The Express.
London, England, 1855-09-06 00:00:00

adored anything but an advantage by teal
Apostles or their successors in the first centuries
of the Church, who were always, to the dia•
paragement of their taste, running away front
civilisation themselves, in order to ..briag the

uncultivated within the pale,
more the clergyman at Lite,

u the vulgar World

live;

„.
a ” capital residenc4' aria the neighbeiskarsti is one
of "great respee.ability." The care of these 878 souls
being then a t*.ilerably "good thing," is worth some-
thins
in tt• market. sod was yesterday put up for ,
sale. Strictly speaking it wss not the cure of
JtJla tot* bet the tied to present to it,
tlatt wu the object of sale, on the occurrence of
la certain contingency. The Church which looks
with holy hotter
input, Awls THOMPSON a ho• wants
to buy a living fnatitiseff, is perfectly careless about
elfdaviitepta a hundred way. by which THOMPSON

may effect his purpose indirectly. So yesterday the
advowson and right of presentation to the rectory of
Lytcbett-Matravers was sold by auction, at Germ
way's, after the same fashion as any salesman would
sell dirty dead acres, or live cattle. A number of
persons came together, whether infidels or believers,
sinners or saints, it is impossible to say, and
is nothing to the purpose. The one of the party
who could "come down " most heavily would have
that motto' over the spiritual education of the 878
souls of Lytchett-Matravers, which is involved in the
possession of the power to nominate their spiritual
teacher. The auctioneer exhibited all the points of
the object of sale, as at Tattersall's they exhibit
the points of a horse. He considered it was
worth 3,5001. Exception was taken to this
nn the NAN of the ineauelsosit% age, which was 0013
thirty. Suppose the incumbent would not die soon—
the exceptors may be imagined to have said—what
time it will be before we get value for our money ?
But in answer to this it was mysteriously hinted that
his health might be none of the beat, that he might
hate the seeds of a mortal disease in him, and
then consider how much better your bargain be-
comes. "Representations had been made," said the

auctioneer, "•s to the state of the incumbent's health.
He (the auctioneer) would not say what those repre-
sentations were, but intending purchasers might easily
satisfy themselves on that point." It may be supposed
from this that some person in the room was commis-
sioned to satisfy inquirers (in confidence) as to the
condition of the incumbent's health. Fancy the die-
appointment of an" intending purchaser," who had
set his mind upon ossification of the heart, finding
that the incumbent was afflicted with rheumatism
only ! Or imagine another, who was prepared to go
the whole hog if the Rector had reached the last
stage of consumption, shutting up his pockets on
hearing there was nothing the matter with the
tenant of the living but a running at the
nose ! Before the bidding began, a gentleman pre-
sent objected that the Rector must keep a curate,
which would seriously diminish the value of the
receipts. In plain English, the person who desired
this "good thing" would not be likely to wish to do
all the work, but would think it desirable to put the
unpleasa•t half of the work upon some other
person's shoulders, for which indulgence money
must be paid, which was a hardship. This
objection was not very satisfactorily answered
by the auctioneer, who said that the Rector might do
the work himself. It was because it was supposed
that the Rector would wish to shirk his work that the
objection was made. Another malcontent objected
that the parsonage house was too large, and would
require a large portion of the income to keep it up.
The auctioneer, fertile i• expedients, replied that this
might be remedied by the clergyman taking pupils.
If he could secure five or six pupils at
a hundred a sear each. it wriela sad vsry much to
the value of the living. Of course it would; but
would it add much to the value of the parson? What
is to become of the 878 souls hungering for spiritual
food while the parson is slaving at tuition in order
that he may dwell in a large house and fare sumptu-
ously every day ? The five or six pupils will have
value for their money, or they will not pay. The
878 human beings will receive nothing worth receiv-
ing at the hands of one who is paid 8071. a year for
teaching them. And it is here that the glaring
scandal of the sale of advowsons and presenta-
tions, as at present conducted, is seen in all its
enormity. The welfare of the parishioners never
once enters into the celculations of buyer and seller.
The trees on an estate which is sold have as much
voice in the transfer as the inhabitants of • pariah
whose spiritual interests are sold to the
highest bidder. A living is valuable in proportion as
there is little todo, as there is money to be gained, as
there is pleasure to be enjoyed. If the auctioneer
yesterday could have promised the bidders that at
about the time when the buyer would anrire the
power to present the inhabitants would have
dwindled down from eight hundred to eighty,
it is quite clear that the bidding. would
have received a marvellous impulse. And it
would have been his duty to employ such au
argument. Every inducement which the auctioneer
put befog" the bidders yesterday he was bound to
put for the proper fulfilment of his duty. But every
such inducement being put before men who are pur-
chasing the right to take charge of the souls of
others, is a gross scandal to the Church which permits
it. The sale of advowsons and presentations must be
abolished or greatly modified before the Church can
hope to obtain that respect from the great mass of
the population which its position and its capabilities
should entitle it to expect.