The Sun.
London, England, 1821-10-30 00:00:00

FOR THE SUN.

THE BISHOP OF MEATH
Mn. EDITOR.-1 am sorry. that the Bishop of Meath's-
Letter in your Paper, which I so constantly read, has so long
escaped my notice ; so much do I admire its general spirit, and
its particular application to the present crisis. You must know
I have myself. some little of the Irish blood in me ; and if I have
trot so much as to justify that strong prejudice which Ilea in
favour of Ireland, yet perhaps quite enough to excuse any.
blunders I may commit in the expression of my sentiments :
for I do not fear any in my affection fOr this Prelate and the
glorious cause which he so intrepidly maintains. That cause is
the Established Church„of which he stands forth so distinguished
a champion among his brothers on the bench ;—who think not
that they are placed upon a hill, to hide their talents _under
• ground, but to he the f4reat lights of the world; the prominent
land-marks to warn their flock against the quicksands on their
• way, and to pour final their rays in what portion, and in
what season, or wherever they may judge to be expedient:—and
where is the place, or when the time, that it could be _ judged
more expedient than in the present distracted state of our. Sister
country, where a set of fanatics arc gone forth under the very.
orders of the church, " professing to preach her Articles of
Faith," and to defend her from the assaults of Popery, while
they are only eager to gain proselytes to their own 'particular
doctrines, " which they pretend to deduce from the, articles,
which the pious. and learned compilers of them and'all their
most distinguished successors have uniformly- condemned
Indeed, so far have many of them wandered from their real
spirit as to slide into the very same or worse errors' than those
which these very articles were intended to oppose. That this
was the spirit of old, is clearly proved by Bishop Lavington
his comparison of the Papists and the Methodists ; and that it
has made most rapid and formidable strides iii theie rater 'tithes'
(considering the greater light that is shed abroad upon these
subjects, more especially upon the principle of Toleration,) is
evident from their rage of intolerance and persecution, in opi-
nion, which seems with these fanatics like Aaron's rod to swal-
low up all the rest ; as if the rod were the only eiablenf of -the
schoolmaster that i,s to bring us unto Jesus, and as if the king-
dom of Heaven 'were to be taken by violence, and the violent
alone were to enter it.—lle certainly once took up the rod,', but
then, as has been observed, it was to drive thieves-out of the
temple, not to force honest men into it. • • - "

Hitt 'sister Superstitions, like the sister Graces, Righteous-
ness and Truth, will meet together; and if either of the twiner
Sisters is to be preferred to the other, I do not know whether I
should not prefer the Papist. It is true, his Religion in the
' abstract is no more to be compared with that of the Methodists
than a body irrecoverably corrupted with one only slightly tainted. '
But if the latter suffers this taint to go on increaetng as rapidly,
as it has of late, the body will soon become that deadly mass ot
total corruption, which these men say is its natural state--
" Naturam expellas furett, tamen usque recurret."
lam far from being an advocate for the Papists, but I can- '`
not help thinking, notwithstanding all the alarm that they have
raised in our Sister Country, they are, of the two Furies, the .
least to be dreaded—They may both be compared, as Leaders
Of the People, in their spirit of persecution, to conductors that
invite the lightning from Heaven, not into the Earth, but to
the buildings which they profess to guard ; and because they
are laid only on the surface, and, for. want of depth and solidity/
what was an outward security proves 'an inward ruin._For-
rnerly there ,was a great, contz.st, which conductors were the •
best for houses, the blunt or the pointed ; the Papist is tbot '
which is blunted by long use, that fatal rust to the hardest and •
best wrought iron ; and the other, from the mere circumstance.
of novelty, for which the world has such a taste, and from the
popular spirit of innovation, is the-more-pointed, and therefore
the more formidable weapon, and the more to be parried by
those defensive weapons which the mildest Christians are al-
lowed to wield, and which the milder they are, the more dexte-
rous they are in wielding. Well; therefore, do they become the
Prelates of our Church, and few with more grace than this dir
tinguished Champion, who expects his Clerge to blunt the
points of their adversaries' swords by an imitation of their activity
commending their adversaries more than our blessed Lord
did the unjust Stewards, but for their wisdom in this world efter
their generation, for their zeal and assiduity worthy of a better
'rause. Nor is it his intention to encourage ins Clergy to blow the
trumpet like them through Zion, and to judge the world in
anger, and issue bulls and excommunications against all with-
out exception, even of the most moral and religious, that hap-,
pen to differ the least shade from their own persuasion,, but
rather like the angel on the List day, to judge the wolld with
tear of pity upon the infirmities of the weaker brethren, and
like their Father himself; in the midst of judgMent, still to
think upon mercy.
How delighted then was I when I saw this Prelate stand -
.forth to display the true Christian. energy ; that zeal ftccordiry'-
to knowledge, for want of which the different orders of the f-;s-
tablished Church, especially the higher; have been.so unjust!):
abused, particularly by sonic of these very men who have crel"'
into her bosom, and fostered by her warmth, have attempted to
inflict the deadlier sting. ‘‘ bile some are striving with ail
their little might to dethrone one Bishop in this couet!..):
from his established right to examine , the candidates I°'
orders by his own questions upon the articles themselves;
others are endeavouring in another country to dethrone the.
Church in general from all- their right to superinteod the,
course of education pursued in the Schools of late esta:.
Wished. What was my astonishment when I came to this Pr
of the Bishop's Letter :—." In some Schools, establishing onl"el
the sanction of theaCTINGMINISTER of this country, and fro;
a PUIILiC FUND, not only the appointment of the Master, but
all superintendence over the course of education he pursues,
and tae principles he inculcates, are taken out of the hands 13
which the religious feelings, and the wisdom of .happier (10,4
had placed them, to be vested exclusively in Laymen gran in
ground for the building of Schools, and in Trustees. to be ar
'
pointed by them ; and the interference the most strong!). 13
terdicted is that of the Established Church."
If the Bishop were a man who takes up charges at randelle'.l,
I might hope there were some error in the report, but as I
have no hope of that kind, I cannot but feel astonished be--,'„
measure, that a schismatic spirit should operate so violently
.?_1;
a Minister who is sent out to superintend the business of te_.•
State, so intimately connected as it is, especially in that wane.
try, With the establishment of the Church. It is far from !I,Y,
purpose to enter into a long disquisition about Bible Sociene
or the Schools of Bell or of Lancaster.—Whatever inaY
their comparative utility, they may all be useful in their wet; •
but surely that State Minister must be allowed by 'the ,
friends to travel out of Ins record, who meddles witad.pg • ,;,
Church at all: and since he must' meddle, instead of hol;hlica • e
up the head of a Protestant above the waves of Popery, S!_ven
rise every where against it, from prejudice and passion, an c_ : •
family affections, chuses to start fresh. obstacles, and tries_
persuade the people that they are not to trust the educatioilac
their children to the Established Church, to whom our
forefatheis thought fit to intrust it. • , be is,
I am not acquainted with this Minister, but whoever •
he must feel the justice, as well as severity of this 11. rel
'
rebuke, and • should endeavour, as the only . amends l e
power, to rectify his emir instantly. Not one hour beshoutu_ei
lost in stemming an opinion of this description, so palaot:_ez'
to the populace 'of all countries, but more especially to
combustible as Ireland, and which, if not immediately etopPliest
like wildfire will rage and burn the w!iole land, making w
was before the garden of Eden, a desolate wild.ernets.
at I
This impolitic interference has recalled to my mind 1, bele)
had wished to forget, the zealous amazon of that party, ",‘,O
displayed so much officious heat in the same train, to pre'ea..
the:Minister of a parish in this country from the •superinteeree
ance of a parish school ' ; but that officiousness • ever
nent, but more especially in that sex to which the Gracce of
long, was soon and effectually over-ruled by the good se° 1
the Minister, and the conspiring zeal of his parishionell. per
trust that whenever such an opinion should prevail, in vili‘ e„ii;
corner of this country, the same .good sense will ever, pre',;ee
for we are a sober, and often a thinking people, at least (Leo
pared with the country where this " acting Minister" has 11;
interfering with the Church. . or
We do not so hastily and at once follow the' iinPoiseetal
passion as they, who teem to leap , and look afterwards, r hi
who, while John Bull is meditating a blow, or; whetbetelP
should give a blow at all, would take him ininualiaooa
and without reflection, by the horns, and throw him, `i9,;rlce'
as look at him, and all in good humour, into the L:trey yit
let, •

or,
.BERGAMI.—It is some time since several
nals announced the death of the famous 131':;,--f
GAMI, a few days after that of. the Queel/the
ENGLAND. The .Journals of Belgium, on aot
authority of letters from. Italy, contradict i$
statement, and add, that the Chamberliall:nch
living and in good health, at his Castle.—VA"
Paper.) • lib 01
Lord PALMERSTON has lately mv.do erti-
donation of Pine Plants to the Hampshire 11%$,
cultural Experimental Garden; G. Jr
Esq. our County Member, has contributed •
to this favourite Institution. °°Ll
. A vast number of high bred horses - r are
mares are about to leave this country ; trbelfor
purchased by an agent of the King of "
BERG.