The Sun.
London, England, 1832-07-16 00:00:00

UNIVERSITY OF LONDON.

A distribution of prizes in the classes of lan-
guages and science took place at the London Uni-
versity on Saturday. The Bishop of CIIICHESTER
presided.
Mr. MALDEN (Greek Professor) read a report of
the state of the institution, which noticed the diffi-
culties arising from the retirement of the late pro-
fessors, and stated that their successors had laboured
diligently in their respective departments to promote
the objects of the university, and trusted in the
ensuing Session to see the successful results of
their exertions. At present, the number of pupils
in the school was 139.

Prizes of handsomely bound books were then dis-
tributed by the Right Rev. Prelate to several of
the pupils.
The Bishop of CIIICIIF,STER (at the close of the
proceedings), thought it right to advert to a pre-
judice which had pretty generally prevailed against
the institution on its first establishment, and which,
perhaps, was not wholly extinct;—he meant the
unfavourable feeling which arose from an erroneous
supposition that there existed in the institution
something which, if not absolutely hostile, was at
least indifferent to religion. It might easily be
shewn that there were no grounds for the suspicion.
The object of the establishment was to provide a
good and cheap education for those who dissented
from the Established Church—persons who were
generally unable to obtain education in the public
schools or universities, especially in the latter, where
a rest was required to which they might feel a con-
scientious repugnance to subscribe. True it was,
that if those who established this institution, while
differing from the Church, had agreed among them-
selves in doctrine and discipline, they might easily
hive prescribed a course of religious instruction for
the pupils; but such was not the case : and differing
as they did upon the points referred to, who was to
prescribe a system of religious education which should
unite in its favour the suffrages of all ? The in-
stitutio►► offered (most properly, as he thought) a
comprehensive and cheap education to all classes of
religionists separated from the Established Church—
Dissenters, Catholics, or Jews ; and if there were
any other class of religionists in this country, it
would be well that they should be able to avail
themselves of the advantage of literary and scientific
instruction in a place where their religious opinions
would not be compromised by attendance upon a
course of religious education of which they could
not approve. It NI as unnecessary to dwell at length
upon the impossibility of adopting any particular
form of religious instruction in an institution circum-
stanced like the London University. The Right Rev.
Prelate then referred to what might be done towards
the promotion of moral and religious principles, with-
out touching doctrinal matters, by the study of the
Greek and Hebrew Scriptures, which were text
books in the respective languages, and by a
consideration of the evidences of revealed re-
ligion, upon which all Christians were agreed.
He should read an extract from a letter of one of
the l rJfessors (Mr. Malden) which would show the
sentiments entertained in the University on the sub-
ject of religious education. Education is of two kinds :
intellectual education, and moral and religious edu-
cation. The latter is absolutely necessary for all
men, and the education of the lower orders must
consist almost entirely of rigious and moral instruc-
tion. But in the education of the higher classes
the intellectual education bears a very large propor-
tion (in the time and labour bestowed upon it) to
the religious and moral ; and the two are capable
of being conducted separately. Now, what we
propose is, to furnish an intellectual education.
This province is all that we undertake. So far
from undervaluing, or being in any way hostile to,
religious or moral instruction, we are fully sensible
of its paramount importance, or rather its absolute
necessity : but we leave it to other hands. It is
gratifying to find that an improvement had taken
place in the government of the institution, which
was now placed under an extremly effective control.