The Sun.
London, England, 1831-10-15 00:00:00

MUNIFICENCE OF THE CHURCH.

TO THE ARCHBISHOPS AND BISHOPS OF ENGLAND.
MOST REV. AND RIGHT REV, LORDS,--I take the
liberty of calling the attention of your L6rslthVs to the follow-
ing advertisement which appeared in the Timci ij Plbriflay last.
" Appeal to the wealth and munificence of England, 411 behalf
of a respectable clergyman with ten children, who ha beea
curat., of a parish seven years at 401. per annum, now struggling
with poverty, distress, and overwhelming difficulties, whose
exemplary conduct has been ceitifllcl by three neighbouring bene-
ficed clergymen, confirmed by the Bishop c.f the diocese, rtscom-
mending him as a fit and proper object for die el7errise of Chris-
tian benevolence."

My Lords, if I had the ability, the presumption. or the ;Este-
sition to attempt a lay lecture on the present Constitution of the
Church establishment, the unequal distribution of its enormous
revenue—the glaring abuse of its recular advantages—perhaps I
could not take a more comprehensive extract, at least
from any human composition, than this simple advertise-
ment furnishes, as a text whereon to ground my argu-
ments and my comments. I should say, my Lords, that " the
wealth and munificence" of the Church, with a revenue of needy
9,000,000/. a year, ought to have prevented the existence of
such a case as that of a " respectable clergyman" (whether with
ten children or with none) being allowed only the paltry pittance
of 401. a year for the performance of his important duties ; but
that if such a man, so situated, and one of " exemplary con-
duct," too, happened to have listened to the sweet t Wet of do-
mestic affection, and yielded rather to the dictates of natitre io
obedience to divine command than to the barbarous doctrines of
the Malthusian creed, thus bringing upon himself the incum-
brance of ten children, it is a scandal to the Church that he
should be left to " struggle with poverty, distress, and over.
whelming difficulties," as he necessarily must do with a beggarly
supply of only about 2%d. pet day for each of his family 1 Such
is the:case described in the advertisement before us ; and how is
this "respectable clergyman," this than of " exemplary cons
duct," this unhappy father of an unfortunate faMily to be re-
lieved from his " overwhelming difficulties P. Is It by liberal
contributions from the purses of his more fortunate clerieal
brethren ? Is it from the " wealth and munificence of the
mitred and beneficed members of the Christian establishment
to winch he belongs ? Is It from the neighbouring beneficed
clergymen, and the Bishop of his diocese, to whom his " ex-
emplary conduct," and his domestic sufferings arc personally
known ? No ! He is furnished with a recommendatory certi-
ficate from "three neighbouring benefices clergymen," and
" the Bishop of the diocese," and then unceremoniously thrust
upon the tithe-paying public, as " a fit end proper object
for the exercise of" their " Christian benevolence! !" Permit
me to observe, my Lords, that this case has been brought before
the public in an unpropitious season. The people of England, in
their present spirit, may perchance consider it as little less than
an audacious insult to their feelings for a Member of the Epis-
copal Bench to obtrude upon their notice a certified beggar from
the reverend fraternity. The progress of intellect, my Cord, has
produced wonderful effects. It has opened the eyes of the blind,
and taught the dumb to speak. In this great cause, the most
wealthy, and the most intellectual, and the most powerful classes
of the community, are firmly and steadily engaged; and when
the conquest over selfishness and prejudice shall have been
gained, and assuredly it will be, I will venture to predict that
there will be no more such blemishes on the Church establish-
ment as that of " a respectable clergyman," a man of " exem-
plary conduct," with ten children, being left to starve on 4(1.
a-year, or appeal to the " Christian benevolence" of the public
to rescue him from his " overwhelming difficulties." My
Lords, you cannot be surprised if this case, just at this time,
has excited a degree of puhlic disrespect towards the dignitaries
of the Church in proportion to the benevolent sympathy that must
be felt by the people naturally generous for the domestic stiffer-
themhosontoßurev to .
and be,
ings of the " object" exposed by the advertisement, on which 1
have taken the liberty of addressing your Lordships.
-I have
Right Rev. Lords,
Your Lordships' very obedientHE iv; Servant,
Kennington-common, Oct. 12. W.