324 
JOUKNAL OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
venient division for the purposes mentioned, as well as for many 
others, it does not at all follow that it was therefore necessarily 
created for such purposes; and I believe that, after a careful ex- 
amination of all the authorities, it will be found that although 
parishes were used in matters connected with the interests of 
the commonwealth, they owed their rise and gradual development 
to the necessities, arising in consequence of the increase of popu- 
lation, for further provision for the spiritual wants of the people. 
When a church or oratory was provided by a lord, as I have 
just mentioned (the means of divine worship provided by the 
bishop and the monasteries becoming inadequate), bishops readily 
consecrated the places of worship so established, and consented that 
the minister or incumbent should be resident in the neighbourhood 
of his church, and receive, as the provision for his maintenance, the 
tithes and offerings of the inhabitants, and the endowment, usually 
land, annexed to it by the founder. * 
The formation of parishes, as such, could not have been the 
work of one generation. Such formation must have gradually ad- 
vanced according to the growth of the population, and the particular 
requirements of the locality. Sometimes, in consequence of increase 
in numbers, or of the devotion of the faithful finding an outlet in 
church building, other churches were built in the parish as origi- 
nally formed, and complaint was made {Temp. Edward the Con- 
fessor) — one, I fear, we never hear in the 19th century — that in 
some places the churches were too numerous ; and it was said, 
that where formerly there was but one, now there were three or 
four, and so, that the emoluments of the priest were much dimin- 
ished. 
And thus, as time went on, churches, some good, some indifferent, 
none bad, (architecturally) sprung up. New parishes were formed ; 
wherever a few people found it necessary to dwell together, a priest 
was always ready to render them spiritual help ; the gospel was 
preached ; the sacraments administered. No place was too poor, 
no population too small, to prevent these ministrations. When, 
in the course of some moorland excursion, we reach a little village 
containing but few inhabitants, we wonder to find a church com- 
plete in every respect, and we admire the faith which prompted 
its erection. The population, it may be, is no larger now than it 
was centuries ago, when the pious founder decided on building 
* Long's " Cyclo.," vol. iii. p. 451. 
