DOCUMENTS

CLERGY ORPHAN INCORPORATED SOCIETY.

THE Annual general Court of this Corporation was holden at the Freemasons' Tavern, on Tuesday, February 12th, the Lord Bishop of London, the VicePresident, being in the chair.

Eleven orphan children, viz., six boys and five girls, were elected into the schools of this most useful institution. The next election will take place at the Quarterly Court to be holden in the month of May.

The schools were stated to be in excellent order, under the superintendence of the Rev. T. Wharton, the master, and Mrs. Jones, the mistress; and very favourable reports were made of the conduct of several individuals who, after receiving their education in this institution, had been placed out in different situations.

The treasurer, Rev. Dr. Shepherd, laid before the court a satisfactory account of the funds of the charity. It appears, however, that the amount of subscriptions and donations had a little fallen off in the two last years; but the decrease has not been such as to occasion any reasonable ground of alarm. The Treasurer called the attention of the Court to the fact, on the hope that it would induce the friends of the institution to avail themselves of any favourable opportunity of adding to the list of subscribers. He did not recommend urgent or pressing solicitations, as the case did not require them, feeling persuaded that the charity would continue to receive that liberal support of which he trusted it had been proved to be not undeserving.

The thanks of the Court were unanimously voted to the Rev. J. Moore, obliged, by change of situation, to resign the office of Secretary, for the kind and attentive manner in which he had discharged its duties; and the Rev. R. C. Coxe, minister of Archbishop Tennison's Chapel, was elected Secretary in his room.

The anniversary dinner of the society, which took place on the same day, was numerously and respectably attended. The Chair was filled by the Right Hon. Lord Kenyon, supported by the Bishops of London, Lichfield and Coventry, Bangor, Carlisle, &c. &c.

The Annual General Court of the anniversary dinner will in future be holden on the second Tuesday in February, unless Lent should begin before that day, in which case they will take place on the first Tuesday in the month.

The public examination of the children will be as usual in the month of May, at the school-house.

The residence of the Rev. R. C. Coxe, the newly appointed secretary, is 41, King Street, Argyle Place.

ADDRESS TO THE BISHOP OF GLOUCESTER.

THE following address has been presented by the clergy of the deaneries of Gloucester and Winchcomb, in the diocese of Gloucester, to the Lord Bishop of the diocese :

"To the Right Reverend Father in God, James Henry, Lord Bishop of Gloucester.

"We, your Lordship's faithful servants, the undersigned clergy of the deaneries of Gloucester and Winchcomb, deeply sensible of the efficacy of your Lordship's example in that distinguished situation which the providence of God has called you to occupy, beg to express our warm admiration of your defence of our Protestant Establishment, and our persuasion of your Lordship's desire to see the Church of England maintain that station in the affections of the religious portion of the community, to which her

doctrine and her discipline so justly entitle her. Fully impressed with the conviction that many of the prejudices against our National Establishment are founded in error, and that more are engendered by public delusion, or grafted on popular ignorance, we feel called upon gratefully to acknowledge that spirit of Christian beneficence which has prompted your Lordship to propose, by an annual personal sacrifice, to advance the interests of the less opulent clergy, in the augmentation of the smaller benefices of your Lordship's diocese.

"We humbly hope, under the Divine blessing, that this among other acts of your Lordship's generosity, may induce a discerning public to consider that the highest functionaries of our Establishment are actuated by nobler views than those of mere secular aggrandisement, and that their general conduct in public and private life is regulated by a spirit of genuine philanthropy, which induces them as well to provide for the temporal as for the spiritual necessities of that church of which they are overseers.

"That the providence of the Most High may long enable you to continue in health and vigour those duties which you now so assiduously fulfil, is the sincere prayer of your Lordship's most faithful friends and servants."

(Here follow fifty-one Signatures.)

To which his Lordship gave the following answer:

"

'My Reverend Friends,—I assure you that this expression of your kindness and good opinion affords me the most lively satisfaction. I am always anxious to discharge the duties committed to me in such a manner as may best conduce to the real interests of our church, and the advancement of our holy religion. Among other things, it will be my endeavour to promote the temporal benefit of those of my brethren whose income is inadequate to the maintenance of their proper station in society. To this purpose I determined to devote a portion of the episcopal income as soon as I was enabled to discharge the great expenses attendant upon taking possession of the See. This sacrifice is small, and not deserving the terms which your kindness bestows upon it: such as it is, the tenth part of the gross income of the See shall be annually given towards the improvement of small benefices; and the clergy shall be made acquainted each year with the manner in which this appropriation has been made.

"I am sensible of the persevering efforts made to excite against our Establishment the prejudices to which you allude, by means of misrepresentation and delusion. But I am disposed to think that such prejudices are beginning to pass away from the minds of those who were really misled. Threatening as may be the present aspect of the times, we must remember that the Master whom we serve has, at former periods, interposed with his providence to preserve the Church of England from still greater dangers than those with which it appears now to be encompassed. At all events, it is my settled conviction that the clergy will best contribute to the safety of the Establishment, and most effectually counteract the designs of its enemies, by entirely devoting themselves to the care of their respective flocks, and the zealous discharge of their sacred functions.

"J. H. GLOUCESTER."

STATE OF LIVINGS IN BEDFORDSHIRE.

"Out of 123 parishes in Bedfordshire, fifty-nine only are rectories, the remaining sixty-four being Vicarages or Curacies, with very small incomes. The great tithes of these are appropriated as follows: of four parishes to the Vicars; of thirteen to Noblemen; of twenty-six to Commoners; of nineteen to Colleges, &c., and the tithes of the remaining two are partly shared by the Vicars. In two instances, even the small tithes are in the hands of Laymen. The Duke of Bedford owns the great tithes of seven of the thirteen parishes alluded to above. In proof of the smallness of the incomes of the Church in this county, it may be noticed, that eight rectories and four Vicarages have been lately consolidated into six Livings."-John Bull.

DISSENTING MINISTERS WHO HAVE ENTERED THE CHURCH.

(From The Patriot.)

SIR,-As an assistance to the inquiry raised by your correspondent" Paul Thompson," I beg to hand you the names of seven persons, once ministers among the dissenters, and who, within the last twenty years, have conformed to the establishment. They are—

Formerly of

Mr. W. Seaton..... Andover and Wandsworth....

-

M. Anderson... Sandwich..
R. Meek..

T. Witty...

Jacob Snelgar..

J. Cottle..

Now of
Wales.

Shennington, Wilts.

South Malton and Westbury.. Yatton, Somerset.

Frome...

Hampstead

Alverdistone, Wilts.

.... Present residence unknown.

Student at Axminster ........ Ditto.

A. Bromily.. Leamington, Warwickshire, since deceased.

These, I believe, were all ordained by the Bishop of Salisbury, except Arthur Bromily, who was ordained, I believe, either by the Bishop of Norwich, or the Bishop of Ely.

I remain, Sir, &c.,

JOHN TOONE.

Another correspondent, who signs J. L. P., furnishes us with the following additional names :

SIR, I beg to present you with a statement containing a comparative view of the contributions of the clergy and laity in support of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, and the Church Building Society, collected from the Reports of 1832.

In your last number, your furnished your readers with the number of subscribers to these, distinguishing lay and clerical; but as you did not give the amount of the several subscriptions, I supply you with that desideratum, which has cost some days' labour to a very accurate calculator.

I hear there is now a most unfair objection raised against the production of such statements as these. It is said we make a merit of contributing more largely than the laity to charities and objects which are purely clerical. Have none, then, but the clergy, an interest in promoting religious education, and religious knowledge at home and abroad ; in Christianizing the heathen world; and in providing church room and free seats for the poor throughout our own land? I am afraid the objection has been successfully used against us in more ways than one. A provincial paper now lies before me, which contains a list of subscribers for the relief of the distressed Irish Clergy. The number of subscribers is 124. Of these, 56 only are of the laity. The amount of subscriptions is 6431. Ss. The lay contribution is 1381. 38. What would be said of a clergyman who should decline subscribing to a fund for the support of decayed tradesman or farmers, on the plea that the sufferers were laymen?

I am, Sir,

Your most obedient servant,
DUNELMENSIS.

March 8th, 1833.

Incorporated Members

99% 235

In lieu of Annual Subscriptions, and to be deducted from the above

To the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge; from the Report of 1832.

In lieu of Annual Subscriptions, and to be deducted from the above

Total Annual Subscribers and Subscriptions

12147 14 0

3708 6 0

12921 7 0

7674

8439 8 0

5935

6728 11 0

Totals

GRAND TOTALS

...

11575

£71370 16 2

* This seems to be the proper calculation, because the Property of the Clergy is only a Life Income, whilst that of the Laity is held, for the most part, in Fee-simple.

By the kindness of another friend, the Editor is enabled to add a few more particulars of Clerical Subscriptions and Donations.

Annual Subscribers. £. s. d.

Donations, Legacies, &c.

£. s. d.

20507 19 6 1602 8 0

£.3578 12 0 £.82241 15 0

That is to say, in addition to the charities for distressed clergy, their widows and children, in each county, the clergy have given twenty thousand pounds, and subscribe above a thousand a year for a school for the Orphans of their brethren, and to various other charities, some religious, but not especially clerical, and to others entirely of a general nature in London, they have given twelve thousand pounds, and they subscribe annually about two thousand five hundred pounds. In addition to this it must be observed that the Plymouth charities, amounting to 2001. 13s., were not included in the Devonshire list, given in last month's Magazine and this sum increases the average of the counties to 9901.* May the clergy be requested to furnish similar lists for the counties not yet sent?

Of course, all this furnishes a very inadequate notion of the claims (it is admitted, the proper claims) on a clergyman, viz.—the private and parochial claims. When Government is pleased to tax the clergy, have they considered whom they mean to tax to support parish schools? Of the two last clerical friends with whom the writer was staying, one (a pluralist) subscribes above fifty pounds per annum to the schools of his two little parishes, and the other gives twenty to the school close to his own door. Who will pay this when the clergy are taxed after the Irish fashion? Be it known to all men, that though intellect has made great marches, it has not marched so far as to make people generally like subscribing to schools. When the poor clergyman goes to collect (a heavy day's work), instead of transports of joy at the notion of spreading light and liberty, there are sundry refusals, sundry complaints of children being taught too much, and sundry declarations that the schools have spoiled all the good servants. When the clergy are well taxed, so must some other people, if the schools are to go on, for the clergyman cannot pay exclusive taxes and support schools too. Lord King's distinct refusal to give ground or money, and his taking care to bring the clergyman who dared to ask him to do so before the public on the most frivolous pretences, is merely one out of a thousand specimens of the difficulties experienced by the clergy in collecting money for schools.

NEW CHURCH AT WORCESTER.

WITHIN the circuit of the city of Worcester there is a population of more than 1200 souls, inhabiting the extra-parochial quarter of the town usually called the Blockhouse, and its neighbourhood, in a state of great religious destitution,

For 12,000l in the note to the table read 12007.