Church-of-Englandism and its Catechism Examined

Church-of-Englandism and its Catechism Examined, printed in 1817 and published in 1818, was part of Bentham's sustained attack on English political, legal, and ecclesiastical establishments. Bentham argues that the purpose of the Church's system of education, in particular the schools sponsored by the Church-dominated National Society for the Education of the Poor, was to instil habits of insincerity into the population at large, and thereby protect the abuses which were profitable both to the clergy and the ruling classes in general. Bentham recommends the 'euthanasia' of the Church, and argues that government sponsored proposals were in fact intended to propagate the system of abuse rather than reform it. An appendix based on original manuscripts, which deals with the relationship between Church and state, is published here for the first time. This authoritative version of the text is accompanied by an editorial introduction, comprehensive annotation, collations of several extracts published during Bentham's lifetime, and subject and name indexes.

James E. Crimmins is Professor of Political Theory in the Department of Political Science at Huron University College, and an Adjunct Research Professor in Political Science at The University of Western Ontario. He received his B.A. and M.A. in Wales, where he was born and raised, and his PhD in Political Theory from The University of Western Ontario. He has been the recipient of a Canada Council (SSHRC) post-doctoral fellowship and four other major SSHRC research grants. He served as Dean of Arts and Social Science at Huron, 1994-99. He has published extensively on Bentham and utilitarianism and other aspects of 18th and 19th century political thought.

Part I
The Catechism-a bad Substitute to the Bible-is substituted to it
1. Church of England Catechism-this perhaps the First Censorial Commentary ever applied to it
2. On Religion in a Christian Free-School, the Bible the only fit Lesson-Book
3. No substitute to the Bible should be there taught-the Catechism is made a Substitute to it
4. Badness of this Substitute in every respect: I. As to Faithfulness-No Tests of it
5. II. Badness in respect of Matter
6. III. Badness in respect of Form
7. Of the Badness of this Formulary, in respect of Matter, the Framers of it were conscious
8. Of the Badness of this Formulary, in respect of Faithfulness, Matter, and Form, the Imposers of it on the Schools are conscious
9. The Religion thus taught by the Rulers of the Church of England, is not the Religion of Jesus
Part II
Exclusionary system of Instruction-its Establishment-its bad Tendencies
Part III
Exclusionary System-Grounds for the Hope that the Approbation of it is not general
Part IV
National Society-Grounds for regarding the Exclusionary Acts as Spurious, and its Reports as Purposely deceptious
1. Cause and Ground of Suspicion as to Authenticity
2. Marks of Authenticity, proper and usual, in Reports of Proceedings of Public Bodies
3. Positions and Plan of Proof-Ends pursued by the Institution-Means employed
4. I. Proofs of the System of Exclusion
5. II. Proofs of the System of Imposition. General Committee-Meetings none
6. Proofs of the System of Imposition continued-II. Sub-Committees and their Meetings, none
7. Proofs of the System of Imposition continued-III. Acts spurious
8. Securities against Spuriousness-Cause of the Omission of them, Necessity and Design-not Inadvertence
9. [III.]-Authors, acting and consenting, of the combined Systems of Exclusion and Imposition
10. Authors, &c. continued-Dr. Manners Sutton, Archbishop of Canterbury
11. How to organize a Chaos-Forms of Disorder exemplified in these Reports
12. General Committee-Fraud involved in the Title thus given to the Managing Body
Part V
Baptism and Sponsorship proper, when instituted-Baptism useless, Sponsorship improper now
Appendix No I
Remarks on the Object of the Church of England Religion, as avowed by the Bishop of London
Appendix No II
LORD'S SUPPER-not designed by Jesus for general Imitation-its utter Unfitness for that Purpose
Appendix No III
Remedies to the [Mischiefs of the] Exclusionary System as applied to Instruction
Appendix No IV
Remedy to all Religious and much Political Mischief-Euthanasia of the Church
1. Plan of this Paper
2. Euthanasia, in Contradistinction to Cacothanasia, what?-Uti possidetis Principle-its Application to this Case
3. I. Service
4. II. Pay
5. Pay continued-Merit, whether producible by Sinecures
6. III. Discipline
7. State of Discipline, as exhibited by Authority, and elucidated by a Diocesan Secretary
8. Ulterior Information from Mr. Wright
9. Vices of Excellent Church recapitulated
10. Facienda in the way of Reform
Appendix No V
Recent Measures of pretended Reform or Improvement-their Inutility and Mischievousness
Introduction
1. I. Giving Increase to the Number of Non-Resident Incumbents
2. II. Increasing the Number of Resident Curates. III. To that End, out of the Pockets of Incumbents and Patrons, taking Money, and forcing it into the Pockets of Curates
3. IV. For Increasing the Value of English Livings, exacting from the Population of the Three Kingdoms the Annual Sum of 100,000l.
4. V. Regulating the [occupations] of Agriculture, in the case of a Parish or other Priest
5. VI. Over Incumbents and Curates, lodging despotic power in the hands of Bishops
6. VII. Announced, and remaining to be executed. From Christians, and others of all persuasions, money to be exacted, sufficient to render the number of Church-of-England Churches commensurate to the whole population