1823.] 



in public institutions, (as librarians, 

 secretaries, &c.) it is hardly possible to 

 estimate : suppose 10,000/. a-year. 



These are the most material items 

 omitted by the author of the " Con- 

 sumption of Public Wealth by the 

 Clergy." his valuation of tithe, and 

 some other branches of revenue, are 

 probably near the truth, and we shall 

 adopt his statement. His estimate, 

 with our additions, will exhibit the 

 revenues of the church as under : — 

 Revenues of the Church of England. , 



Tithes .£6,«50,000 



Estates of the Bishops and Eccle- 

 siastical Corporations 1 ,000,000 



Assessments in Towns 250,000 



Stipends of Chapels-of-Ease 100,000 



7,600,000 

 Additions- 

 Public Charities, Universities, 

 Eton and Winchester Colleges, 

 Charterhouse, Christ's Hospi- 

 tal, St Paul's School, and other 

 School Charities in England 



andWales 1,200,000 



Surplice-fees 900,000 



Easter-offerings 100,000 



Lectureships 60,000 



Cbaplainships and Offices in Pub- 

 lic Institutions 10,000 



Number of the Established Clergy, 195 



Bishops '^ 26 



Deans ►• • 86 



Archdeacons »<.♦.•• 60 



Prebends, Canons, and other Cathe- 

 dral Dignitaries ■ 544 



Minor Canons, Vicars Choral, Priest 



Vicars, &c. 300 



Rectors, Vicars, and Curates, in Eng- 

 land and Wales 6,724 



Jf9,960,0o0 

 Even this estimate does not include 

 the annual grant by Parliament of 

 100,000/. to the poor clergy, which 

 swells the revenues of the church to 

 upwards of ten millions per annum. 

 Let us next enquire the number of 

 individuals among whom this immense 

 income is divided. 



II. — Number of the Established 

 Clergy. 

 On this point have appeared many 

 exaggerated statements; some making 

 the number of clergymen amount to 

 18,000 : but we are convinced, from 

 actual enumeration of the different 

 classes of ecclesiastics, that they do 

 not exceed one-half that number. 

 The only description of ecclesiastics 

 whose number cannot be ascertained 

 with precision, are the inferior classes 

 connected with cathedrals and colle- 

 giate churches ; all the rest it is easy 

 to reckon up from the Ecclesiastical 

 Directory, which contains the names 

 of all the parochial and dignified 

 clergy. From this work, with the 

 assistance of Cove on the " Revenues 

 of the Church," we have made out the 

 following enuuicratiun ; — 



7,689 

 This statement gives a greater num- 

 ber of persons than are actually em- 

 ployed in a spiritual capacity : many 

 of the bishops and dignitaries, from 

 holding subordinate offices in cathe- 

 drals, and being also rectors and 

 vicars, are twice enumerated, being 

 included in the classes in which they 

 hold these preferments. Any trifling 

 excess, however, from this circum- 

 stance, is compensated by a deficiency 

 from another head. There are many 

 persons in orders, who, from being 

 engaged in seminaries of education, 

 or in want of a patron, do not hold 

 any preferment, and are consequently 

 omitted in the above enumeration. 

 The number of these cannot be great; 

 but, belonging to the ecclesiastical 

 corps, they are entitled to share in its 

 emoluments. 



The total number of beneficed 

 clergy of all ranks may be estimated 

 at EIGHT THOUSAND, aud their annual 

 income ten millions; making the 

 average income of each individual 

 1,250/. Those who make the esta- 

 blished clergy amount to 18,000, in- 

 clude of course all the lay servants of 

 the church,— the parish-clerk, sexton, 

 and grave-digger ; all those employed 

 in cathedrals and collegiate churches, 

 as singing-men, choristers, organists, 

 vergers, free-scholars, alms-men, &c. : 

 these are a numerous class, equal in 

 number, perhaps, to the clergy ; but, 

 not being in holy orders, they cannot 

 properly be included in the clerical 

 body, any more than the groom, valet, 

 or other menials, of clergymen. 

 Leaving out this class, the annual 

 income of the clergy appears almost 

 incredible. Great however as this in- 

 come is, and taking, as it does, largely 

 from the comforts of all classes, we 

 fear, from the present mode of its 

 application, it is productive of little 

 benefit to any order of society. Its 

 direct tendency is to accumulate 

 wealth, where wealth is already too 

 abundant ; to increase the inequalities 



of 



