3*8 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY OF chap. XV. 



amounts in whole to 7800!. The annual ex- 

 pence of building and repairing churches and 

 manses, cannot be stated at less than 2,200 1. 

 So that the whole burden upon the landed pro- 

 perty, arising from the ecclesiastical establish- 

 ment in Fife, will amount to 1 0,000 1. per an- 

 num, which may be nearly equal to a twentieth 

 part of the land rents of the county. 



Besides the churches upon the establishment, 

 -there are at least 36 places of worship belong- 

 ing to the Burghers, Antiburghers, Relievers, 

 Cameronians, and other sectaries, the support of 

 which must bring a serious fturden on the com- 

 munity, and must ultimately affect the landed 

 property. Building 36 churches, and as many 

 manses, cannot cost less than 20,000!., the in- 

 terest of which, and the annual expence of keep- 

 ing these houses in repair, will amount at least 

 to 1,300!. per annum. The stipends of their 

 clergy, computed at 75 I. each, will be 2,700 1. 

 in whole 4000!., which is more than six fifths 

 of the whole land-tax payable by the county. 



Such a large sum, annually sunk for the sup- 

 port of the different sectaries, deserves the con- 

 sideration of the landholders, and ought certain- 

 ly to render them cautious of giving their coun- 

 tenance to any measures, especially in church- 

 settlements, that may tend to encrease the bur- 

 den, by exciting discontent among the people, 

 and spreading more widely the spirit of separa- 

 tion. Patronage has been alleged by all the sec- 

 taries, as one cause, and by one sectary as the only 

 cause, of seceding from the established church. 

 But the truth is, the evil is owing, not to the kw 

 of patronage, but rather to the want of conduct 



