The Sun.
London, England, 1818-03-16 00:00:00

THE CHURCH.

FOR THE SUN.

EDITOR,—If the public mind be drawn to
the consideration of public events, and permitted
to operate with dispassionate and. unbiassed pro-
-pensities ; if it should enter on the examination of
grave and important subjects, unoccupied by fa-
vourite. notions, much hope•- may reasonably be
'entertained, that its conclusions will as nearly re-
semble truth, as can be expected fromhuman
perfection. The religious controversies of the
present day; which have unhappily made their way
into the very bosom of •our Church, through the
powerful agency of its inveterate spiritual enemy,
and " have destroyed the peace of Jerusalem," are
disgraceful to those \vim call themselves Chris-
tians, and of the most dangerous tendency to
Christianity itself. Distracted by internal factions,
aud, miserable to add, amongst those solemnly
pledged -to its support, this venerable fabric, this
goodly edifice, built on on the Prophets
and Apostles, Christ himself being the chief cor-
ner stone, and purified and upheld for us by the
• exemplary piety, prudent zeal, and martyred wis-
• dom of our truly religious ancestors, is in danger
of desolation by the distempered and unruly spi-
rits of sonic of its turbulent members. A more
daring innovation upon the Ecclesiastical Govern.
ment established in our country has seldom, if
ever, been witnessed, than that lately exhibited in
.the city of Bath, by the " Church of England
Missionary Society." The particulars of this in-
Ttovation are already before the public; and it will
therefore be unnecessary for me to detail them.
Sufficient for my purpose will be the remark, that
this. apparent attempt to undermine and destroy the
salutary control of our Religious Authorities was
imposed by one of the Constituted Guardians of.the
Church, the Reverend the Archdeacon of BATH,
ill a style of dignified, and manly, and appropriate
energy, which claimed, and has since been re- .
warded by, the cordial approbation of his supe-
t•iors in the Church, and has distinguished him to
be one of its most zealous and judicious support,.
ers. Now, Sir, with considerably effrontery, very
consistently accompanied by ignorance on many
points, and a wilful perversion and misunderstand-
ing of plain propositions on more, the Archdeacon
has been attacked, his conduct arraigned, and his
arguments most falsely and disgracefully misrepre-
sented, in a pamphlet- entitled " A Defence or the
Church Missionary Society against the objections
of the Archdeacon of BATH," by the Reverend
DANIEL IVILgoN, a zealous advocate its favour of
the tortuatiots of Auxiliary Associ,:tions to the
Church of England Missionary Society," not
only, as himself confesses, " without any com-
mission or delegation Irons that venerable autho-
rity," but in absolute defiance anti contempt of it,
as has been cleaviy proved by those to whom I
will refer. peculiar and most praiseworthy
caution, as affecting the interest of the party em-
ploying this Reverend Gentleman, he has endea-
voured to keep Irons the public eye the real foun-
dation of the Archdeacon's objections to this in-
vasive Society ; but in order that the decision of
the public may be exempt from those errors in
judgment consequent upon the concealment of
truth, suppressirti of facts, and distorted interpre-
tation, I earnestly recommend to their attentive
perusal Two Letters lately published .ba RIVING-
TONS, addressed to the Rev. DANIEL WILSON,—
one by the Rev. W. B. Wurrßiteact,.the other
by the Rev. J. B. S. CARWITHEN. •

As tar as the efforts of an humble individual ex-
tend, I would assist all it: discovering truth, and,
under this impression alone, I venture, through
the medium of your Paper (the uncorrupted chan-
nel of truth), to direct the attention of my Coun-
trymen to these Two Letters, that they may be
guarded against the deception which the specious
and Jesuitical " Defence " of the Rev. D. WIL-
SON, is intended to practise on them. These Let-
ters are calculated to remove the film, with which
he has laboured, with much ingenuity I admit, to
blind the eves of men, and will further present to
the minds of the sober part of the community, a
just estimate of the proceedings of a society,
which requires for its defence the use of such ob-
jectionable materials. If the deductions from le-
gitimate and sound argument were ever success-
fully demonstrated against sophistry and false-
hood, and worked their refutation, the calm and
tarias,-..ed Reader will impute to the Letter of the
Rev. Mr. WHITEHEAD a most decisive victory.
Ile has descended with his antagonist into the
" field of argument," and in a most mastetly
style, but Christian-like spirit, has driven bin)•
front his positions, and has rescued the venerable
Ar4hdeacon from his furious assailant. Equally
t!inmphant have been the efforts of the Rev. Mr.
CA;twtriteN. But this is a digression ; I have no
design to eulogize the Letters of these Gentlemen
....they-want no encomium of mine. Experience
justifies the belief, that the restless penny-hunting
vett:bets of this Missionary Society will be perti-
nacionsly active to strengthen their, own cause,
..and will adopt the wise system cf their liberal ad-
vocate„by the suppression of all matter which may
tend to display it in its true colours ; but anxious
.that the public may be possessed of all the circum-
stances, I invite their attention seriously to these
two Letters, under a conviction that they will
most substantially assist their judgment on the
subject of this controversy. Should the author of
the " Defence" " magnanimously resolve to quit
the comforts of his native land," and become " a
faithful missionary himself," he would of course
recommend and urge the superiority of Episcopal
,Government, to which he and his party have
shewn such ardent attachment. How perfect
would be the system of authority and sobordina-
thrn !—May his efforts there be crowned with
complete success !—Sir, I remain, •

Your humble Servant, and sincerely attached to
. CHURCH AND STATE.