Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-11-04
support ofths church - nation not less j

support OttnS cHtu'Cf c. $500 lc nation not less
than fffy nlidons Of doLl6S$a year.
The tyfhes are a tenth of all the produce
of the earth, which the farmer is obliged to
prepare for the barn of the clcrgyman-lfhis
crop is wheat, he must cut it. and put it M
in sheaves, ten in heap-the priest, OF. his
deputy, comes and picks out every tenth heap,
and carries it away but until he has made
this selection the farmer dares not move a
straw from his own field. so it is with all o.
ther grain, and produce of the soilt
The lesser tythc$, as they are called, is the
tenth turkey, chicken, pig. calf, apple, pear,
plumb. &c.--a ;enth of all the rarden stuff:
a tenth of the milk, butter and cheese. and a
communication for tenth Of the grass the
cattle consume, &c.
The gross number of the established priest
hood who have Brings" in England, (from
a late speech IN parliament) appears to be "a
bout 1l,I00. I'm addition to the bishops there
are % deans, 60 archdeacons, 2G0 prebends.
100 canons, IA chancelors, 1850 rectcrs,
and Wears. The whole of the clergy of this
church, including the minor canons, curatcs.
| chaplains, rural deans, lecturers, &c. &c. &c.
amount to fifty or sixty thousand men-add
To these the parish clerks and other officers
or members OF the church, with their various
retainers and servants, directly or mdirectiv
fGu 6y fhe td6or u the Ee0hse, and the whole
aggregate may be estimated at 1900 able
bodied hearty fellows, whose trade and bust
ness 1t is to keep this great machine of mo-
narchy in motion
The archbishops, bishops and archdeacons.
&c. likewise hold courts, in which the pro-
cecdings (of nature too various to detail \
! are among the most veXatious & expensive to
which the people are liable.
Not more than two ffths ofthe British ma :
frnt1 n. -
ed church but ell are compelled TO cuntri
butte alike to its maintenance
SUch is the national church of Eapia,,d
7phich BOASTS Of being more TOLERANT
than any other ia Eurohe. All the dignified
places are in the gift of the king and It NAV
easily he believed that the clergy are among
the most faithful friends of ROYALTY.
We close this article by observing, that.
though among the clergy of all established re-
iglons, there are men of great piety and vir-
tue (I'piety and virtue can exist in a person
who lives on the labor of others, without their.
consent) they are generally among the most
venal and corrupt humankind. This remark
IS made without particular reference to Eng
land /; though, at the reformation" of 5000
benefited clergymen, less than hundred re-
fused TO conform to the new order of things
ratherthan lose their" livines' and, perhaps
would now turn hack again if desired. II is
so, and naturally WILDE SO, in all parts of the
world, where pre- eminence and exclusive
privileges are enjoyed by any particular sect
How much reason have the United States to
be thankful for their envied lot-for that be-
nefcent spirit of federation which recognizes
no other distinction than virtue, and causes
the catholic, the quaker, the ehiscofalian and
the presbyterian, the bahtiS, and enetlodist.
and all other sects, to meet in harmony, and
part in brotherlylov kindly hoping and firm
ly believing, that all may arrive at the COM
summation of happiness, though travelling tol
wards it by different roads. SUCH A STATE
OF THINGS DOES NOT EXIST IN ANY 20
TIER COUNTRY,