The Press.
London, England, 1857-10-03 00:00:00

THE PRESS, OCTOBER 3, 1857.

social position, as that the letter is able to bring any
general degradation upon the professional body. I refer
always to the plateau, and not to the lofty mountains,
or deepest valleys, in estimating the general level. No
doubt the mercantile classes have much advanced of late
years, and the distance between the trading and professional
communities has been very much lessened, and numerous
points of contact established; nevertheless the professions
still maintain that superiority which their nature must ever
give them.
These remarks are quite open to criticism.
The author is too peremptory in his positive
assertion of the great superiority of the pro-
fessions. Where the fortunes are equal be-
tween a professional and a commercial man,
we admit that the former has a superior posi-
tion, and has more chance of introducing his
sons and daughters into " society." But the
chances of gaining independence and fortune
in a profession must be gravely weighed
when deciding against business. An 11I.D
with twenty thousand pounds may be a more
" respectable" person in a county town
than a manufacturer with thirty thousand
pounds; but the difficulty of making the
money as a doctor must be taken into account,
and other risks besides.

In England we think that the professions
are underpaid. They demand expensive edu-
cation, some capital to "keep up" in them,
they require " time," and they are confessedly
overstocked. For many years, also, a candi-
date in any of them must live without domes-
tics, unless he is ready to encounter the
tremendous responsibility of becoming a
parent with small means to give his little
ones. A. book like this before us should have
gone deeper into the claims of " business "
versus " the professions."

We shall select some extracts as specimens
of the author's mode of discussing his subject.
He commences his chapter on " The Church
as a Profession " in the following style :

No doubt there are many pious persons, anti faithful
churchmen, who will feel not a little shocked at any
attempt to deal with the " holy calling of the priest," as a
worldly profession; and, indeed, were society constituted
on a simpler basis, and the Chnroh itself more nearly
allied to primitive Christianity, such an undertaking
might be regarded with some degree of reprehension.
But in the present condition of society and religion, when
the priest can no longer kneel to receive the " imposition
of hands," and then gird up his loins, grasp his staff, and
go forth on his mission ; but on the other hand must be
carefully nurtured, bred as a gentleman, eduzated as a
scholar, be protected and fed by the law, and in connection
with his calling fultil many mere worldly duties; it would
be absurd not to regard the Church in one aspect as an
earthly profession, demanding considerations similar to
those claimed for law, arms, or medicine.
And he then proceeds with much force to ob-
serve :

Putting on one side the delicate question of original
motive, there cannot be a doubt that, when once entered,
the Church is as much treated by its clergy as a temporal
profession, as it is as a sacred calling,—that there is as
much desire for increased emolument, reputation, and
advancement, as in any other calling. Nor is this
unreasonable. Is the Church to he the only profession, or
even trade, in which there is not to be a gradation from
minor to greater duties ; from probationary service, per-
formed under the eye of a superior, to trusts of responsi•
bilny and superintendence? The officers, dignities, and
endowments of the establishment afford ti every con-
forming member of the community fair objects of open
and honourable competition. The son of the merchant, of
the manufacturer, nay, more, of the mechanic or the
peasant, may by his talents and good conduct raise
himself to the highest ecclesiastical dignities which the
sovereign of the realm can bestow, and thus earn for
himself a station by the side of the proudest of the
hereditary nobles of the land.
It is also to be remembered, that ever since the Refor-
mation permitted the marriage of priests, a class of
motives sanctified by nature have arisen to bid the clergy-
man to be not disregardful of the temporal advantages
that may accompany turns of fortune, assiduity, or talent.
The temporal ambition that might be reprehensible in
the clerical celibate, may, without detracting from single-
minded piety, be pardoned to the husband and father.
These observations are fair and sensible, and
there are more to the same general purpose.
He then gives the resources of the Church of
England, which upon paper look vastly greater
than they are in reality :
The income of the Church of England is derived from
the following sonrces,—lands, tithes, church•rates,
rents, Easter•offerings, and surplice-fees (i.e. fees for
burials, marriages, 4;c). The distribution of these
revenues may be inferred from the state of things in IS3I,
when it appeared to be as follows:
Bishops £181,631
Deans and Chanters 360,095
Parochial Clergy .. 3,151,159
Church-rates 500,003

41,293,863