but on the contrary, we arta
taught :.,lions. XVL 7.) In arrant them : and. he seemed to think
it most absurd and unaccountable
.that they who . prayed its
their litur._..y, to be delivered from false docirine, heresy, and
schisM, should unite in religious associatiohs_vVitli those who(
publicly avow the faltvst doctrines, the most notorious oere-
ties, and tlie must determined schism t as strange would it be;be;(ssid his Lii.dstiip,y to see loyal Britons farming it Political :s-
-soeiatiou with, or ftiratishing money and Mans to those is boas
they hnewto lie excliers of sedition, abettors of privy con-
spiracy and arcanotersof rebellion. - .
His Lordslaip warmly appt cited of Natienal Schools on the
Madras Systilin ! he also intimated, that the, laws respecting.
the Resideqee of the clergy ri.nd the Stipends of Curates are
undergoites.a complete reVision, and will be consolidated into
one cleer perspicuous act ; tending tOially to secure the in-
cumbcat from the persecutin of the cornmea informer, and
to increase the number of Resident Cleegymen: - 'the Com-
in,,te ec fur making this revisi.m, consists; Of the Lords Bishops •
of London, Lincoln, and Peteiborough.

On Wednesday last the-AuniVersary.Festival of
the Society for Propag-itting Chritian Knowledge
in the 1-lighlands anq Islands of Scotland, vl-as
held at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, the Duke
of KENT in the Chair. `flis Royal Iliglincss
stiited, that io 1709 Qacen Anne gianted a Char,
ter of IncOrporat.on to a number of benevolent
indvitluals, whir in 1701 had established this :So—
ciety. ,E:vei- since it had continued to promote its
oenevoient purpose, with inlia,lte benefit to -the
country. There had been established 360 Schools,
in which 17,000 children were educated ; and in
113 years diet e had-been educated above 600,000,
many of whom had'rlsen high distinction in
Chi —ii and State. We .are happy
.to..alid, that
the Subscription on this occasion amounted tp
nearly 6:101.