Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-18
THE ENGLISH CHURCH.
Report Showing the Position 1t Occu-
pies in the Nation.


Boston Herald
The Ecclesiastical Commissioners OF Eng
land have published the full returns OF the
property and revenues OF the Engllsh
Church, and the statement is interesting be-
cause it shows, so far as figures can tell the
truth, the position which the Church of Eng
land occupies in the nation. The gross aS-
gregate income amounts to f5, 5,153,557, OF
which f5, 5,469, III is derived from ancient en-
dowments, and s264, 1856 from private bene-
factions since 1903 The income from
lands, tithes and other sources OF
the episcopal sees produces gross
collegiate churches have an income of fl92,-
$50, the whole of it from ancient endow-
ments. The holders of ecclesiastical bene-
fees receive the gross income of nearly
"a OG0.0O0 from the ancient endowments, and
f272, ,6O3 from private benefactiOns since lIO3.
The Ecclesiastical Commissioners have fl,-
24l .S21, out of which they are obliged to pay
t9JO,OOO yearly. OF this sum E597, 600 1s pa1d
to incumbents as augmentation grants, the
remainder going to bishops, cathedrals and
archbishOps.
In 1882 there were 1O,71s parochial cures,
with an income from all sources OF E3.21l, lJ9.
Ihe number of the cures now is 13,9I9 with
gross income of f42l3,622. The increase or
income is much larger than the proportion
ate increase of cures. Not exAs stly the same
kind of returns is now in use which was en-
ployed in 1882, so that anything like AN exact
estimate of the financial con aition OF the
Cnurch OF England is no: possible. These
estimates do not take ihso account the
enormous sums that have been raised
and spent on church building and church
restorations and repairs. Large sums have
Deen recently expended on Sax newly
founded bishOprics, and the recens addition
OF suffragan bishops has compelled she rails
ing OF great sums of money as private bene-
factions for their support. The returns say
nothing about curltes. The salaries of
clergy themselves, and it is a common say
ing that the gifts of tnn clergy to the church
are larger in am m2:.2t than what they receive
from 1t. The gross inGo.4s II the English
church represents a capi+as ..T1 of $500 900,
600. The report of the commissioners shows
that the giving habits of the people of the
Church of England have greatly improved
in recent years. The increase in income has
not been through the ancient endOwments.
but through the increase OF private benefac
tfons. The energies of individual church
men and their voluntary offerings account
for the extension of the usefulness of the
Church of England at the present day.
There has been no increase in the ancient
endowments. In the absence of a religious
census, which the nonconfOrmists are un-
willing to allow, this statement of the re-
turns of the property and revenues of the
Church of England is exceedingly
understanding of its position. There are
no statistics to show the proportion which
the members of the church bear to the en-
Clre pOpulatlOn OF the country, Dut THESE
financial returns indicate that the activity
in the church, and the willingness to con-
tribute money, have never before been so
great as they are now. Only the other day
the fact was stated that the English Church
has greatly increased it's control of secular
education during the last 20 years. and it has
done this through the benefact1ons of pri-
vatc parties. The importance of this state
ment is that it postpones the threatened
efforts for disestablishment indefinitely. SO
long as the English Church maintains itself
as an active moral force at the point of its
present usefulness, it's disestablishment is
out of the question.