P. 18.-2. They look forwards for farther support from those who are attached to the Constitution of Church and State; the sole object in view being to communicate to the Poor, generally, by means of a summary mode of education, lately brought into practice, such knowledge and habits as are sufficient to guide them through life, in their proper stations, especially to teach the doctrines of religion, according to the principles of the Established Church, and to train them to the performance of their Religious duties by early discipline.

3. It is unnecessary for this Committee to enlarge upon

the

fiercely. They had for their conductor-not indeed the present Bishop of London, but his immediate predecessor-the Church of England hero with whose eloquence his charge (anno 1814) (p. 1) opens: the Bishop, in whose eyes "schism" was "guilt," whose "endeavour was to replace ecclesiastical discipline on its "antient footing"-that discipline of which the "benefit" is "lost" if "the discretion of the ruling power" be "fettered." This, however, is but a small part of what in that one paragraph may be seen breathing the same spirit. A more finished picture of a persecuting despot, held out in that very character, as an object of admiration and instruction, could scarce have been drawn by a French Court Catholic of the day, under the orders of the Duke and Duchess of Angoulême.

* [Unnecessary.] Yes: and fruitless likewise. So long as they had their choice (what can be more notorious?) what they chose was-that the body of the people should have no instruction. So long as they had their choice, Dr. Bell and his system were, in their eyes, objects of scorn or indifference. When the system of no-instruction was seen to be no longer tenable, then came this system of bad instruction, the badness of which is thus varnished by the word good, as that of its Church is by

the necessity of good instruction, and of the benefit which would accrue to Society, in proportion as its members are governed

the word excellent, and that of Church "pomps and vanities" by the word decency.

"Necessity of good instruction!"-They enlarge upon the necessity of it?—they, whose most strenuous endeavours have so openly been employed, in excluding from the benefit of it all children, whose parents will not purchase it on the terms of forcing them to put from them what they think good, and embrace what they think evil? In one and the same breath, the necessity of granting it and the necessity of refusing it-this is what they preach-to hundreds of thousands they accordingly do refuse it :-this is what they practise.

Note, that in any such character as that of the ultimate object of the system of instruction, throughout the whole course of these effusions, scarcely is morality, scarcely is even Christianity, so much as professed to be held up to view: scarcely any thing whatever but the support so much needed by the Church of England. With the exception of that decency, which is composed of the so solemnly announced "pomps and vanities," to such a degree has worldly anxiety got the ascendant even over DECENCY-Scarcely in any other character is Christianity so much as professed to be regarded, than that of a state engine :-an engine, employed in the manufactory of the matter of corruption, for a cement to the Warburton Alliance between Church and State: a cement for the wall of defence, built up for the protection of the whole stock of over-paid places, needless places, mischievous places, and sinecure places, sacred and profane.

Indeed, with what face, or prospect of success, could either morality or Christianity have been mentioned,-mentioned as main and ultimate objects of the instruction-when, in both instances, in the same breath, that same instruction is so anxiously with

governed by a sense of Religious duty, and to the members themselves in respect both of their present happiness and eternal welfare. If this obtains at all times, more especially in the present, when, on the one hand, indifference to Religion, in the neglect of the regular performance of sacred duties, is but too apparent, and, on the other, men's minds are distracted by an infinite variety of opinions,* studiously propagated by their respective advocates.

P. 19.

holden from all those who will not accept of Church-of-Englandism, in lieu of both those benefits?

Be moral men-i. e. on condition of your being, “in under"standing and will, prostrate" under us :-not otherwise.

Be Christians-i. e. on condition of your being, "in under"standing and will, prostrate before our interpretations of Christianity:" otherwise, be as un-Christian as you will-what care we?-Such are the conditions, which will be seen constantly intended, and almost as constantly expressed, when, by these holy men, either morality or Christianity are spoken of as qualities desirable on the part of the people.

* [Minds-distracted by an infinite variety of opinions.] As if, in all ages of Christianity, from the earliest down to the present, this "distraction," as it is called, had not had place :-as if, so far from being prejudicial, this variety, except in so far as it is productive of hostility or oppression, were not even conducive-in an eminent degree conducive to true morality and happiness. Differing one from another in respect of such their opinions, each strives to prove against his competitors the truth of his opinions by the goodness of his practice.

In England, the morality of the Established Clergy-will any one of them dare to bring it into comparison with that of the Sectarian Clergy, of any of the sects? Among the Established Clergy, is not attention to professional duties-any thing like constant

P. 19. If the plan, of which they have now detailed the progress for a few months, be cordially supported and encouraged by those who are friends to the Com

munion

and zealous attention-a rare case?-Among the Sectarian Clergy, inattention, an unexampled one?-Why? because, for respect, for affection, even for subsistence, the Sectarian Clergy -what have they to trust to but their good behaviour?—while to the Established Clergy, good behaviour is comparatively of no use. Yes: -what they have to trust to is what they do trust in: -their riches, their factitious dignities, their temporal power: to secure to them respect-respect without desert, and independently of good behaviour-such was and is the object-such, unhappily, in too great a degree, is still the effect,-of those illplaced powers of those factitious dignities, and of the enormous masses of the matter of wealth, added for the support of those same ill-placed dignities.

Under these circumstances, what matters it how great the variety of opinions is? Of these opinions, what are the subjects?-Matters which, for the most part, not only none of them understand, but for the understanding of which, were they capable of it, none of them would, any more than any body else, be any thing the better. The times when this variety was at its minimum, what were they? Precisely the times-say from the 8th or 9th to the 12th or 13th centuries-when Church power, and with it ignorance and immorality, were at their maximum. Such is the state of minds-such the universal “ prostration of "understanding and will"-such the uniformity, to the production of which this their system of instruction is thus avowedly directed.

On the field of theology is variety-variety of opinions-a spectacle so unendurable to them?-Let them go to Spain: there they will find none of it: there they may behold uniformityperfect uniformity-with all its blessings: there they may recon

munion of the Church, they have good reason to hope, that it will accomplish a considerable improvement in the condition, and in the moral and religious habits of the poorer branches of the Community, and give a new character to Society at large.

P. 26. No. II. of Appendix. (Address to the Public.)*-Under these circumstances the Committee is persuaded, that, in calling for a more general and extended support of an institution, in which the best interests of the Established Religion and Constitution of the Country are so deeply involved, they shall not appeal in vain to the friends of both.

P. 49. (No. V. of Appendix.)-THE GENERAL COMMITTEE of the NATIONAL SOCIETY† consider that the most ready and satisfactory answer they can give to the numerous inquiries transmitted to them, from various parts of the Kingdom, as to the best and most effectual method of carrying into execution the great and important designs of the Society, will be by offering to such as seek for this information a practical illustration of the system. With this view, they have selected, from among the many Reports, communicated to them from local Societies already formed, or now forming, the proceedings of the DEANERY of TENDERING, in the County of Essex, and Diocese of London, which appear, on the whole, the best adapted for

general

cile themselves to that original and venerable Church, from which their own is but a schism: a schism not to be justified but on those principles-yes, on those very principles-which, when appealed to in favour of any but themselves, are the objects of their abhorrence.

29th January, 1812.

No place, no time, no signature,