are wandring in the course of it. For these reasons, I prefume, the 82d Canon directs, that fuch fentences be written in convenient places; and likewise, that the ten commandments be set upon the east end of every church and chapel: to which undoubtedly the creed and Lord's prayer, though not mentioned in the Canon, are very fit companions.

You must also endeavour, that fuch care may be taken of the furni ture of the church, and whatever is used in it, as the Canons and Rubrics and the nature of the thing require: that the furplice be originally of proper linen, and kept cleap, and renewed before it becomes contemptible by age: that the Bible and Prayer Books be whole and unfullied, and well bound: that the veffels for the celebration of both the facraments, and the cover of the holy table, but more especially the bread and wine placed upon it, be fuitable in all refpects to the folemnity: not fuch as may give difguft to the more delicate, and tempt them to abhor, as the Scripture expreffion is, the offering of the Lord (g). Thefe are, in their kind, points of importance: and fuch as you may for the most part eafily carry. Another thing, worthy of notice, is the condition of your church-yards. I take it for granted, though I am afraid I forgot to name it, that you keep thofe, which belong to yourfelves, neat and decent: not turning in cattle to defile them and trample down the graveftones; and make confecrated ground fuch, as you would not fuffer courts before your own doors to be; but taking the profits of the herbage in fuch manner, as may rather add beauty to the place. And I hope, where a church-yard belongs to an impropriator, you will do your best to get the fame respect paid it; and to whomfoever it belongs, the fences well kept up.

If, in any or all of the particulars, which I have fpecified, your reprefentations will be lefs offenfively introduced, or your attempts be of more weight, for your being able to fay, that I directed you to make them, I do hereby direct you accordingly; and defire you to fay I did. Nor fhould you be contented with a tranfient mention of the fubject once or twice; but where there is any hope, return it on proper occafions, and try the force of modeft importunity. If, after competent trial, you find no effect, you must urge the church-wardens, to present what is amifs, if they will do no more. Indeed fuch things as belong to their own care, they fhould not present, but amend: and the Canons require, not the former, but the latter. Only when they have not time for the latter, the former is all they can do: and when they have, it is better than doing nothing. For it gives notice, and furnishes room for admo nitions and injunctions. If there be need, here again you must encourage them to prefent, by engaging to plead their caufe with the parifhioners. You may alfo fafely promise them, that they fhall fuffer no oppreffive or hard treatment, fhall not be required to lay out upon any thing more than is fitting, and shall have reasonable time allowed, even for that. I need not fay, that both to qualify yourfelves for preffing them to prefent, and on many other accounts, you must take effectual care, that nothing belonging to you be prefentable. Elfe they will have a ready answer for you: and it will be a fad thing to ftand in awe and be at the mercy of thofe, who ought to reverence you. If you cannot prevail

(g) 1 Sam. ii. 17.

prevail on them otherwife, I apprehend you may join with them; and if you cannot prevail on them at all, I apprehend you may prefent without them, in the cafe of repairs, as well as offences, by virtue of the interpretation, which practice hath put on the abovementioned Canon: though it speaks, I own, exprefsly of nothing befides offences. But in doing either of these things, you must be sure to observe the cautions given under the former head.

Yet after all, I am well aware, that you may often have great difficulties to encounter, poffibly fometimes too great to furmount. And to diminish them from you, I have endeavoured to procure a parochial vifitation from the Archdeacon, which he hath promifed. But then, for the credit of your parishioners and your own, let this be an inducement to put things in good order, that he may find them fo: not to leave them in bad order, that he may rectify them.

Another very useful inftitution, for these and many valuable purposes, was that of rural Deans: which took place here before the conqueft, was kept up till the great rebellion, was reftored afterwards in feveral Diocefes, and particularly in this by the admirable Bishop Fell (h), was found not quite extinct and was completely revived by the late excellent Bishop of Glocefter (i), in that county, and is preserved to this day in fome parts of the nation befides. Thefe Deans, being chofen out of the refident parochial Clergy, could infpect, with small trouble, the churches and parishes within their feveral narrow districts; and being bound to report what they found amifs, could do it with little or no offence. In the latter end of Queen Anne's, and the beginning of the late King's reign, the convocation made fome progress towards the re-eftablishment and better regulation of this office. When that, or any other branch of difcipline, may be the fubject of public confideration again, is very uncertain. I fhould be very glad, with your approbation, to fet it up once more amongst us, in fuch form as might be moft beneficial and fatisfactory: but contented at prefent with hinting the matter, I leave and recommend it to your serious thoughts.

A third particular, of confiderable importance, in which you are jointly concerned with the church-wardens, is the keeping of the register book. The 70th Canon directs, that it be of parchment: and though an act of Parliament; lately paffed, allows marriages to be regiftred in a paper book; yet parchment is far more durable: nor is the difference of expence worth regarding, as it returns fo feldom. This book fhould be ftrongly bound, and not over large; left it should be worn and damaged, before it is filled. For the fafe preservation of it, and doubtless of all preceding books of the fame kind, the Canon orders, that a cheft be provided with three locks and keys; one for you, one for each of the church-wardens, who are ordinarily two; and that on Sundays, if there hath been any chriftening, marriage or burial, in the week before, it fhall be entred there. I am afraid it is feldom thus kept: and yet there would be no great trouble in it, after a little use. Or where that is otherwise, either the minifter or a church-warden should keep it and each of them should fee from time to time, how it is kept. The

(b) Kennet. Paroch. Ant. p. 653.

(i) Bishop Benfon.

The entries, if they cannot well be made every Sunday, should be made very frequently, and in the mean time the minister, if he hath not the book, fhould take memorandums. He is the perfon directed to write in it, and usually much the fitteft. But if, through any accident, that happens not to be fo, he fhould appoint a proper perfon, and fuperintend him. The names and furnames of the parents ought to be added, in regiftring not only baptifms, where it is enjoined, but marriages and burials too, as far as may be for it may prevent doubts and difputes. It will also be very useful, to put down the day of the birth and death of each perfon, as well as of the baptifm and burial. The late act abovementioned hath directed farther, that every page of the regifter of marriages be numbered, to discover if any leaf be afterwards cut out; and ruled with lines at equal diftances, to discover if any article be afterwards put in. And you will do very well to obferve the fame precautions in regiftring baptifms and burials. When a page is filled, the Canon requires the minifter and church-wardens to fubfcribe their names; which they should do juft below the last line. And if this be not done immediately, it may without any inconvenience be done foon after and was done by me and the church-wardens, for many years, in one of the most populous parishes of the kingdom. Laftly the Canon requires, that an attefted copy of this book be annually tranfmitted to the Bishop's regiftry, received without fee, and faithfully preferved there: and it authorizes me to proceed against thofe, who are negligent about any of its directions. I must therefore both intreat and infift, that you inquire in what condition your old and your prefent register books are, and get them kept for the future as they ought. I have more than once been put under great difficulties in ordinations, for want of exactnefs in the regifter of baptifms. That of marriages is of fo great concern, that altering it defignedly to establish or void a marriage, is by the act abovementioned made felony. In all cafes the book, faithfully kept, is good evidence and falfifying it is punishable at common law. I would only obferve farther on this head, that in the preamble of a bill, which paffed the House of Commons this laft feffion, and had a fecond reading in the House of Lords, it was afferted as notorious, that “ great inconvenien

ces have arifen from the prefent defective manner, in which parochial "registers are formed; and the loofe and uncertain method, in which "they are kept and preferved; whereby the evidence of defcents is fre"quently loft and rendered precarious." So far as this may be fact, it will be most for our honour to amend it, without the interpofition of the legislature.

A fourth point, of which I hope you will think yourselves bound, if not by law, yet in confcience, to take a joint care with the church-wardens, is that of parochial charities. The minifter is the representative of the church, intrufted with its interefts; and you ought to endeavour, that fuch benefactions be firft preferved, and then applied in a proper

manner.

If it be doubtful, whether fuch or fuch a donation hath been given to your church or poor, or the fupport of a school in your parish, you will make proper inquiry concerning the matter. If it be given by any writing, you will procure that writing, or an attefted copy of it, to be laid

up

an

up fafely, either in the parish cheft, or the Bishop's registry; indeed a copy in each place would be beft; and an account of the gift fhould be inferted in your parish book. For if deeds are left in private hands, and especially without authentic notice where they are left, they are fometimes defignedly fuppreffed; and often undefignedly deftroyed or loft, through the ignorance or careleffness of the perfons poffeffed of them. It will also be very proper, to have a table, mentioning the charity, hung up in your church; that a grateful remembrance of the benefactors may be continued to pofterity, and others incited to follow their good example as a paper of directions drawn up by the lower houfe of convocation in 1710, hath well expreffed it (k). If the benefaction be eftate vefted in truftees, it will be very material to get the truft renewed in due time; elfe in all likelihood there will be expence, if not danger; and to truftees of as good credit and ability, as poffible. They muft likewife be warned, never to let out fuch lands on long leafes, or at very low rents, in favour of any body: but to raise the rents when they can; at least to vary them, which will make it easy to raise them, when there is opportunity: otherwise it will foon be pretended, that they have no right to raise them; of which there are fome unhappy inftances in this Diocefe. If the gift be in money, you must prefs to have it placed in the public funds, in cafe it be confiderable enough; or elfe in the beft private hands, and on the beft fecurity that can be obtained; paying no regard in such cases to perfonal friendships; and being particularly careful, that parish officers do not keep it in their own cuftody. If they do, the intereft will ufually be paid out of the public money, and moft probably the principal will be loft in a few years.

But charities are preferved in vain, unless they are well applied: and they are often fadly mifapplied. Gifts to the church, where it is not otherwife expreffed, must be fuppofed intended for beautifying the church elfe it will be never the better for fuch gifts for it will be equally repaired without them: the parishioners are bound to that: and the chief of the burthen usually falls upon the richeft, for whofe relief charities were certainly not intended. And yet fuch benefactions are too commonly employed, not only in mere repairs, but in what hath no connec tion with the fabric; in providing bread and wine for the communion, in paying church-wardens bills for all forts of things, it may be for extravagant and riotous entertainments amongst the reft, in eafing the poors rates, in I know not what; and the church all the time, inftead of being any way improved, fuffered to grow dirty and even ruinous A lamentable abuse of this kind, (where a fteeple fell down, and was in part rebuilt by contribution, while an estate, more than fufficient to have kept the whole building in good order and beauty, was perverted to other ufes) I have taken much pains to rectify, but fear it is not throughly rectified yet. Again, gifts to the poor were certainly intended for the benefit of the poor; to make provifion for fuch of them, as are not on the parish lift, or a better provifion for such as are. And yet they are fometimes embezzled and squandered, in a great measure, if not wholly; fometimes beftowed to ferve private or party purposes: and very frequently funk into the legal rate; fo the wealthy are benefited; and

(k) See Wilkins, vol. iv. p. 638.

the

the needy have not a farthing more, than if nothing had been given for them.

I know it is not always eafy, perhaps not always poffible for you, to remedy these ill practices. But a great part of the blame will be laid on you, right or wrong, unless you try to remedy them. And it may prove lefs difficult than you imagine. Church-wardens and overfeers perhaps are ignorant, or going on thoughtlessly, and would be thankful to you for good advice: or however would be ruled by it, on your reprefenting to them the heinoufness of robbing God or the poor; and the honour it will do them, and the confolation it will afford them, to have put things into a right channel. Or fuppofing them backward to comply, you may be able to get confiderable perfons in the parish or neighbourhood to fe cond you. At least you will get the reputation of a moft laudable zeal, and if you conduct that zeal aright, of discretion alfo: and thefe together may produce unexpected fuccefs; especially where the abuse is not yet become inveterate. But if nothing elfe will do, and the cafe be plain, and the object of sufficient importance: recourse should be had to the authority of the law; and you should be willing to bear a pro! portion of the charges, if it be requifite and you are able; only taking the strictest care to proceed with mildness and fairness.

I have now finished the course of directions to you, which I began 15 years ago. And as I can truly fay, that in this and every part of my behaviour as your Bishop, I have, through the Divine affiftance, diligently laboured, to do my duty with uprightness, and promote your good and that of your parishioners, prefent and future; fo I hope you will accept my endeavours with candour, and ftudy to profit by them; excufing my failings, which I know have been many, and will now be too likely to increase. I am advancing apace into the decline of age. Three of my brethren (1), my oldeft and best friends, have gone before me in less than twelve months. I muft expect to follow them foon. Whether I may live, or, if I live, whether I may be able, to meet you thus again, God only can forefee. May he grant us to meet in a better world.

Ι

But before I conclude, permit me to subjoin, to these general admonitions, a few words concerning two particular occurrences.

In the first place I return you my hearty thanks for the pains, which you have taken in behalf of the Society for propagating the Gofpel. The collection hath upon the whole been made very fuccessfully throughout the kingdom; and amounts to almost 19000l, if not more: whereas ten years ago it fell fhort of 15000l. But I believe the contribution of this county hath been in proportion the largest of any. The last time it was barely 300l.; nor was that to be accounted fmall; and now it is very near 500l. I mean in both cafes exclufive of the University: which diftinguished itfelf very honourably then, and I doubt not, will at prefent. May God increase, and blefs, and reward the zeal of all his fervants every where for fupporting, and enlarging the kingdom of his Son, and making the confeffion of his Name effectual to the falvation of mankind,

The other fubject, on which I would fpeak to you, is the conteft about representatives (1) Bishops Butler, Benson, and Berkeley, E

VOL. VI.