together with some little money which he may receive for officiating in the neighbouring villages, may be sufficient to defray his expences for one year.' I shall be happy to give further explanation should it be necessary; in the mean time let me add, that if I had supposed this to be an uncommon case, I should not have said anything about it. I trust, however, that this gentleman, after charging me with a gross libel," will make the inquiry which he proposes, not only for his own satisfaction, nor only as to "one" of these establishments, and that he will frankly publish a report of his discoveries. He proceeds, however :—

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"Mr. Wilson's book may be a very good one for aught I knowat least it would appear to answer the Churchman's purpose well, as he quotes so largely from it; and whether he is right or wrong in the conclusions he draws from the lives of ministers who all lived previous to the year 1808, and a very many in the last century, can have but little weight, with an unprejudiced mind, now that we are discussing matters and things in 1834, when churchman and dissenter" [if they have read the XIth letter] " cannot but agree in the schoolboy's copy

'Tempora mutantur.'

"The greater part of the matter contained in this last batch of letters consisting of Mr. Wilson's lives, i. e. quotations from his volumes, I take no further notice of 'em than what I have previously expressed; and I should have had quite quantum suff.' of the letters of 'a Churchman' were it not for the concluding sentences of candour to Letter XII. p. 118. He must have a very mean idea of 'churchgoers'-unless they were compelled by law to support the church they would not provide a sufficient maintenance for its ministers. Churchman, I am at variance with your opinions on this point with a liturgy the most beautiful that is possible for the mind of man to conceive, which she now has—with evangelical ministers practising what they preach to the flocks among which they are forced to reside, competency, if not an affluence sufficient to dispense to others in those frequent cases of distress which their holy office

makes them acquainted with so frequently, would be the result of a general and modified system similar to that of the dissenters."

We have seen in some degree, and I hope to make it further apparent, how much would be likely to be done by any class of persons under the Voluntary System for the support of ministers and religion; but let me here say, that my reason for noticing this gentleman's letters is, as I have already stated, that he seems to be involved in, and I really think on many points sincerely and honestly holds, those fallacious views with which the weak are too often deluded by the wicked, and which find ready circulation and acceptance among the lowminded and ignorant. Let me, therefore, here remind him (for he must know it) that churchmen are not compelled by law to support the church," so far as regards the maintenance of its ministers. It is just because they have not been compelled either by law, or anything else, to do this, and have never in fact done it, that I should expect them to be some time in learning how to do it, even as well as it is done by the Dis

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senters.

"I hope you cannot and trust you will not imagine from any of my remarks, that I am an enemy to the Church of England. I can honestly assure you I am not, but I do wish to see the fan of Parliament throroughly purge her floor-that done, dissent will be done away also. In accepting my thanks for your time upon which you allow me to trespass again, I remain with every sentiment of respect and esteem," &c.

Entirely disagreeing with this gentleman as to his wish, I perfectly agree with him in the expectation

which he expresses. I believe that if Parliament should ever undertake to purge the floor of the church, dissent —at least all that can be called religious dissent - will be done away also; but while both remain, and while some Dissenters may perhaps wish that they should change places, let us inquire (for that is our next subject, and to that indeed the reply directly conducts us) what is the real relation existing between the minister and his flock under the Voluntary System. This I hope to do in another letter, and in the mean time,

I am, Sir, &c.

LETTER XXXVII.

RELATIVE SITUATION OF MINISTERS AND THEIR CHURCHES. -NO GROUND OF RESPECT IN OFFICIAL CHARACTER OR PROPERTY-ONLY IN TALENTS AND CHARACTER. HABIT OF CRITICISM AND COMPARISON ENGENdered.

SIR, I have, perhaps, sufficiently shown that a minister under the Voluntary System is not likely to meet with much respect on the ground of official character. Whether the Dissenters are right or wrong in supposing that holy orders may be dispensed with, and that it is lawful for any man, merely on the strength of his own good pleasure, to assume the office of a minister of the gospel, is not the question. They will

admit (at least all candid and well-informed Dissenters will admit) that, as to the matter of fact, ordination, and appointment of every description, is so easily obtained, and so frequently dispensed with-and that it is so common for the minister to be engaged in secular concerns, or, I should rather say, perhaps, for those who are engaged in secular affairs, to perform most of the functions of a minister, without pretending in any degree to assume the character of a pastor-that the minister cannot expect much from the circumstance of official character.

It must also be sufficiently clear that they are not generally likely to command respect on the ground of wealth. It is a curious fact, which might afford matter for interesting discussion, that there are fewvery few-instances in which young men who had any fair expectation of independence have entered into the dissenting ministry. But this would lead us from our subject; and it is quite sufficient to say, that, on the ground of that which has too much weight with all men, and which, as I have said, among Dissenters, almost forms the scale of rank and influence, the minister is not in general likely to command respect.

The only grounds, then, on which he can claim it, are those of talents and personal character; and they of course are awkward and delicate grounds. How many can judge, and who cannot slander? and what can personal character do till it is established by length of time and trial?--and as to talents, who is to decide in that which is, to so great an extent, a matter of taste?

But

We

waiving all this-for though it is an evil that men should form a wrong estimate of one another as to their character or talents, yet that is not the precise, or at least the principal, evil in this case-what is the natural consequence of this in a System where the minister is elected by the people? The great evil of the thing is that it produces among the laity generally a habit of criticism and comparison which is most injurious to the peace, and the usefulness of dissenting ministers; and which is an unfailing source of strife and division. are all apt to criticise one another; and the man who acts as a public teacher of any kind must expect to be the subject of criticism. Whether he preaches in a church or a meeting, his audience will make remarks; and perhaps no man ever preached in either, to whom some hearers did not attribute excellencies, and other hearers defects, without any just grounds. But the difference on this point between the Established Church and the Voluntary System is really and substantially great it is something like this-that while the Churchman feels it his wisdom to make the best of what he has got, the Dissenter thinks it his wisdom to be always on the look out to get the best he can. Supposing (what is not very probable) the clergyman should be the stupidest man in the whole parish, the rest of the parishioners may comfort themselves, and compliment one another, on their own superior wisdom; and, when they have done this till they are tired, they will probably feel that they may most equivocally show their wisdom by making the best of things; and, if they have any real