Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1867-06-14
aAisfellangQn8,
CURIOUS FACTS.
BISHOPS OF THE ENGLISH CHURCH THIRTY
YEARS AGO. ENORMOUS INCOMES
AND LIGHT LARORs.

The London Rerielg is printing a history
Of the Church Of England during the last
century, from which We take the following;
An Anglican prelate Of the present day
is, with the rarest exception, man of II
repToachable life The majority Of our
bishops sre eminent for their piety and
learning. In the last generation, the chief
claim to church prelerment consisted in be-
ing allied either to some noble family or to
a politician possessing influence in the gov
ernment. Another sure road to preieTment
was to be the tutor of Che son Of some Min
lister or more distinguished persouage. Dr.
Markham was tutor to George ", and as
a reward for his success In teaching that
most religious and gracious prince the way
he should 90, he was appointed the Arch
bishop of York. Pretyman was tutor to
William Pitt, who was able, at the age OF
twenty-eight to obtain his nomination, first
to the see of Lincoln, and afterwards to the
more lucrative bishoprie Of Winchester
The principal literary memorial left by that
prelate to pOsterlty Is a hte Of his pupil,
which Macaulay declares is only remarkable
in being the worst biography Of its size IN
the English language. Dr. Sparkes, Bish-
op of Ely, was tutor to the Duke OF Rut-
land. Even the present Bishop Of Win
EuGStEI QMEu HE E4tN GlAbit W AAo GbbA ApA
tune in having been tutor to the sons of the
late Marchioness of Conyngham.
''All the bishops were expected to sup
port the government In every r.as..G1Ilul1
brought forward, no matter
! or unjust. 1t vas their holN
1 sanctify by their vote the Tory
/ day, without the slightest regah
its, and they certainly fulfilled the
1 with wonderful fidelity. As l0s
/ government opposed the abolitioRv
slave trade, the bishops voted with tiN
unainchingly that Lord Eldon, then
/ Chancellor, remarked that the consis
behavior Of the right reverend prelates ga\
! him great satisfaction, as he was now com
yinced there was nothing IN the institution
! of slavery contrary to the principles ofChns-
4 tianity. They opposed all the attempts oi
/ Sir Samuel Bomilly to mitigate the severity
/ of our criminal code, then the most sangui
nary in Europe Belsham, in his history
mentions them, with one exception (Ship
/ levi, as being, with George the LII. himself
! the most inveterate upholders Of the Amer
/ lean war. They supported Pitt in his wal
against France, the policy Of which is noW
doubted by some of the tories themselves
/ And, lastly, they were the strenuous oppo
nents OF the Reform bill
ENORMOUS INCOMES.
"The selfish greed, the insolent nepotisn
and the unscrupulous jobbing of many o
these holy men now almost surpass belief
Not only were their incomes enormous, bu
their patronage, which was immense, wa
dispensed with the grossest fayoritism
without the slightest regard either to learn
ing, piety or earnestness in the cause O
! Christianity. They set decency and public
opinion at defiance when livings and plural
tiles could be heaped upon their children
! and relatives The acknowledged income
/ Of SpaIkes, Bishop of Ely, was e27 600
enough, it might be assumed, to have afor
ded a provision for his family, yet he gave
! his son, the Rev. ii. Sparkes, three valua
/ bic livings and a prebendal stall in Els
! Cathedral. He also made him steward ot
4 the Diocesan Manoriai Courts, as well q;
! Chancellor of the diocese. His income from
I these different sources exceeded "a, 800 q
year, To the Rev G. FaidelI, the Bishop
1 son-in-law, he gave two livings and pre-
/ bendal stall in Ely Cathedral, the net in
come Of the whole being se3, 700 To hi:
son, the Rev Edward Sparkes, he gave
three livings and prebendal STALL He also
appointed him his examining chaplain, anc
made him registrar Of the diocese Of Ely
/ His income somewhat exceeded E4,00D
The total yearly amount clutched out Of the
church revenues by the Sparkes family ex-
| ceeded e3g,942
Let no one imagine, from the excessive
remuneration paid to the Bishoy Of Ely and
his family for their services, that this small
diocese became a model Of discipline and
episcopal government. Nothing could sur
( pass the negligence eyinced in regard to the
welfare of the Church during the time that
the Rev DR. Sparkes enjoyed the episco-
pate.
ABUSES OF PATRONAGE
1t might be thought impossible to find a
parallel to the ayarice and sel6shness Of
! DIR. Sparkes, vet Sparkes was not worthy