The Sun.
London, England, 1846-10-21 00:00:00

dertaking. The average aggregate number of perms
forming the congregations of the seven new churches
sra--I,3r,srected in Bethnal- en had been 1,500 in the
ntorning, 4 evening. Thcre were in
churches 460ncommunicants ; and 3,254 child:ea
awnded the Nationnl and Sunday Schools. As the
number of attendants at the parish church and the pa-
rochial school had not diminished, they were justified in
regarding the numbers he had mentioned as a gain to
the Church. In the single parish of Bethnal-green,
which was now divided into twelve districts or parishes.
there were employed at this time twenty additional
clergymen, having under their immediate direction 15
schoolmasters and mistresses, 100 Sunday-school
teachers, 80 Scripture readers, and 101 district visitors,
-all engaged in making known the truths and duties of
their holy religion in that long-neglected neighbourhood.
The Right Reverend Prelate then referred to a mea-
sure, introduced into Parliament during the last session,
for facilitating the punishment of clerical offenders
in certain cases. That Bill had only gone through
some initiatory stages, as it was considered that some
of its provisions were objectionable ; but the mea-
sure would probably be again brougt forward next
session, and he hoped that the alterations made in
it would obviate the objections which had pre.
viously been urged against it. He might observe
that it was intended by that Bill to grant the power
of taking vwd voce evidence in ecclesiastical causes—
a measure which, he believed, would be much more
effectual than the present system in enabling the courts
to elicit the truth. The Bill had been drawn by a gen-
tleman eminent for his knowledge, not only of the civil
and canon law, but of the common law of this kingdom;
it had been very carefully considered by the Bishops,
and had been proposed to Parliament with their general
consent and approval; and, notwithstanding the opposi-
sion with which all proposals for alterations in the law
were likely to be met, he trusted it would eventually re-
ceive the sanction of Parliament.

The Right Rev. Prelate observed, that he feared he
had already made too great a demand on the time and
patience of his hearers, but he could not conclude with-
out saying a few words on that most important subject
—the education of the poor. The proposal which had
recently been made, that the Government should un-
dertake to provide for the secular education of the
people, leaving their religious instruction to the volun-
tary exertions of the clergy and other ministers of re-
ligion, appeared to demand some expression of opinion
on the part of those to whom the clergy would naturally
look for counsel, if not for direction, in such a matter.
In the charge which he (the Bishop of London) de-
livered in 18?4, he said that religion ought to be made
the groundwork of all education ; but he added that in
his opinion religious and secular instruction might most
advantageously be blended or interspersed. He still
adhered to that opinion, and he deprecated, as be
had always done, the system of separate religious and
secular education—a separation which must necessarily
be made if the Government were to take the education
of the people into their own hands, and to provide
secular instruction for all, leaving the work of religious
teaching, not to the masters or mistresses, but to the
voluntary exertions of the clergy and ministers of dif-
ferent sects. How far these exertions might be depended
upon, and to what extent they might clash or interfere
with one another, and embitter sectarian feeling, he
would not stay to inquire; but if they forbade by law
the inculcation of religion in their schools, if they pro-
scribed the reading of the Bible as the subject of in-
struction, if they prohibited the use of prayer by the
teachers of the schools, they would net only deprive
religion and knowledge of the support they ought
mutually to render to each other, and habituate the
learner to a notion that religion had nothing to do with
the ordinary occupations of life, but they would le id to
the training up of a race of school teachers devoid of all
religious character; for no truly religious teacher could
reconcile it to his conscience to be silent on the most im-
portant of all subjects, if he had reason to believe that
o minister of religion to whom the department of
ious instruction would properly belong was negli-
or incompetent in the discharge of his duties. They
only to look to the present state of popular educa-
on in Germany and France to be satisfied that his ap-
prehensions on this point were not groundless. He was
more and more convinced that it was best for the inter-
ests of the people at large, and more conducive to charity
and peace, that the State should continue to assist with
an increased measure of aid the voluntary efforts of in-
dividuals and societies. The present was not a time
when it was proper to enter upon a new system. In
connexion with this subject he urged upon the m to co-
operate with the London Diocesan Board of Education.
The Right Rev. Palate concluded by saying, that
with respect to the present prospects of the Church of
this kingdom, it could not be denied that there was much
occasion for uneasiness and sorrow, if not of apprehen-
sion. He referred to the increased activity and hostility
of the Dissenters, as well as of those who were not less
a dissenting sect, though they arrogated to themselves
that they were the Catholic Church. They had-effected
a certain number of perversions, which were blazoned
forth as the earnest of a larger number to come ; yet,
although these circumstances should rouse them to in-
creased watchfulness, he saw in them no reason for alarm
or discouragement. They were, he verily believed, the
results of the increased endeavours made by the great ad-
versary of the Church, when after seasons of partial dim-
ness she began to repairher lustre and to extend her sphere
of usefulness. They were therefore to be regarded as symp-
toms of energy rather than of weakness or decay. They
had much to reproach themselves for their unhappy divi-
sions, for their own want of zeal and self denial, and for
an imperGct sense of their obligations, which might well
lead to self-abasement. Yet, on the other hand, when
he looked at the extent of the Church missionas y labours
within the last few years—at the multiplication of colo-
nial bishoprics, and of schools and places of worship at
home—at th.. growing spirit of pious munificence in lay-
men, and of attachment to the doctrines of the Church—
above all, when he looked at the zeal and devotion of the
great body of the clergy, he felt that the " glory had not
yet departed from Israel," and that,. although the Lord
was SWIM against Weill, yea thatlle was nos pit,
pared to remove His camp from them. They had been
told that, unless they provided complete endowments for
the clergymen attached to their new churches, they were
raising up a class of needy clergymen, whose poverty would
bring discredit upon their calling, and greatly impair
their usefulness. No one was more disposed than he was
to appreciate the advantages of such an endowment as
would secure an adequate maintenance to a clergyman.
A scantiness of worldly means 'Would no doubt cripple
to a certain extent his power of doing good. But if a
number of men were found ready to dispense the words
of salvation with the certainty of receiving a scantier
measure of this world's goods than in almost any other
worldly calling, that, so far from bringing discredit on
the Church, would be a circumstance of the highest
honour to it. and form one of the strongest proofs of its
inherent vitality. Such devotion ought to excite their
liveliest sympathy towards those persons, and the Church
should offer some tribute to their worth. Meanwhile,
let them inculcate upon him that is taught the duty to
communicate to him that teacheth in all good things,
not to supply the means of indulgence, but that he may
have the wherewithal to do his Master's work. Finally,
they must never lose sight of the solemn consideration
that the influence and usefulness of the Church de-
pended, in a great degree, upon their own conduct as its
ministers. Although they had the recorded assurance
of the great Founder of their faith, that their
Church was founded on a rock, yet they knew
not what trials they might have to pass
through. The duration and sharpness of these trials
would, however, be materially affected by the faithful-
ness or the failure of the clergy in the performance of
their duty. Whatever their station or offices in the
Church, let them all labour and pray like servants
waiting the coming of their Lord, looking in all things
to Jesus as the author and finisher of their faith. Let
them follow after those things which nia-ie for their
everlasting peace, looking more to those points of o
im-
portant—in and practice—happily the most numerous and
which they agreed, rather than to those
upon which they differed. Let them be ready to make
any concession short of compromising the truth, in order
to keep the bond of unity unbroken. Let them be
earnest in prayer for the guidance of the Holy Spirit,
that in all things love might abound more and more, so
that they might be found sincere and without offence in
the day of Christ, filled with the fruits of righteous-
ness, which were, by Jesus Christ, to the praise and
glory of His name.
The delivery of the visitation charge brought the ser-
vice to a conclusion at half-past three o'clock.