The Sun.
London, England, 1856-07-14 00:00:00

_usEt 'OP ,91' LONDON'S PASTORAL
LETTER.

'Me Bishop of London un-; addresel thy; following
;,0 Tg; of bis diocese

Fulham Palace, July 12, 1856.
"Rev, dear Sir;.. --A communication has been made to
me
by h e
the withdrawal of that source of
income iu v rhich the National Society has hitherto been
in cotsq e u aernthcebi ohf
n ' 1p of the province, suggesting that,
chiefly dept trident, I s, `could alvise the clergy of my dio-
cese to raise collections „:.n their churches in behalf of the
society, during the course of the current year. It is also
suggested in his grace's lettt r that. each clergyman should
liberty, if he see fit, to approf )1-late a portion, not
excee,ling on, ,-half of the collectiot 1, to the diocesan or
local board of 'education.
tt The,re are. at this time many nit cumstances strongly
recpmmendirl these suggestions to our adoption.
of the Na tional Society it is hut justice for me to
say that' the great educational .movement which for
nearly hal,c a c 3ntury has been pure oing its steady course
and o re and more fr.un y ear to year the bless•
tion and religious truth throughout the
lino f c
originsivi'Bl',ll in a great degree with that society, and
has ever sines under Providence, been suQtained by its
influence. H. sect' we find that the number of children at
this day in national schools alone amounts to 988,276.
" Besides ci mtributing to extend instruction, the so-
ciety has done much in various ways to improve it ; to
make it real, and not visionary—intellectual, and not
t I mechanical.

And above- all, the society, as our Church at large
can testify, "been essentially instrumental in conn-ct-
jog sound relig-itnas principle inseparably with useful
knowledge' in tbt n education of tine people. The society
has, by Gocl's het, p, contributed to resist successiully the
multiplied attempt is of philosophical or political theorists
to introduce riew , systems of merely secular teaching, so
restricted and so 5, •eneralised as to be comparatively in-
operative.
"It may be pros Der for me to inform you that the
chief purpose to whin lh your collections will be applied by
the society is the bui .Iding of schools and of residences
for teachers, purposes respecting which no diversity of
opinion can possibly prevail.
" As regards the suggestion in his grace's letter, that
a portion of the pro,omed collection may be appropriated
to the diocesan board, it will be sufficient for me to state
that the funds of the London board are now expended
chiefly in obtaining the -valuable services of a most judi-
cious as well as competent inspector. , It would also be
of great importance that the board should have means at
its disposal to assist in rf tisimg schools in poor districts to
the standard of efficiency,' required for obtaining annual
aid from the Privy Coin icil. Small sums well and timely
applied would suffice in many cases for that purpose.
" I cannot avoid one concluding observation on the
important educational oi •isis which has arisen from a re-
cent vote of the House tit' Commons. The friends of re-
ligious education, who in that emergency defeated a
series of resolutions -will ,ch they considered dangerous,
have now an interval of comparative tranquillity which
they are bound to impro we, an opportunity of demon-
strating that they possess sufficient zeal, and influence,
and intelligence to aco mplish successfully what they
have boldly and nobly u adertaken.
" I feel assured that y rout' readiness to comply with my
request will not be lessen ied by the peculiar circumstances
under which I make this communication to the diocese
of London.—Believe me to be, rev. and dear sir, your
faithful servant and brother in Christ,
" C. J. LONDON."
•