men of every church and chapel shall, remaineth in their hands, that it may at the charge of the parish, provide the be delivered over by them to the next Book of Common Prayer." "And if churchwardens by bill indented." (Canon any parishes be yet unfurnished of the lxxxix.) The usual practice is for the Bible of the largest volume, or of the rector to make a selection from the Book of Homilies allowed by authority, laymen of the parish, and this person the said churchwardens shall, within is commonly known by the name of convenient time, provide the same at the Rector's Churchwarden; and, at the charge of the parish." "The the same time, the parishioners assemchurchwardens or questmen, at the ble in the vestry, and there appoint their common charge of the parishioners in own churchwarden. "The choice of every church, shall provide a comely which persons—viz. churchwardens or and decent pulpit, to be set in a conve- questmen, sidemen or assistants-shall nient place within the same, by the dis- be yearly made in Easter week.". cretion of the ordinary of the place, if (Canon xc.) any question do arise, and to be there There is yet one other person of whom seemly kept for the preaching of God's mention must be made-the parish Word." (Canons Ixxx. and lxxxiii.) clerk. Canon xci. says "No parish It is also ordained that church- clerk, upon any vacation, shall be wardens or their assistants (commonly chosen within the city of London, or called sidesmen), shall not allow any "profane usage to be kept in the church or chapel, or churchyard, neither the bells to be rung superstitiously upon holidays or eves abrogated by the Book of Common Prayer." Canon Ixxxviii. The law by which church officers, entrusted with so many important and often difficult functions, are appointed, is as follows:-" All churchwardens or questmen in every parish shall be chosen by the joint consent of the minister and parishioners, if it may be; but if they cannot agree upon such a choice, then the minister shall choose one, and the parishioners another: and without such a joint or several choice, none shall take upon them to be churchwardens, neither shall they continue any longer than one year in that office, except, perhaps, they be chosen again in like manner. And all churchwardens, at the end of their year, or within a month after at the most, shall, before the minister and the parishioners, give up a just account of such money as they have received, and also what, particularly, they have bestowed in reparations and otherwise for the use of the church. And, last of all, going out of their office, they shall truly deliver up to the parishioners whatsoever money or other things of right belonging to the church or parish, wl.ich designated by this term. elsewhere within the province of Canterbury, but by the parson or vicar, or where there is no parson or vicar, by the minister of that place for the time being." Formerly, the parish clerks were all clergymen,* and the duties connected with the office embraced the ordinary functions of a curate. They assisted the incumbent in the performance of divine service-reading the portions of Scripture appointed for the day, and leading the choral part of the devotions. At present, in some places, the parish clerk is in holy orders; but, in such cases, the work is performed by a layman of inferior station, who is paid by the clerk as his deputy. The more general custom now prevailing, is for the incumbent to give the appointment to a layman, whose usual duties are to lead the responses, and to give out the psalms or hymns during service in the church; also to announce from his desk on the Sundays, in the presence of the congregation, notices of vestry or parochial meetings, to attend on the officiating minister at baptisms, marriages, and funerals, and to assist in keeping a careful register of these ceremonies. Funerals, when at *The word Clerk, is from the Latin clericus, a clergyman; and ordained ministers are still the parish church, instead of in public cemeteries, come under the more immediate superintendence of the sexton,* who sees that the graves are properly prepared, settles with the parties about payment of the fees, apprises the clergyman of the time fixed for the burials, and is present himself at each inter ment. sioners gave to the Bishop of Durham the option either to pay over to them every the sum of £11,200, year taking his chance of the £8000 named by Parliament, or to make over to them the whole revenues of the See, receiving an annual payment of £8000."* The Bishop preferred the former alternative, and has thereby doubled, on an average, 7. The property belonging to the the intended salary. With respect to Church of England is obtained through the intention of the Legislature, the many different channels, and is very subjoined extract from the Act of Parliavaluable, although, if provision were ment (6 and 7 Will. IV. cap. 77,) will made for the endowment of new show how the matter stands :-"That, churches, and for the sustentation of an in order to provide for the augmentation increased number of ministers, the vari- of the incomes of the smaller bishoprics, ous sources of wealth would prove in- such fixed annual sums be paid to the adequate to even a reasonable demand. Commissioners out of the revenues of The church lands in some dioceses, as the larger Sees respectively, as shall, in Durham, derive much of their value upon due inquiry and consideration, be from the minerals. In other parts, as determined on, so as to leave as an in the Eastern Counties, and especially average annual income to the Archin the Fens, church property has par- bishop of Canterbury £15,000, to ticipated in the general benefit result- the Archbishop of York, £10,000, to ing from drainage, and other agricul- the Bishop of London, £10,000, to the tural improvements; whilst elsewhere, Bishop of Durham, £8,000, to the as in the neighbourhood of London, Bishop of Winchester, £7,000, to the the conversion of comparatively un- Bishop of Ely, £5,500, to the Bishops profitable ground into handsome streets of St. Asaph and Bangor, £5,200, and has greatly augmented the ecclesiasti- to the Bishops of Worcester, and Bath cal revenues. The incomes of the and Wells, respectively, £5,000. And Archbishops of Canterbury and York that out of the fund thus accruing, are, respectively, £15,000 and £10,000 fixed annual payments be made by the a-year. The Bishops of London and Commissioners, in such instances and Durham are in the possession of an- to such amount as shall be in like mannual receipts which seem to vary from ner determined on, so that the average £12,000 to £20,000; but, at present, annual incomes of the other bishops, the amount of these episcopal salaries, respectively, be not less than £4,000, and of the revenue of other bishops, nor more than £5,000."+ An adjustis so uncertain, that it will be impossible ment of these pecuniary matters will to particularize them with accurate be effected in the course of time, for figures. In the Clergy List the income they have lately engaged a large share of the Bishop of Durham is given at of public attention; and also the pro£8000; but it is known that this pre-perty of the cathedral establishments is late netted, lately, in one year, no less a sum than £26,000, whilst his average receipts are said to be about £16,000. This extraordinary state of things appears to have arisen from the circumstance that the Ecclesiastical Commis *The word Sexton is a corruption from Sacristan, an officer who formerly had charge of the sacred utensils and moveables of a church. being subjected to inspection, for a very general feeling prevails that it might be diverted into channels better adapted than at present to the spiritual wants of *Speeches on Ecclesiastical Affairs, by Edward Horsman, Esq, M. P. in the sessions of 1847 and 1848, page 37. Published by Seeleys. London, 1849. † Quoted by Mr. Horsman, Itid, p. 41. the country. The revenue of the Cathe- There are also Lectureships, founded in olden times in some parishes of the larger towns, and these are usually worth £80 or £100 a-year, and occasionally they yield a much larger sum. The income of the rector of a parish is derived from the tithes, from Easter offerings, and from church fees. dral of Canterbury is "about £20,000 a-year, of which £8,000 is divided among the chapter the dean taking two shares, and each of the [six] canons one share. Now, besides the estates from which this revenue is derived, the dean and chapter are patrons, by themselves or their nominees, of about forty The oath against Simony, quoted livings, and by law they may present above, will show that a clergyman themselves to these livings, each canon cannot purchase for himself preferment being permitted to hold one benefice in without violating the law of the land; conjunction with his cathedral stall."* and yet the property of the Church, The total revenues of the Church of like any other property, enters the England are estimated as being not under market and is sold to the highest bid£5,000,000 a-year, and yet so unequal der. The legal distinctions to be obis the distribution-there are, out of served in the sale of church preferment 10,500 benefices, no less than 6,800 with are-1st, The clergyman preferred must incomes under £300 a year, and of these not make any pecuniary bargain whatthere are 3,460 livings whose annual ever, directly or indirectly, with the value is under £150. Some of the patron-he cannot buy a living for clergy, holding several pieces of pre- himself. 2d, The patron may sell the ferment, are in the receipt of from next presentation to a benefice—that £2,000 to £5,000 a-year, while many is, he may dispose of his right, as hard-working curates and ministers in patron, to present a new incumbent populous' and poor districts are re- when next the benefice becomes vacant; ceiving not more than £50 or £70 for and the right of presentation returns to their yearly stipend. The ordinary pay the patron whenever the church is again of a curate in a large town ranges, void. In this way there may be a according to circumstances, from £70 continuous traffic in church property; to £150, and in a few cases, where the and, although prohibited from presentcurates are paid by church fees,t the ing themselves to benefices under such annual income will vary from £150 to circumstances, preferment may be £300; but this high salary is pre-bought for clergymen by their relatives carious, and exceedingly rare. The in- or friends. 3d, The patron, if he decumbents of district churches and sires to sell the next presentation, must chapels of ease, and also the ministers conclude the bargain during a period of proprietary and private chapels, ob- in which the incumbency is occupiedtain their incomes generally from the he cannot dispose of it "whilst the pew rents, although in some of these church is void, so as to be entitled instances there are endowments through thereby to such void turn." If, for the liberality of individuals. These example, the rector of a parish dies incomes range from £100 to £800 whilst the next presentation is unsold, a-year. It is_customary for the the patron must not then sell his right, parishioners, at Easter, to contribute but he must give the vacant living to a small sums called Easter Offerings; and these sometimes form a considerable item in the receipts of a clergyman. new incumbent. 4th, Patrons may not only make a grant of the next presentation, but also they can dispose of the advowson. "The right of advowson, or of presenting a clerk to the bishop as oft as a church becomes vacant, was founded in the building, or giving land to build on, or the endowing of such church." (Gibson II., 756.) And whole of this territory is further divided this right became attached to the into parishes, each parish being under manor, and the tithes of the manor a rector, or vicar, or perpetual curate; were also annexed to the church. The and in the more populous parishes, we persons who thus obtained the privilege notice the sub-division of districts, each of nominating clergymen to benefices, ecclesiastical district being under the "were called advocati and patroni, be- spiritual superintendence of an incumcause they were bound to protect and bent or curate. There are also the defend the rights of the church and cathedral establishments and collegiate their clerks from oppression and vio-churches; and throughout the length and lence.” (Ibid.) And hence the term | breadth of the land, there are stipendiadvowson, from advocati, signifies the ary curates and chaplains, licensed to jus patronatus, or right of patronage. officiate in parishes, or in hospitals, An advowson, then, may be sold like jails, and workhouses. The clergy are any other property, subject, of course, on the increase with the growing poputo all ecclesiastical claims upon it; and lation; and, at present, there are not in this way many advowsons have be- less than 17,000 men whose names are come separated from the estates to enrolled in the Clergy List as ordained which they originally belonged. Such ministers of the Church of England. is the law and custom in the Church of The population of England and Wales England. "But the notion and prac-is about sixteen millions. The number tice of making merchandize of ad- of benefices is 10,500. There are vowsons and next avoidances," observes churches and chapels, 13,154. The Bishop Gibson, "is not so easily re-dignitaries of the church, heads of colconciled either to the laws of the leges, &c., are 1,147. The working church, or to the ancient laws of the clergy are in number more land, or to the nature of advowsons, considered (as they certainly ought in reason and good conscience to be considered), in the nature of mere trusts, for the benefit of men's souls. Nor does it follow, either from the patron's being now vested with that right by the common law, or from its being annexed to a temporal inheritance, that it is itself a temporal inheritance, or ought (legally speaking) to be considered otherwise than as a spiritual trust."(Ibid, II., 758.) In cases where the incumbent of a church is elevated to a bishopric, the Crown-as if in return for the honour conferred on the benefice -claims the right of the next presentation. 8. In taking a review of the preceding Sketch of the Constitution of the Church of England, it will appear that England and Wales are divided, first, into two provinces, under the Archbishops of Canterbury and York; and, second, into twenty eight-dioceses, including those of York and Canterbury, each diocese being under a bishop. The than 13,000. Of clergymen without duty there are 1,568; and the chaplains in the navy, and on foreign stations, are 372. These figures show that there are above 16,000 clergymen belonging to the Established Church in England and Wales.* The "Clergy List" for the year 1851 gives the number at 17,352, but this large return includes many colonial chaplains and missionaries. And yet there is great deficiency of labourers in this vast field of sixteen millions of souls at home—not to mention the inadequate supply that almost necessarily accompanies our emigrants in their rapid flight to the colonies. In the large cities and towns of England, such as Manchester and Liverpool, and throughout the manufacturing and mining districts, there are considerable masses of the people, nominally members of the English Church, who never * These statistics are made up principally by Mr. Horsman, for the year 1849. See Speeches, page 13. The numbers of churches, bene fices, and clergymen, are constantly changing with the increase of population and division of parishes. enter a place of worship, and are remain. not through negligence so much as from necessity-without being regularly visited by their ministers. The following Table, constructed in the year 1849, by Mr. Horsman, will show the spiritual destitution-as far as the Church of England is concerned Population. No of Clergy with Proportion. ..50,000......... 5 ..... .21,000......... 2 .... ..10,000.. ..21,000.. ..1 in 10,000 .1 ,, 10,500 ..1 10,500 .1 11,060 Shoreditch, St. Leonard,. ......35,000......... 3 .24,000......... 2 ......... .1 12,000 1 .15,000.. ..... 2 ,, 8,500 .15,300...... 2 .14,000....... 1 ..60,000... 7 Stepney, St. Dunstans,............25,000......... 3 ...... It is obvious that the government of them the particular duty of observing so large a body of ecclesiastics, occupy- the morals of the people in their respecing so many dissimilar positions, demands a machinery for the execution of discipline. In the Church of England there are various spiritual courts. Till the reign of William the Conqueror, the court for ecclesiastical and temporal matters was one and the same, namely, the county court, where the bishop and the Sheriff, or their representatives, sat jointly for the administration of justice -the first in matters ecclesiastical, by the laws of the church, the second in matters temporal, by the laws of the state. (Gibson, II. 1001.) But these two jurisdictions were separated, and spiritual causes were subsequently referred to ecclesiastical tribunals. The archbishops and bishops have severally their Consistories, or church courts-a court for each diocese. Jurisdiction is committed unto deans, chancellors, commissaries, officials, and archdeacons. The churchwardens have assigned to tive parishes; and they "shall faithfully present all and every of the said offenders, to the intent that they, and every of them, may be punished by the severity of the laws, according to their deserts." (Canon, cix.) And "If the churchwardens or questmen, or assistants, do or shall know any man within their parish, or elsewhere, that is a hinderer of the Word of God to be read or sincerely preached, or of the execution of these our constitutions, or a fautor of any usurped or foreign power, by the laws of this realm justly rejected and taken away, or a defender of Popish and erroneous doctrine, they shall detect and present the same to the bishop of the diocese, or ordinary of the place, to be censured and punished according to such ecclesiastical laws as are prescribed in that behalf." (Canon cx.) And again-"In all visitations of bishops and archdeacons, the church |