New-York tribune., 1882-04-09
THE RURALLIFE OF ENGLAND
BY CAPTAIN MAYNE REID.
THE PARSON.

In my last letter gave an ou'i'nc Shou0h vi 'no
English "Squirc" leaving details to be filled in
hereafter he may from time to time appear in the
course of this correspondence. Meanwhile let me
proceed to give a similar portrait of the Parson.
In England the Parson is the parish clergyman
-Epscopalian. of course, Nonconformist preachers
of all kinds being termed ministers" the title Of
clergyman denied them and that of Reverend" "
given with q grudge--legally they have 1t not !;
neither by law any ecclesiastical connection with
the parish, nor say in its secular affairs. Legsla'
tion and adjudication upon these last are done by
the parishioners assembled in vestry their execu-
tion beng intrusted to two churchwardens, one or
whom is elected by the vestry the other appointed
by the clergyman himself and known as his church
warden. The latter is usually the Squire, or other
9centleman" belonging to the church congregation.
Dissenters however have the same right of voice
and vote in the vesry as other parshioners In the
holding of his Office and administration of it, the
parson is altogether free of responsibility to the
people He holds it independent of them, and for
life. or during good behavior. But he must behave
badly indeed to lose it; and then its loss would
come through the Bishop. and not by any act or
power of the parishioners AS these have no say IN
making neither can they unmake him.
The appointment Of Church clcrgymen to their
benefices or as they more commonly called,
"livings," proceeds from various sources. Some
are in the gift Of the Crown, through the Lord
Chancellor; others at the disposal of the Bishops !;
still Others where corporate institutions have the
right of bestowal; while of the $4,000 odd llvings
the total number in England and Wales-more
than half are the property of private individuals
lust as much as their houses lands. These last
named owners or patrons" of church temporali-
ties are of every class and kind; though chiefly
heads of great hOuses-titled familleS-some OF
whose ancestors owned them by ancient manorial
night while upon others they were bestowed by
Henry Will, being part of the spos taken from the
suppressed monasteries. Many grandees as the
Duke of Bedford have each score or two OF church
1ivings at their disposal and can give or sell them
to whomsoever they please unless under entail, as
their lands or other portions of their estates. In
dependent of these noble proprietors, hundreds,
nay thousands of benefces are in the hands OF men
of every rank and degree in short, of all who have
the money, with the inclination to speculate IN
them. Scores of advowsons "-another name for
this marketable commodity-are ever In the market,
barefacedly advertised in the newspapers, bought
and sold like houses, horses other merchant
able thing 1t is not uncommon TO see advertise
ments of church liviDgs in the "George Robins
styeD painted c0uleur-de-rose; the parish described
as having only few hundred nhabltants-hence
the less trouble with the of its souls-the rec
tory, or vicarage, handsome house with orna-
mental grounds, the scenery oil the nelghborhood
picturesque, its climate salubrous, and society OF
the best If the living be reverson instead OF one
to be Immediately entered upon its occupying in
cumbent is depicted as aged man-old as the adj
yertiser dares make him, possibly in poor health
and feeble-in short, on his last legs. Half col
umn of such advertisements frequently appears in
papers that are the special organs of the Established
Church OF there is outcry against this
shameful trafic-tradng in souls, as it were-still
it continues and will continue so long Englands
State Church stands on her present footing.
Taking advantage of this condition of things, not
unfrequently q man who has the means and knows
himself to be saddled with half-imbecie son. has
the latter trained up for the Church, buys him an
advowson, and so fixes him for life. 1t needs only
institution by the Bishop or his ordinary; but this
the purchaser of the lvingthenceforth its patron
may demand If no objection can be urged against
his appointee on the score of morals.
1t will thus be seen that the English parish cer-
gyman has no responsibility to his paIshioners
so far as the tenure or conduct OF his Oihce IS
concerned; neither does he feel any. He
may hunt shoot fish or frolic, and they can
not hinder him. Many do all these things; though
more in some districts than in others. For about
the morality of SPORT" when INDUCED in by eccle-
siastics, public opinion varies in different neghbor-
hoods. according TO the inclinings of the COM
rigidly condemned, and in most, the hunting
son is among the most popular of his reverend
brethren if all else be right about him. Many of
this class myself know to be truly good and ami
able men, of otherwise exemplary life and aSsidu-
GUS in the duties which their Office ministers of
the Church entails upon them But there are 9TH
ers who add to their prediction for the chase
friyolities of less excusabe kind-even crimlnali-
ties-openly living shameful lives themselves re-
gardless of shame. These however are not spec
tally hunting parsons and, | am happy to add,
neither are they in large numbers, but small,
ceptonal minority.
Episcopaan clergy1nen, as have already stated
are eligible for appointment as Justices of the
Peace and there is no Petty Sessions bench with
out one or more of them on it. The chosen are
usually those who hold the larger livings and
otherwise are of most Importance in their districts,
or in the eyes of the ord-Lieutenant. 1t may
seem strange that of all the great unpaid" these
reverend magistrates the most unpopular. 1t is
awell-known fact, however nor Is the objection to
them confined to the common people. have heard.
and often hear, men of their own rank in life,
Epscopalians too, emphatically make the asser
ton that no parson should be in the Commission
of the Peace" The reasons for this repugnance are
not altogether clear, though one commonly assigned
is that the clergy biased by religious preudces, and
otherwise ow-minded, more apt to dispense
one-sided justice. 1t may be that clergymen who
are on the Bench, or many of them are aInenabe to
this charge; since these usually men of ambi-
tous views. as rule rank Tories, and so, likely
enough, leaning to undue severity in their judg-
ments Whatever the reason, it is recorded fact
that for years past the most fragrant of JUS
tees justice" and the greatest number of them, have
had reverend magistrates as the adjudcators!
The parish clergyman is either 4" Rector" or
"Vicar." the chief distinction between their titles
being that the rector is for life full proprietor of
the church living and receives the great tithes -