The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-07-10 00:00:00

Copy of letter written by the Bishop of Worces-
ter to Mr. Corbett, June 2nd, 1875 :

[Corr.]

June 2nd, 1875.

My dear Sir,—The memorial which you have
addressed to me is written under much misappre-
hension of what has taken place between Mr.
Bolder° and me, and of what I consider to be the
power of a Bishop with legard to collections in
church.

The only point in which I have made what may be
called a " decision" relates t o the custody of the
money collected, before the question has been deter-
mined how it is to be disposed of.

I wrote to Mr. BolderS,Api2. 9; that the Minister
is to present the money collected upon the Communion
Table and keep it afterwards in his possession, until
he and the churchwardens agree what is to be done
with it. If they sagree the Ordinary is to deter-
mine the dispute.
Upon other matters, I have only ventured to ex-
press an opirion in the way of advice and counsel;
as when I wrote to Mr. Bolder°, Apri' 24; that I did
not approve the arrangement there proposed by him
that money collected at any offertory should be de-
voted partly to church expenses and partly to the
maintenance of the Vicar, because such arrangement
would not give the people the opportunity of contri-
buting to one only of the objects as they may
desire.
I added that I thought it essential that notice
should be given publicly in church before evely offer-
toiy, to what pra.pose money given would be applied.
Again, on Api" 30, I expressed to Mr. Boldero my
approval of such an airangement as he then pro-
posed, Niz.' that the collection should:twin the morn-
ing of the first Sunday in the month for the sick and
poor! in the evening of the same Sunday for the
organist and choir expenses! on other Sunuay morn-
ings and everings for the Incumbent and church
expenses alternately! notice being given at every
service how the offertery at that service is to be die.
posed of.
I still think, upon further and full consideration,
that the arrangement of which I then expressed ap-
proval is fair and equitable, and ought to be acqui-
esced in by all parties.
. The better maintenance of the minister and provi-
sion for church expenses are, in my opinion, proper
objects for the "other devotions of the people, '
besidea "alms for the poor," which the Rubric men.
flour, and are fairly within the term "pious and
charitable uses," to which the money given at the
offertory is to be applied.
I wish, however, to remark that the question of
such an arrangement as that of which 1 hese ex-
pressed approval, is not one in which the Bishop can
interfere with any other authority than that of advice
and counsel.
think that no collection can be made in church
at any time without the winister's consent and direc-
tion. He is bound to have a collection whenever the
Holy Communion is administered; but he is the sole
judge whether a collection should be made at any
other time.

The Bishop cannot direct collections to be made
nor forbid them' if the mo .ey collected be applied to
pious and charitable uses.

If after collection made, the minister and church-
wardens cannot agree as to the disposal of the money
the Rubric requires the Bishop to determine the
question.

Yours faithfully,
H. WORCESTER.