Suppofing there were good reafon for calling this notion, that Patrons are mere truftees, a Theory, I must own that I fhould not be fo much disturbed by it as fome might be. A Theory is often only a fet of obfervations and conclufions, drawn from experiments, and reduced into fome regular fhape and in things moral, it is only a fet of rules, very useful, found out by degrees, after feveral corrections, each correction occafioned by fome actual inconvenience, and each rule adopted as utility appeared, and as men could be prevailed upon to practife it; and the whole moulded into fome form, in which it can be plainly feen and eafily applied. When a fet of ufeful rules is fo fabricated, men look back upon it, and can perceive, that it would have been beft if they could always have acted from such a system, or plan. This is my idea of a theory; therefore when once it is formed, referring to it must be the eafieft method of afcertaining wherein our duty confifts.-But if any are fo averfe to every thing called theory, as not to admit what has been advanced in its favour, they ftill do not overthrow what has before been eflablifhed, that for the right performance of clerical duties in parishes, tithes and glebe have been actually appropriated, and legacies bequeathed. Another objection might be couched in the following terms; if the alliance of church and flate be intended to confer advantages on both, mutually, has not the flate, or crown, a fair right to appoint thofe to the benefices in its presentation, who have the moft influence in the country, whether they be the belt clerical characters or not? we might anfwer, it does not follow from two parties forming an alliance, for mutual advantages, that each party is to have all poffible advantages of every kind, which he can gain from the other without any restrictions: two partners in trade are not to touch each other's houfhold goods: the advantages in queflion are only fuch as belong to the nature of the alliance. Now I conceive that the advantages which the ftate receives from the church, are properly fucn as arise from principles of virtue and religion; thefe wil do infinite good to a ftate, by making the subjects loyal, honeft, faithful, temperate, chafte, gentle, obedient to the laws, feen or unfeen, without fpies, or fuperintendence; without punishment. Such benefits to a state, are ineftimable! And it is farther to be obferved, that only the best clerical characters can produce thefe ineftimable bleffings: in comparison of which the little momentary advantages arifing from election-influence, is perfectly contemptible: befides that fuch influence is by no means a steady support of the crown: it veers fo about, that, in any conteft, there is almoft as much of it acts against the crown as for it. Not to fpeak of that which neither aims to fupport nor to oppofe the executive power. Another objection may be, that when chapters and colleges have Patronage, their practice is, to prefent, not according to merit, but feniority. This is an evil, and I know no juf tification of the practice but that it is confidered as the leaft evil. If every member was to be conftantly intriguing for a prefentation, there would be no peace, no friendly agreement in the corporate body. If any member is not competently qualified for a benefice, the fault is to be charged on those who elected him, and in fome extreme cafes the rule of feniority is fet afide. And in the end, whatever good there is in the members of the corporation will devolve upon fome parish or other. Hereditary fucceffion in a monarchy is upon the fame footing with that now before us; it is an evil, but the least evil: much lefs would arise from the clashing of parties, though contending in favour of those whom each party efteemed the most worthy. It may be objected to what we have faid with regard to Jelling benefices, that fuch fales are confirmed by law. But many contracts must be confirmed by law, which cannot be approved by confcicnce. Suppofe a gentleman of fortune had brought up his fon and heir in all habits and accomplifhments which might beft qualify him to make an honorable figure in life, as the head of the family, and was afterwards induced by the arts of a concubine, to make over to her the whole of his property: if the deed of gift was legally drawn and executed, the law muft confirm it, though every fpectator would deteft the action. Sir William Blackftone mentions as one of the improvements in law made by Edward I. that" He effectually provided for the recovery "of advowfons, as temporal rights; in which, before, the "law was extremely deficient." And rendering that definite in law which had been difputable, must always be a great benefit to the public; but the uncertainty of the law with refpect to advowfons, muft have arifen, in all probability, from their having been really the property of the church. Still, if there was no law to hinder a Patron from transferring his right of Patronage, his transfer fhould be valid. To fay that all the acts which are not forbidden by law should be be valid, is the fame thing as to say, that, if difputed, the law fhould confirm them. (To be contined.) RECTOR. ON LICENSING DISSENTING TEACHERS. TO THE EDITOR OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE. SIR, HAVE been lately reading Mr. Pearfon's letter to the chancellor of the exchequer, and though I do not perfectly coincide with him in all his fuggeftions, I feel myself under obligations to him and to every other friend of the establishment, who do at fuch a time turn their minds to the subject, and give themselves the trouble to fuggeft any thing that may appear to be likely to ftrengthen the walls of Jerufalem, and enable us to fuftain the fhock which I have long been expecting, and have every year feen more and more reafon to expect, as our enemies are increafing, their works advancing, and the time approaching when they may be able to bring all their guns to bear upon us. Whether this generation fhall pass away before the grand attack be made is not within the reach of human forefight to determine, but one thing is certain, and we must be very infenfible to what is paffing before our eyes if we do not fee it, that our enemies are daily increasing, and our own numbers in proportion diminishing; that they are conftantly gaining ftrength, while we are gradually lofing; that they are active, while we are asleep; that they are making their regular approaches, which must one day or other render our pofition no longer tenable; while fuch is our confidence in the ftrength of the place, and our power to hold out against any numbers or combination of force that may be brought againft it, that we seem fcarcely enfible of any danger, and too fecure in our own ftrong holds to think it neceffary to make one fally to destroy the works that are raifing, or retard the advances that we cannot cannot but fee they are daily making around us. At fuch atime, and under fuch circumftances, it is not a trifling alteration in our Liturgy,* if fuch it needed, nor any improvement in our manner of reading it, if that were not already very fuperior to the fuppofed eloquence of their extempore orators, that would do any thing to ftrengthen ourfelves or annoy our enemies; but there is one thing, which, if it had fortunately occurred to the friends and rulers of our church at an earlier period, would have done much to prevent the increase of secta, rifts, and will I am confident even now be a very great safe, guard, and operate more than any thing that is left for us to do to diminish their numbers, or at least with respect to one numerous body of them, to prevent their increafe, and that is the idea which Mr. Pearfon fuggefts, that every preacher before he be admitted to the office of a teacher be examined in the Greek Teftament. Nothing can be fimpler, more reasonable in itself, or more eafily to be effected than this: which, like all other dif coveries when made, one cannot help wondering that it had not been made before. The abuses of a right which was indifputable in its principle, and the glaring perverfion of the Act of Toleration to purposes which it was never intended to countenance, have long been the subject of lamentation in the minds of those who have turned their thoughts to the ftate of the church, and the growing diffenfions which prefent themselves to the eye of an obferver in every part of the kingdom: but how to reftrain the abuse without infringing the principle, or incurring the charge of being inimical to the principles of religious liberty, was the difficulty that prefented itself in limine, and appeared so formidable both to the minifters of ftate and the minifters of religion, that they had not the courage to venture a step further into the confideration of the important fubject which called their attention. But here the difficulty is at once removed, and there is nothing more to be done than the qualification of the principle already admitted, and fo long acted upon, by a fimple provifion which does not at all affect the principle, and goes to the very point at once from which the greatest part of the evils with which we are now furrounded have fprung. For what is there that can militate with the prin ciple of that act, or to which the objects themselves whom it was intended to protect, will not most readily allow to be Mr. Pearson's letter. + Ibid. perfefly : Vol. XIII. Churchm. Mag. for Sep. 1807. perfectly juft and reasonable in requiring of those who claim the privileges of it, that they fhould be fubject to an examination which fhall determine their fitnefs to be entrusted with the important charge of public teachers? If, however clear and evident the truths might be, and demonftrable the doctrines, as the pure word of God, they were required to hold and teach this or that particular doctrine without which they could not be fuffered to undertake the office of teachers, the rights of confcience might be pleaded in bar to the requifitions propofed; but to be able to read the Scriptures, in which the truths of the Gospel are contained, in the original language in which thofe Scriptures were written, is a qualification without which it must be admitted, by all who take Scripture for their guide, that none can be competent or ought to be permitted to teach the truths therein contained. Men are not entrusted with the lives, the health and safety of the public, without a proof of fuitable qualifications for the charge. Medical profeffors must pafs an examination before they are permitted to undertake the cure of bodily infirmities: how much more important is this precaution in the cure of fouls? In the naval and other departments, those who are to be entrusted with the fafety of fo many of their fellow creatures, are not allowed. to undertake fo great a charge without examination. In the Church the rulers must have full proof of their fitness before the candidates for orders can be admitted into the ministry; and why should any be fuffered to take upon themselves the important charge of public inftruction in matters which refpect this higheft of all concerns, until the government are fatisfied that they poffefs at leaft fo much of the requifite talents of a religious teacher, as that they understand the language in which the religion is written? Unless they pretend to immediate revelation, and if they do, they fhould give full proof of their miffion to the fatisfaction of the government before they be permitted to deliver, under the fanction of divine authority, doctrines which may not only be the delufion of their own imagination, but which every rational and reflecting mind muft know to be fuch, or worse; unless they can make it appear by the figns of an Apostle that they are commiffioned and fent from God; unless they declare themselves to have no belief in what is already re vealed, and, if they do this, the question would be whether they ought at all to be permitted to do the mifchief that fuch an open difavowal of that divine rule of faith and practice by which all Chriftian ftates are influenced would be attended |