the necessity of having some collegiate establishment near London, in which the students might be brought together, and trained under the more direct observation of the Committee and officers by some able and experienced Mind; their true qualities developed ; the best instructors in every department of knowledge procured at the smallest expense; attachment fostered between the Society and its Missionaries; and the accumulating experience of the Missionary corps brought to bear on the preparation of the future labourer. These views we find brought forward by Mr. Pratt in an Appeal, prepared and signed by him as Secretary April 15, 1822, for "a separate subscription for the establishment of a Seminary at Islington." Some excellent friends objected to the measure on the ground of the expense. The result, however, was, the opening of the present Institution with great solemnity January 31, 1825, when Mr. Pratt invoked the Divine blessing in prayer. The foundation stone of the new buildings was laid July 31, 1826, when the present Bishop of Calcutta, then Vicar of Islington, made an excellent address on the importance of the combination of sound knowledge and learning with scriptural piety in the Missionary; and Mr. Pratt offered up a dedicatory prayer. (See Appendix.) The Bishop of London has repeatedly borne testimony to the high qualifications of the Missionaries presented to him for Holy Orders from this Institution; and the admirable results prove the ripeness of judgment with which it was suggested and pressed on the Society.

CHAPTER X.

1817-1821.

THE CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY IS ATTACKED BY THE ARCHDEACON OF BATH-DEFENCE BY THE REV. D. WILSON-ADVANTAGES WHICH RESULT A KING'S LETTER IN BEHALF OF THE SOCIETY FOR PROPAGATING THE GOSPEL-MR. PRATT PUBLISHES A WORK INTITULED PROPAGANDA" -THE NEW IMPULSE IN BEHALF OF MISSIONS IS COMMUNICATED TO AMERICA CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN BISHOPS GRISWOLD AND WHITE AND MR. PRATT-THE AMERICAN EPISCOPAL CHURCH ESTABLISHES A MISSIONARY SOCIETY-MR. PRATT COMMUNICATES ON THE SUBJECT OF MISSIONS WITH OTHER CHRISTIAN BODIES IN THE UNITED STATES.

Ar the close of the year 1817, a very unexpected attempt was made to arrest the onward progress of the Church Missionary Society; but, as on similar occasions, it was an event which turned out to the furtherance of the Gospel.

Mr. Pratt and his co-adjutor, Mr. Bickersteth, were invited to Bath to establish an Association in that city. Every arrangement being made, a numerous and highly respectable Meeting was held for this purpose at the Guildhall, on the 1st of December. The Bishop of Gloucester, who was also Dean of the neighbouring city of Wells, and a Vice-Patron of the Society, took the chair, and opened the business of the day by a very impressive statement of the obligation on all present, as Christians, as Britons, and as Churchmen, to support Missionary exertions; urging the necessity for such an Institution as the Church Missionary Society, in order

to enable Churchmen in particular to fulfil these obligations.

Mr. Pratt had just risen to lay the claims of the Society before the Meeting, when he was unexpectedly interrupted by the Archdeacon of Bath; who stated that he came to enter a protest, in the name of his Diocesan and brethren, against the invasion of the diocese by such a Society. He stated that a Missionary Society connected with the Church-that for Propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts-was already in existence, and therefore the establishment of another Society was unnecessary, and even factious. And he made a personal attack upon the Right Reverend Prelate who occupied the chair, accusing him to his face of intruding within the jurisdiction of a brother Bishop.

When the Archdeacon had concluded his address, he abruptly left the hall, and Mr. Pratt proceeded to detail the history, objects, and success of the Society which had been thus rudely assailed, and urged its claims for support on all who loved the doctrines and worship of the Church, and had imbibed her apostolical spirit.

During the Archdeacon's address the Meeting began on several occasions to manifest feelings of displeasure, which were with some difficulty suppressed by the Right Reverend Chairman, who entreated them to listen with patience to the close-a courtesy which he considered due to the Archdeacon's station in the Church, although he had so unwarrantably obtruded himself upon a Meeting, which was so far select, that

the advertisements had invited only "the friends of the Society" to attend.

After this violent attack, several pamphlets on both sides of the question speedily issued from the press; and amongst them appeared the masterly "Defence of the Society from the pen of the Rev. D. Wilson, now Bishop of Calcutta, which rapidly went through seventeen or eighteen editions. It entered fully and deeply into the whole question; and it stands to this day as a bold and comprehensive exhibition of the broad principles of the Society, in behalf of which it was written. The Bishop of Norwich, in writing to Mr. Bickersteth, thus notices it :

66 DEAR SIR

"Our noble cause has found an able and judicious advocate in Mr. Wilson. It would be well for the Established Church and for religion in general, if we were all of us, who are ministers of the Gospel, animated by the same truly Christian spirit; a spirit which ought to be the characteristic of every one who is in earnest a follower of Him, who came down from heaven to proclaim 'peace and good-will toward men.' Remember me kindly to Mr. Pratt, and

"Believe me, sincerely yours, &c.

45 Wimpole Street, January the 18th, 1818."

"H. NORWICH."

It is worthy of remark, that it proved in the end, that this Protest was made wholly upon the Archdeacon's own personal responsibility, without the concurrence or previous knowledge of his Diocesan; with whom, indeed, the Right Rev. Chairman had, contrary to the Archdeacon's assumption, previously communicated upon the subject of his presiding on this

occasion. Another remarkable circumstance was, that the Archdeacon, who pointed with such triumph to the operations of the Society for Propagating the Gospel, was not even himself a subscriber to that Society.

It cannot be wondered at, then, that when these things became known, the Protest defeated its own end. Its effect was, happily, not only to give a fresh impulse to the general cause of Missions, but more especially to re-animate the older Societies with new life. In the following letter Mr. Pratt traces some of these happy results :

"Wonderful things have taken place among us since I wrote to you. You will have seen ere this something of the attack made on us by the Archdeacon of Bath. The papers have teemed with this business. We have sent you some of the chief publications. The Archdeacon has unwittingly served that great cause which lies, we trust, nearest our hearts. He gave the Society for Propagating the Gospel credit for doing so much, that some of our rulers in the Church have felt it needful to do more than it had ever entered into their minds to contemplate. And now, by virtue of a King's Letter, to be issued in due time, ALL the Clergy will be enjoined to plead the cause of Christian Missions, and that with special reference to India. For the Society, in order to do what it could with despatch, has placed 5000l. at the disposal of the Bishop of Calcutta [Bishop Middleton], in order to promote Missionary objects; and now comes forward with an especial claim of support from Churchmen, because it is about to commence Missions in India, on a large scale, under the sanction of the Bishop of Calcutta. "Had any one told me, when I and my excellent associate