when they abuse it moft grofsly. Not that we dare build upon fuch a foundation an exemption from all human laws; but yet it is a measure of divine government which ought never to be forgotten whilft men are impofing restraints upon each other. It is very defirable that husband and wife fhould live together; but are they for that reason to be com pelled to a perpetual cohabitation? might not liberty to take a voyage to the Eaft Indies, or elsewhere, occafionally, as circumftances fhould direct at any time, answer better to both parties upon the whole than much confinement ? compulfion might take away all that mutual affection, all that tender intereft in the continual interchange of good offices, and the pursuit of common good, which is fo truly valuable when the connubial affociating is perfectly voluntary. This illuftration may have been fuggefted by the church being called the Spouse of Chrift; however that may be, it might be difficult perhaps to allege any thing for a representative of Chrift being compelled to refide with his Spouse the Church, which might not be equally applicable to a man's being compelled to live with his wife. To make Refidence what it is fuppofed to be by those who moft favour the enforcing of it, benefices fhould be fo proportioned, as to their value, that the most important should be the most valuable; and that, in every case, the value fhould depend upon the importance; that is, upon the number of those whofe morals and religion were to be watched and improved; and upon the effects of having each a good or bad man. As the revenues of our church arife, a man may refide upon a living according to the strictest law, and yet be very much overpaid for his ecclefiaftical work; and another perfon, who is very induftrious in a populous parish, may be very much under paid, even though he does not refide full nine months. Our law fuppofes every man exactly to earn the profits of his living, however great or fmall, if he refides nine months upon it: after he has fo done, to owe nothing to the church, and to have nothing owing to him from the church. To be on the footing of a fervant, who has done his work and received his wages. But this conftitution makes the pay of minifters fo very difproportioned to their fervices, that it can only be excused by neceffity. Suppofing all the revenues of the church in the hands of faithful trustees, they would pay each minister according to the quantity of his work, and the importance of it to the public religion and virtue; that N Vol. XIII. Churchm. Mag. for August 1807. being way being now impracticable, that is, not practicable without greater evils even than the prefent inequality produces, it is the duty of all parties to come as near to it as poffible. Whereas our prefent law is fatisfied with keeping at a very great diftance from it. There can at prefent be no hope that fervices will be proportioned to emoluments but from the consciences of the more opulent clergy; and it does not appear to me, that laws enjoining Refidence, and expreffing fatisfaction in a certain refidence (not to mention facilities of avoiding even that refidence) can ever fupply the great inequality. I think there would be more chance of the revenues anfwering their proper end, if more was put upon the confcience; and if men had the duty of proportioning fervices to emoluments, explained and preffed upon them, on nomination, or, inftitution, to any lucrative benefice. We may with that things could be nearer perfection than they are; but as change would throw all property into confufion, no better remains than to confider all the revevues of the church as belonging to one common flock, or treafury; and charge it upon the confciences of patrons to give the most valuable benefices to those who will do the moft fpiritual good, in various ways; and upon the confciences of incumbents to promote moral and religious worth fomewhere, in proportion to the share which they enjoy of the revenues: this would frequently prevent able men from tying themfelves down to the fpot from which their emoluments arife; but if it would amend the state of virtue and religion, in our church and nation, upon the whole, it would be the preferable plan. Whether it would_really have fo good an effect, many would question; but I muft own it feems to me, that, though trufting so much to men's confciences would occafion many abufes, yet if the department of patronage could be brought into tolerable order, the other part, that of the incumbents, would not fail; for after all the laws that can be made, the effectual performance of the incumbent's duties must be owing to conscience. Under the prefent confinement, many men, fit to exercise authority, must be loft in obfcurity; and very important fervices must be loft to the public, if it be allowed, that every man does all that he is under obligation to do, by refiding nine months in the year in a parifh, where his principle talents and acquirements are wholly ufelefs.-That every parifh fhould be well taken care of, and have inftructions the beft calculated to improve it, and make it ftedfast in every good principle and act, cannot be doubted; but the inftruc tions tions of very learned and thinking men are not always the moft useful to country parishes. For my own part, well as I wish to country parishes, I feel no regret that bishop Hurd was not obliged to refide nine months in every year "in low Thurcafton's fequefter'd bower;" though I would not oppofe Hooker's retiring voluntarily into the country to finish his Ecclefiaftical Polity. (see end of Mafon's third Elegy.) It would have great influence in determining whether the clergy fhould or should not be tied to Refidence if we could compare two nations, in one of which they were fo restrained in the other not; the reft being alike. Yet in the latter, where the clergy had difcretionary power, I would conceive them to have encouragements to refide, as much as fhould feem to them really really right and useful; fuch as comfortable houses; and some degree of pecuniary advantage. In fuch a comparison, as far as we can make it, every one must be guided by his own conceptions. I cannot help fancying, that the confined clergy would, in a few ages, become ignorant, narrow-minded, ftupid, bigotted, fuperfti tious; fome arrogant and brutifh; others mild, but infipid; fome fottifh, others convivial and extravagant. Whereas in that nation where the clergy had more liberty, they would, by affociating more with men out of their own line of life, particularly with men of improved minds and vir, tuous characters, verfed in bufinefs of various forts, have a good probability of becoming learned, wife, ingenious, candid, rationally pious, active, polished, acute, difcreet, cheerful, pleafing, benevolent, modeft, humble, temperate, indulgent, frugal of improved tafte and civilized manners adorning any station, high or low.. Such a comparison feems actually to have taken place between popish monafteries and proteftant Colleges; and to have occafioned very reasonable relaxations, with regard to Refidence impofed by popish authority. * But to retire from fuch extensive views I will observe, * Whilst I was writing this paragraph, Dr. Powell's sermon on Heb. xii. 1. occurred to my mind. "The sin that doth so easily beset us." I read it, and I thought it excellent; admirable. And I thought that every lawgiver, meaning to confine the clergy, should consider it attentively, and judge how far the observations contained in it on monastic life, were applicable to clergy forcibly fixed in their parsonage houses. Some passages I feel much inclined to quote; but it seems a pity to break the unity of so perfect a whole. N 2 that that if a Rector can eafily and comfortably go from home when any occafion feems to him to require it, he is the more likely to engage a Curate: now two clergymen are better for a parish, generally fpeaking, than one; in various ways; fome of which it might be rather invidious to mention. The having two, fuppofe half the year, would compenfate to the parish for the rector's abfence, occafionaliy, during the other half; that is, the parish would be more benefited so, than if only the rector refided his legal nine months, and got affistance during the other three, from neighbours, or others not interested in the parish, and abfent from it. The prefent confinement of a rector to his parfonagehoufe may be a great hinderance to a clergyman's marrying a lady of large property; as fuch a one would want a roomy houfe, ftables, and offices; or would have a good dwelling of her own. In licentious times many a lady of fortune may judge it reasonable to unite herfelf to a man of good morals and regular decent behaviour; efpecially if her appearance and manners are not of that brilliant fort, which are apt to catch the eye, and dazzle the judgment of the opulent and the noble. Now a woman of large property, in the fitua tion of a rector's wife, does a great deal of good in a Parish; and very much encourages attendance on religious duties. Befides that it is greatly conducive to the public good that property fhould be united to virtue; and that a provifion fhould be made for those well-principled females, who might without it always live dingle. This reafoning Tuppofes fome confiderable intercourse to fubfift between the rector and his parifh; but the ufeful kind of alliance here fpoken of would feldom be confiftent with perfect conformity to the present law. And what has been obferved with regard to clergymen acquiring property by marriage, might be applied to thofe who have property without it. And such are the neareft to being difinterested in entering into the miniftry difinterefted minifters are, generally speaking more likely to perform offices of religion with a right spirit, (befides that they muft benefit the houses, and other temporalties) than thofe who fay, "Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests offices that I may eat a piece of bread." (1 Sam. ii. 36.) One part of a clergyman's duty is to ftudy religion, natural and revealed; but books are often difficult to be procured in country retirement, or even in many towns. Liberty here might be fo very useful as to pay for the hazard of its being abused. And many who think and read, may find find occafion to publish. Country printing is very troublefome and inaccurate, in many places; and when sheets are fent backward and forward, the evil is not always removed. When we look at the ineftimable worth of fome publications in our church, we must be inclined to run a good deal of hazard in order to fupport any thing fo useful. And we muft think, that by granting liberty any way capable of producing fuch important good, we are serving the best inte refts of religion. It may be urged by fome, that according to the prefent law in these cafes a bishop would grant a licence, which the abp. would not hesitate to confirm; but in effect, that differs much from Liberty. Is a man to make bishop and arch bishop, with all their fecretaries &c. confidents of his defign upon a lady of fortune? yet fecurity is needful for his first propofal... Is a man of property, who flatters himfelf he could do good as a clergyman in his own way, to lay open all his fond, withes and benevolent fchemes; and fo, if he is fortunate enough to escape ridicule, to tie himself up, and lose the cheering feel of doing good according to varying circumstances, from free choice and genuine good will? Shall the author damp his enthufiafm and expofe his delicacy without a certainty of finally fucceeding? no; liberty is quite a different thing from public written leave, given by the heads of the church, after an application which may probably have produced an examination, dif cordant to the finer fentiments of human nature. What then is to be the refult of all these observations ? If I were obliged to determine fo important a matter, I think Ifhould try the experiment of giving the clergy a difcretionary power with regard to Residence; though I fhould endeavour to invent fome methods of encouraging them to liften to the dictates of confcience, and of rendering clerical duty pleasing as well as fatisfactory to him who fhould regularly perform it. I cannot think any large body of men more likely to make good ufe of difcretionary power than the clergy; especially if patronage were exercifed according to its true intent and meaning. Something to this purpose was mentioned amongst the remarks on the law concerning curates. I own I am unable to adopt any thing fo degrading to the facred order, as that a clergyman is to be treated like a school-boy, and not to be fuffered to go out of bounds without afking the master's leave. Whatever degrades the clergy must lessen the refpect and efteem of the people towards them; and what |