72 THE ENGLISH CHURCH QUESTION CONSIDERED. 



their respective owners. Thirdly, the commutation of tithes ; under 

 which he justly observes " How grating it is to a clergyman to 

 take the 15d. or 2s. 6d. a-year from his poor parishioners, and yet he 

 is in duty bound to exact this to preserve the rights of his successors." 

 Fourthly, he would equalize the livings and bishoprics in a much 

 greater degree than at present. He estimates that no bishop's in- 

 come should be less than 5..000/. or more than 8,000/. a-year ; and 

 no vicarage or rectory should be less than 300/. or more than 1000/. 

 a-year. Deaneries he would abolish. We confess this allowance for 

 the bishops seems rather large ; and in order to justify it, he ought 

 to have stated why every bishop requires at least 5,000/. a-year, espe- 

 cially as he very properly insists (p. 14) that temporal advancement 

 should never be an object with any one who enters the church, in 

 direct opposition to the opinion of the present nominal prime 

 minister, that no government could go on without church patronage a 

 monstrous doctrine. Is it not saddening to any good man to see the 

 highest of all concerns in the hands of men who make it a more than 

 pharisaical mockery, a mere tool for political intrigue and self- 

 aggrandisement ? And yet this is the true and fair statement of the 

 fact ; and this individual is perhaps the best, or at least one of the 

 best, of the party, or rather faction, to which he belongs ! 



The author very properly lays down that "the nation stands in the 

 light of a trustee, holding the national church property in trust, for 

 the purposes, and the sole purposes, of the advancement of the na- 

 tional faith/' And he well asks, " Was the Church of England in- 

 stituted for the benefit of the clergy or of the community ? and if (as 

 all must agree) for the benefit of the latter, surely they have a right, 

 if they deem it for their own advantage, so to modify its doctrines 

 [jnind he is riot speaking of scripture doctrines^ , and so to arrange 

 the distribution of its property, as may best seem to promote the 

 end which the nation, when it instituted that church, had in view." 

 With respect to preferment, he gives the simple and excellent rule 

 (p. 13) that " unless to distinguish superior merit, promotion should 

 be, as in other professions, by seniority," 



But the main object, and the best part, of the whole publication, 

 is the principle of hearing what each party have to say for themselves, 

 and endeavouring to meet the reasonable wishes of all. 



" The physician, before he attempts a cure, must ascertain the state of 

 his patient's health ; and, in like manner, we must well ascertain what is 

 the general wish of the great body of dissenters, before we attempt to le- 

 gislate on their political or religious grievances." (P. 16.) 



" My first wish with regard to the dissenters would be, to try and re- 

 move the causes of dissent at least every reasonable cause ; and this can 

 only be by mutually giving way. I would not so much legislate on 

 the existence of dissent, and the modes of pacifying dissenters, as on the 

 cause of the existence of that dissent, and the means whereby that cause 

 might be removed. If we strike at the root of evil, we may strike with 

 success ; but if at is branches only, will not other and fresher shoots 

 spring forth ? 



" By plainly seeing what are the wishes of our dissenting brethren, we 

 shall be able to ascertain how far either party can mutually give way, 

 which surely is possible where the vital principles are the same.' 



