selves. Without resources themselves, they calculate largely upon the assistance they shall obtain by collecting, especially in London: induced by importunity or compassion, neighbouring ministers may sometimes by their signatures sanction a case to go to a distance, for which they would not solicit a farthing at home; and thus the parties interested are furnished with means to assail the Christian public on behalf of a building which ought never to have been erected. For the necessity of the case, and the exercise of requisite liberality on the part of those immediately concerned, justice requires that the benevolent, more especially in London, should have a better guarantee than they have at present.

"Having thus specified the inconveniences and abuses to which the present system is liable, I proceed to inquire, whether it is not possible to devise some plan by which they may be greatly lessened, if not entirely removed. Nor will I hesitate to express my decided conviction, that if you, my dear Sir, and a very few more of the leading contributors in and near the metropolis, were cordially to sanction such an arrangement as that I am about to propose, this desirable object would be very speedily attained. I would suggest,

"That those contributors, who feel the disadvantages of the present system, and are anxious that the money they can devote to this purpose should be rendered as effective as possible, unite together to form a fund for the express purpose of assisting country cases without personal application. That they agree with each other.

to pay into the common stock, either in one annual or four quarterly payments, at least as much as they have been previously in the habit of giving to cases through

the year.

"That they give public notice of their determination to refuse all personal applications, so far as it relates to the description of cases to be relieved from the fund.

"That for the sake of affording those friends of the gospel an opportunity of contributing who may not be able to become annual subscribers, congregational collections be requested from the various churches in London and its vicinity.

"That some gentleman of known respectability be appointed Treasurer, and that a Secretary be chosen, to whom all applications may be addressed for the consideration and determination of the Committee.

"That the number of cases to be relieved in the course of the year be fixed, so as not to exceed a certain given number, and that distribution should be made to these, out of the fund, at least once every quarter.

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Among the rules of such a society it might be thought proper to introduce the following:

"I. That the cases to be relieved from the fund shall be those belonging to the Denomination.

"II. That no case be assisted by the Society until the Committee has received thorough satisfaction in the following points :

"1. That the erection, repair, or enlargement was absolutely necessary.

"2. That the parties concerned sought the advice and

obtained the concurrence of respectable individuals belonging to neighbouring churches before they began to build.

"3. That nothing has been expended in superfluities or wasted by mismanagement.

"4. That the people themselves have contributed to the utmost of their ability.

"5. That there is a reasonable prospect of the place being adequately supplied with the ministry of the

word.

"6. That the building has been duly vested in trust for religious purposes.

"III. That no case assisted by this Society be collected upon either before or afterwards in London.

"I am aware that some objections may be raised against the plan thus hastily sketched out. It may very probably be susceptible of great improvement, but it is not supposed that any scheme can be devised wholly free from objection. If it be materially better than the present it is all we can hope to obtain.

"1. It cannot be with propriety objected that this is adding to the list of Societies, already too numerous, because the object proposed is not to make an increased demand of money or of time, but to render the same amount of the former, and far less of the latter, much more efficient for the purpose to which it is devoted.

"2. Some may imagine, that the amount contributed will be far less, and that individuals who now give to twelve or twenty cases in the year, would become an

nual subcribers merely of the amount given to four or five. If this should prove the fact, it would, of course, be decisive; but the result of some inquiries on this subject has led to a very different conclusion.

"It may be thought that for contributors to enter their names in one sum for the whole amount devoted to this purpose in the year may savour of ostentation. But it would not be necessary, or perhaps expedient, to publish the names of the donors beyond the Society itself, and then no farther publicity would be given than by the present plan. It is, besides, obvious, that any individual would be at liberty to enter what proportion he pleased of his annual contribution in an anonymous form.

"5. It could not with propriety be said that such a Society would be assuming an improper control over the churches, or that there would be a danger of that spirit of domination which has, in some cases, attended the power of disposing of considerable funds. It is presumed that the income of the year would be distributed in the year, and consequently, that the Committee would be merely disposing of their contributions in a calm and deliberate manner, after having had full opportunity to obtain all the information necessary to satisfy them as to the mode of their application."

This is, as I have said, a sensible and well-written exposure of the Begging System; and such as I should have been very desirous, on that account alone, to have offered to the notice of all Churchmen; but I confess I

have a further reason, which will, I hope, appear in another letter. In the mean time,

SIR, I have said enough, and perhaps more than enough, to show that the "begging system" is a very bad one; and that some, at least, of the Dissenters are perfectly aware of many and great evils arising from it. They knew (as I have shown) that it was a bad system long ago-but what was to be done?

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I can imagine that you may answer at once- Why, to be sure, nothing could be done-who could claim any right to dictate to the people of Little Dickington, or Thimbleton Parva, or any other place rejoicing in a population of less than a hundred souls, and tell them that they had no right to build what they could not pay for, and then send their minister a-begging ?-they would, of course, answer, that they were a voluntary society, who had formed themselves into a church under the pastoral care of the said minister, and that if they liked to send him, and he liked to be sent, it was no business of any body else; and he had a perfect right