Star.
London, England, 1829-03-17 00:00:00

LETTER FROM THE EARL OF WINCHILSEA,

TO MISSY NSLSolll 0 •LIIIIDOL ESQ.

1111ORST*ST TO Tilt

nuasstsaa ros arrasuseasio visa aisa's
C. U.S,pto Lows*.
Eastrecil Park, March 14. 111211.

Sta—l beg you will have the goodness to 'ewe to the
or M ,nags meet for the erection of the King's
College in London, thee it is n.y intention to withdraw
my name, as a•subscriher to the funds raising for that
u p se, and I must also request that you will have the
go dims, at the same time. us state to the m my reams
ir the line of conduct 1 have thought it incumbent opria
me to pursue.
A r the time the erection of what is commonly called
the " London Utivetsity" was in contemplation, 1
I.smented, together with many i.thrt personowho wish d
...ell to .be casts. of morality and teligion, the proposed
adoption of a system of ecucaiion, from which every
precept of religion, and all the fundamental ductrinesof
Christianity, weir to be prolesvetily esclu !ed. •
T its exclusion was the avowed purpose of those who
instituted the London University, and as a large pottioa
of the subscribers were known to be &name, s who in.
variably countenance all who advocate or promulgate
aefferent shades of infflelity which unhappily pr..
vail in this country. the friends'of religion cohort not bat
appieend that the Institution itself was intended for
Use di,semination of these demoralising mud revolo.
tones y principle*.
It was therefore with heettfelt satisfaction that many
• (those who had olijected to the plan if education to
which I have alluded, heard of the croposesl emetic), of
another College, in which a scientific and :iter sty edit-
cation was to be united with a course of reilaious in-
structior, grounded lion the 'fund and bestowal
doctrines of the Chutch s i England.
I was one of throe übn, at fitst, thought the pre.
posed I 1.. n might be r r ct-cable, and 'rove an an Idolt
to the principles of the London University ; 1 was rant,
however, very sauAuine in my expectations, seeing
mail difficulties likely to wise en the ezect.tosso ut the
suggested arrangement ; and I confess that I feit tall et
doubtful as to the sincerity of the motives which had
4C I u sted some of the prime move's in this under takin,t,
wiles I considered that the Noble Duke at the head of
His M jetty's Governmeist had been induced, on this
occa.i in, to assume a new chatar, ter, and to step for-
ward himself as the public aelfroc ite of telibi.us arid
morality.
Late polit7cal events have continced me. that 'be
whole iv ansaction was intended as a blind to the Piece,.
tart and high Church party, that the Noble Duke. aria
had (or some time previous to that period determined
upon " breaking in upon the Constitution of ,168.4,*
might the mos' effectually, under the cloak .of some,
ow ward show of zeal for the Protestant religion, carry
on his insidi.ius designs, for the intittigement of out 1..
betties, and the iiittoduction of Popery Iwo every de-
,iariment of t' e State.
Such being my conviction, I carnet feel any confi-
dence in the pt inciple, likely to be inculcated at an In-
stitutioo e.ect d under the auspices of the present Go.
vernment ; nor should I change my opinion were it to
be replied, that the System of education thereto be put.
sued would be under the superintendence of the Clergy,
when I consider how great a portion of the Digiiitatues
and more influential individuals of that bed., have ie.
cently followed in the train of the general defection and
•postaey oils Scriptural -Dinh, and are now giving the
a hole weight of their Clerical character to the legal
establishment of superstition and idolatry.
I ain, theiefote, tinder the necessity of coming to the
conclusion, that the principles likely to be inculcated at
the King's College may possibly be such as to tend to
produce an indiffere;sce to all religious creeds.; they
may, pe has, be favourable to the tenets of tbp Roman
Catholic Chutch, or they may border upon Sociontoism,
or infidelity; but that they will be truly reiigiousocrip•
tural, or pesmanently Protestant, the premises ; have
stated forbid me to conclude.
I must also add, that the erection ache King's College
it the present time under the ausFiceeof his Majesty's
Governme t. appears to me to be perfectly uncalled
for Ministers having ;dimmed the country that they
have ado, tad, to their utmost extent, both the 'Ailed,
an I religious principal, of those who have countenanced
the establishment of the London University, they cannot
pus ibly wish to mar the designs they, have now in con-
teoplation by establishing a College, whose only dis-
tinction from the other was to be a strict adherence to
those Protestant principles which they have now thought
proper totally to abancing.
I have the boocur to be, Sir,
Your moat obedient humble servant.
WINCHILSKA AND NOTTINGHAM.