be gratified to learn, that, for once, a lue, three times the gross amount of species of labour has been invented, the whole revenues of the church of which gives bread to the industrious, Durham. Yet this nobleman would as without demoralizing them. I do not soon think of endowing the mufti of a know whether this manufacture benefits mosque at Constantinople, with his the tax-gatherer; if not, that is another tithes, as of augmenting the stipend of singular exception; but I hope the Bri- the poor incumbent of the district, from tish Leghorn will long flourish, without which a large portion of his immense the paternal protection of Government. revenues are derived. He is contented In another letter, I shall furnish you with allowing the same small salary to with the particulars of a case connected the present incumbent, which was with these islands, and in which you are granted in the reign of Henry the deeply interested, as a representative of Eighth. He permits the poor clergythe people; one of whom I am proud to man to be borne down with poverty, on subscribe myself with every sentiment the very living from which he is enof gratitude for your efforts in our be- riched by all the great tithes. Yet, in half, in and out of Parliament, this very place, it was, that one of the parishioners reflected, in my hearing, on the dignitaries of the church, for not increasing the revenues of this large and impoverished parish. We do not envy this nobleman his great possessions. They are his by law: but they were originally granted upon conditions, the spirit of which he is as much required to observe, as if the law of man, and not the ORCADENSIS. 4, Duncan-street, Edinburgh, EXTRACT FROM A Plan for abolishing Pluralities, and non-residence, in the Church of Eng-law of God only, exacted his obedience. land, by increasing the value of poor livings, without Spoliation: in a letter to Lord Henley. By the Rev. GEO. TOWNSEND, M.A.-Rivington, London. Here, then, I adopt the words of Lord Henley, when he speaks of the church revenues-My brethren, these things ought not so to be. I know of another lay-impropriator, who, in a parish of eighteen miles in length, receives all the great tithes, to the amount of several thousands a year, while the living itself yields ten pounds It is absolutely necessary in this hour of the agony of the Protestant Church of England, that the public who desire ecclesiastical reform, should have their attention directed to their lay-impro-a year to the officiating minister. priators. I shall avoid mentioning I know another lay-impropriator, names, as they are not essential to my who, in like manner, grudgingly allows argument: while I shall submit to the a few pounds to the incumbent, while ke consideration of Lord Henley, and his exacts with a rigour which would disassociates, a few circumstances which grace and shame a clergyman, the last rest upon undoubted evidence, and which sheaf to which he can lay claim. Ought may be regarded as common occurrences. this to be? I know of another layÖne noble Lord is the patron of a impropriator who possesses the great living, where there are ten thousand pa- tithes of a large parish and refuses even rishioners. He possesses, as the de- to mend the windows of the chancel of scendant of the original grantee, not the church, unless threatened with the only all the great and small tithes, and penalties of the law. Ought this to be? all the church lands, but he claims, I know of another, a nobleman, who and by his agent receives, even the possesses a larger yearly income (if report mortuary fees. The income of this no- speak true), than the whole bench of bleman, which is principally, or in great bishops; a considerable part of which part, derived from the spoliation of the is derived from the great tithes of livings church, exceeds, it is said, in annual va--while the livings themselves are of the poorest description, and remain un-sions. I say again with Lord Henleyaugmented, unnoticed, and unregarded. these things ought not so to be. There are many lay-impropriators who Before I submit my plan of alleviaseldom or never see the parishes from tion for these evils to the public, I wish which they receive their tithes ; nor to answer an objection which will be contribute to their charities; nor benefit proposed, not to the principle on which them in any work of Christian love. So I would proceed, but to some of the reabsolutely do they regard this owner- marks I have now made. "Why," it ship of the great tithes in the same will be said, " why should these oblight as their rents, or their funded pro- "servations be confined to the lay-imperty, that they would look upon him"propriators? Have not the great tithes, who proposed to them to augment their "and the church lands, been taken from vicarages, from the tithes, as a mad-" the parishes, and from the parochial man, or as an idiot. I could enumerate" clergy, and granted in many instances a long and painful catalogue of similar" to bishops, colleges, deans and chapinstances. The truth must be told. The " ters, and to other corporate bodies, lay-impropriators have betrayed their" as well as to lay-impropriators? Have trust; the lay-impropriators have broken" these restored the tithes to the vicars? the original contract under which they have" Are there no livings in their gift, imso long possessed their tithes and lands.“ poverished by the failure of these They have never granted to the poor public bodies to provide the competent vicars of the parishes from which they "maintenance of which you speak?" draw their great tithes, their " congrua I answer, that the objection in many portio," as the ancient law expresses it, instances would be found to be unanor as subsequent authorities designate swerable. The ecclesiastical, and other it, their competent maintenance”. corporate bodies, have certainly not their "convenable provision"-which augmented the poor livings so frewas contemplated in the original grant of quently, or so extensively, as equity rethe tithes to impropriators, of any kind quires that they should have done. I They never seem to imagine that an would not, however, extend to them the equitable duty is imposed upon them, remedy I am about to submit to the layof increasing the maintenance of the impropriators, because the bill of the poor incumbent. Yet in every case of Archbishop of Canterbury, as I have aldeficient revenue, the ecclesiastical part ready shown, enables all the ecclesiastical of the church is clamorously called upon bodies to fulfil the contract upon which to make good their breach of contract. the tithes, and other ecclesiastical reveThe beneficed clergy are required, by nues, were appropriated to their use: the public press, and by the orators of and because they are already acting the day, to tax their already deeply upon that bill, and exerting themselves burdened incomes, not to assist their to remedy the evils in question. The own poor incumbents, but to enrich and Archbishop of Canterbury, and the benefit the wealthy and noble lay pa- Bishop of London, are augmenting all trons, by enabling them to present their the poor livings in their gift, to the friends and relations to livings which amount of three hundred a year. The are to be made more valuable at the ex-Bishop of Gloucester, the Chapters of pense of the impoverished priesthood. Windsor and of Westminster, are atThat poverty of the benefices, which is tempting the same object. I have no the consequence of the defalcation on doubt that all the other ecclesiastical the part of the lay-impropriators, is bodies will follow their example; and attributed to the clergy, as an ecclesias- that these instances may be regarded tical crime. The clergy are taunted and only as specimens of what will be done insulted; while the lay-impropriators by other bishops and other collegiate themselves remain unsuspected of neg-bodies. lect, and continue unmolested in their With respect to the church of Durenjoyment of the ecclesiastical posses-ham, I can affirm, without fear of con tradiction, that no lay-impropriator in liamentary grants to the amount of one the kingdom (and there are many who million one hundred thousand pounds, possess a much larger property in tithes), have failed, in the course of more than a has done one-tenth of the good which century, to raise each of the poor livings this church has conferred, not only since of England to 100l. a year. Lord Henley's the passing of the archbishop's bill, but and Dr. Burton's plans, even when during the last century and a half, junited into one, as Lord Henley proupon its poor vicarages. Beneficial poses, in the tract appended to the end leases have been granted to Dalton, of the seventh edition of his pamphlet, Bedlington, Eglingham, Ellingham, would not increase the 3,000 poor livings Norham, Elvet, Crossgate, and others. in the gift of laymen, which are under The chapter has long appropriated a 150l. a year, to 300l. a year. The union large portion of its yearly revenues to of these two plans would yield, accordthis work of augmentation-and it is ing to Lord Henley, 300,000l. a year, constantly increasing the value of its which, if divided among the 3,000 poor benefices. They have long since re. livings, under 150l. a year, would give solved to raise every living at their dis-to each 100l. a year; and if divided posal to a certain amount, and to go on among all the 4,361, would give to enlarging the income of the incum-each less than seventy pounds: that is, bents, till they shall be in the receipt of that competent maintenance which they consider to be their due. For these reasons, therefore, I would not extend to the ecclesiastical part of the church the plan which I would submit to the approbation of the public. The bishops, deans and chapters, and colleges, are doing their duty. Our rulers and dignitaries are on the alert; and with the powers which they now possess, they are able and they are willing to remedy the evils of impoverished benefices, and their consequences, non-residence and pluralties. 66 it would not yield, even if we supposed that the whole fund could be devoted, without any material deduction, to the object in view, that competent maintenance for the clergyman which it is the intention of all our plans to obtain. Neither would Mr. Miller's plan® ac * Mr. Miller's plan for the augmentation of poor bishoprics and livings, is To require the payment of first fruits, according to present values; the first fruits to be considered as only one half of a year's income; two years to be allowed for payment, And bishoprics and livings under certain amounts to be exempt. amount nearly equal to one-tenth of all the clerical income of England and Wales. Bishoprics and livings under certain values to be exempt, and the scale to be moved upwards as soon as ferments to the minimum of the taxable inaugmentation has brought the exempted precomes: the same principle of increased exemption to be observed respecting first fruits. There is yet another objection which A clerical tax, according to present values, may be proposed, and which I shall under the name of tenths, but upon a graduated therefore notice before I submit the de-scale, to be imposed, so as to produce an annual tails of my new plan to the reader. Why" (it will be again urged)," why are you not contented with the plans "for improving the value of the poor "benefices, which have been proposed by the governors of the Queen Anne's "Bounty, aided by the Parliamentary grants-or with the plan proposed by "Mr. Miller, by Dr. Burton, by Lord "Henley, and by these conjointly?" To render present incumbents subject to at least one-third of the rate fixed, by the gra duated scale, for the new payment of tentus. To obtain (towards the fund for general augmentation) from the lay patron of any I reply, that none of these plans are poor living, which shall have been improved so efficient, or so immediate in their be-by grants derived from the clerical tenths, as neficial effects, as to afford that relief many years purchase of the annual amount of such augmentation as may be deemed for the pressing emergencies of the equitable. case, which appears to be absolutely necessary. The sums which have been placed at the disposal of the governors of Queen Anne's Bounty, aided by Par The whole of the funds arising in these various ways to be placed under the management of Queen Anne's Bounty. To re-unite prebends, not residentiary, to their proper-livings; and to connect resi complish this desideratum. By his But not only ought we to avoid replan the livings which are now under sorting to this impolitic and inefficient seventy pounds a year, would be in-mode of proceeding, we must take creased to one hundred a year in the course of ten years. Something must be proposed which will more rapidly, and more efficaciously, remove the evil, than has been hitherto suggested in any plan submitted to public approbation. Let us now, therefore, consider on what foundations a plan may be formed for increasing the poorer benefices: which shall not offend that part of the community, who are not guilty of desiring the welfare of the Church of England. The plan must not be founded on the principle of confiscation: and this for two reasons, its impolicy, and its inefficiency. Its impolicy has been already shown, in its consequences of destroying the present frame work of the church. Its inefficiency appears in this, that if all the episcopal, decanal, and capitular revenues in England were to be divided at once among the 4,361 poor livings which are now under 150l. a year, they would not increase each of such livings to the amount of two hundred per annum.* returns of 1818. We learn from these that there were, as I have before said, 4,361 livings. in England and Wales under 1504. per annum. £ There are 10 20 £ and above.. 10 30 and above.. 40 and above .. 20 30 40 50 and above.. 70 12.. under .. 45.. under 119.. under 246.. under 314.. under 314 under 301 under 278.. under .. 80 251 under 394.. under .. 100 250.. under .. 110 289.. under .. 120 .. 254.. under .. 130.. and above.. 120 217.. under .. 140.. and above.. 130 219.. under .. 150.. and above.. 140 This is from a return made in 1815, when things were very high. It is allowed not to be complete. That is, there were even then, a This return was not complete, for 858 livdentiary canonries with poor livings in the ings are omitted. Let us place these at the same diocese. highest sum of 1501. To raise these to the My plan, Mr. Miller observes, should pro-amount of 2001. per annum, the additional duce at least 250,000l. per annum when in full sum of 128,7001. would be required. If we operation. Dr. Burton's not 60,000. add this sum to the sum of 387,9001. we have As to appropriated tithes in general, he pro- the sum of 516,6007. required to raise the poor poses that they be charged along with those livings to 2001. a year each. That is, we reenjoyed by the vicar or perpetual curate in aquire more money by 53,6001. than the whole just proportion, for the building and main-income now vested in bishops, deans, and taining in a good state of repair the iucum-chapters, to give to the poor clergy, by the plan of confiscation, the small pittance of two • This is easily proved by the Parliamentary hundred pounds a year. bent's house. care to devise a remedy which will not union of the church with the state, can tax the sectarians or Dissenters. It is alone prevent our infidel or irreligious absolutely necessary to prevent any re- patrons of livings from presenting heresistance on their part. Though the Epis- tical, Unitarian, worthless persons to copalians of England would never have the benefices of the church. The power objected to an assessment for the sup- of the state is required, to allow the port of a Presbyterian or Independent ecclesiastical ruler of the church to lechurch establishment, if the dynasty of gislate for the general good. The Cromwell and the Long Parliament had church, in return for this benefit, preremained permanent-though they, sub- serves the nation from anti-Christianity mitting themselves to every ordinance in all its forms. The Church of Engof man for the Lord's sake, would have lands may be called, the eclectic sect of paid every tax which the Government the Christianity of the world. It poshad imposed upon them, we cannot sesses within itself all the truth and all expect such proofs of Christian princi- the advantages which other societies of ple, from the enemies of the Episcopa- Christians_variously propose to themlian establishment. My plan, therefore, selves. It enjoys the spirituality of would make an exception in favour of worship aimed at by the Dissenters, with all Dissenters, so that they should sufficient external discipline to prevent have no reason to raise the war cry against us. We must not look for pecuniary aid from the Government, in any other form than that which the Government grants to railroads or canals, or to any public work. It is certain that Christianity is of such infinite importance to nations, as well as individuals, that the Government of England, as well as that of every Christian country, ought to be ready and willing to make great sacrifices for the good of the church of Christ. It is, however, to be feared, at this period of our history, that the state would not he disposed to take upon itself the expense of removing, either wholly, or in part, the evil which now oppresses the church. Other plans, therefore must be suggested, and a remedy must be found, which shall affect the parties more immediately interested, the patrons and the incumbents, and to a certain extent, the state. The patrons of livings are interested. If the value of the livings in their gift is materially increased, the advowson becomes increased in value in the same proportion. its disciples from falling into heresy or error. It comprises all the supposed excellences of the church of Rome, by maintaining a standard of faith, a grada tion of ranks, and a well-defined and well-ordered authority. It possesses property of its own, and it is exempted therefore from the temptation of becoming the slave of the crown, or submitting to the caprices of the people. It is the link between the prince and the peasant. It binds man to man, and man. to God. Like the sun in the heavens, it shines alike upon the palace and the cottage: and the influence of its ministers is felt through all classes of the community, from the halls of Parliament to the bed of the pauper. In thus speaking of the blessings of Christianity, how can I pass over the clergy of the Church of England. They deserve, and receive the approbation of the wise and good. Encompassed as we are by infirmities, some few excep tions there must, and will be found out of twenty thousand ecclesiastics: but the far greater number deserve the eulogy of Cave, and the testimony quoted The incumbent is interested : the In te renovatam (says Cave, in his Deobject being to improve his yearly indication to the Church of England) intuemur come. The state is interested. The Church of England deserves the approbation, the sanction, and the protection of the state which it has so long enjoyed. The ævi Cyprianici simplicitatem, Constantiniani zelum ac puritatem, Theodosiani decus et vigeat apud te magis magisque antiqua fides, evтağıav, utinam addere liceret, et felicitatem. virtus, simplicitas; sint Laici tui moribus inculpati, in fide firmi fortesque; sint Sacerdotes |