SPIRIT-RAPPING. - Gents knocking at the dif- | And howls the offending singer down, with a zeal ferent doors as they go home late at night.

1. Life of R. Walker, Perpetual Curate of Seathwaite. By the Rev. R. PARKINSON, B. D., Principal of St. Bees College. 2. Reports of the Commissioners on Educa

London: 1843.

From the Edinburgh Review. than small farmers or upper servants. . . . The clergy [in these rural districts] were regarded as a plebeian class. A waiting woman was generally considered as the most suitable helpmate for a parson.... Not one living in fifty enabled the incumbent to bring up a family comfortably. . . . It was a white day on which he was admitted into the kitchen of a great house, and regaled by the servants with cold meat and ale. His children were brought up like the children of the neighboring peas

tion in Wales. London: 1847.

3. Wales. By Sir THOMAS PHILLIPS. London : 1849.

4. Report of the Society for providing additional Clergymen in the Diocese of Llandaff. London: 1852.

his girls went out to service." We have only to change the verbs in this passage from the past tense into the present, and it will be a faithful representation, not of the Anglican priesthood in the last half of the seventeenth century, but of the Cambrian and Cumbrian clergy during the first quarter of the nineteenth century, and of no inconsiderable number at the present time.

A description, then, of the habits and manners, the education and social position, of these mountain clergy is not uninteresting to the historian. Yet, if that description could serve no other end than to gratify historical curiosity, we should never have undertaken it; for it is far more painful than it is curious, to witness any case of failure in one of the greatest and most beneficent of our national institutions the Parochial System

In the liveliest and most graphic of all his-antry. His boys followed the plough, and tories, there are few passages more lively or more graphic than that in which our great bistorian sketches the condition of the clergy between the Restoration and the Revolution. Nor is there any other portion of his work which has subjected Mr. Macaulay to more angry criticism. He has been accused of exaggeration and of caricature; of mistaking the exceptions for the rule; of making satirical lampoons the basis of historical statements; and even of intentionally misrepresenting the evidence which he cites, out of a desire to degrade the clerical order. His assailants, before they disputed the accuracy of his picture, and even denied the possibility of such a state of things as that which he portrays, would have done more wisely if they had examined, not only the records of the past, but the facts of the present. Instead of forming their conclusions from what they saw around them in the wealthier districts of southern or central England, they should have made acquaintance with the mountain solitudes of Wales, or the wild moorlands of Cumberland. There they would have found even yet existing not a few specimens of a clergy whose circumstances and position a few years ago might be accurately represented in the very words of that celebrated description to which we have referred.

of the Church; and we cannot investigate the condition of our mountain districts without perceiving that such a failure has, at least partially, occurred. Under these circumstances, no mere curiosity would lead us to probe the wounds of the Church. If, indeed, the evils which we lament were incurable, we should veil them from the light in reverential silence. Nay, if we saw no sign of amendment, we might abstain, in hopeless discouragement, from suggesting remedies "The Anglican priesthood," says Mr. Macau- where there was no wish for cure. But the lay, was divided into two sections, which, in case is far otherwise. Many of the worst acquirements, in manners, and in social posi- abuses are already rooted out; others are tion, differed widely from each other. One much abated. A description which would. section, trained for cities and courts, com- fifty years ago, have suited almost the whole prised men familiar with all ancient and mod- of Wales, and many counties in the north of ern learning... men of address, politeness, and England, must now be limited to the most knowledge of the world; men with whom impoverished districts of the former, and the Halifax loved to discuss the interests of em- wildest regions of the latter. The realms of 'pires, and from whom Dryden was not clerical neglect are shrinking before the adashamed to own that he had learned to write. vance of civilization and the efforts of consciThe other section... was dispersed over the entious men. Yet this improvement may be country, and consisted chiefly of persons not rendered more rapid, and these reformers may · at all wealthier, and not much more refined, Į be aided, by cooperation from without. Such.

coöperation can only be expected from an en- by some good men, whose disgust has been

lightened public opinion; and public opinion requires a fuller knowledge of the facts for its enlightenment. It is in the hope of contributing to this knowledge that we enter upon the subject.

excited by the Mammon-worship too often seen in a rich establishment, and who fancy that they might get rid of worldly clergymen if they could get rid of wealthy endowments. Those who imagine this forget that poverty We have said that Mr. Macaulay's account does not secure zeal, and that fasting must be of the Rural Clergy of the reign of Charles voluntary to foster self-denial. Poor beneII. would apply almost verbatim to the Moun- fices are as great a temptation to the peasant tain Clergy of the present century. We may as rich bishoprics to the peer. Secular moadd that this condition of things originates in tives are not excluded by small emoluments, the same cause which he assigns for it; name- but only brought to bear upon a lower class. ly, the inadequacy of the parochial endow- If we could expect that the ministers of the ments. But here we must guard against Gospel would be all, or most of them, men misconception. Let it not for a moment be of apostolic life and apostolic wisdom, their supposed that we consider poverty a degrada- apostolic poverty would relieve them from tion to the preacher of the Gospel. God many trammels; and their lowly origin, while forbid that wealth should be necessary to the it enabled them better to sympathize with ministry of a religion which made the poor of the humblest, would command the reverence this world rich in faith a religion whose of every rank; for no real vulgarity can apostles were Galilean fishermen. A clergy exist in him who is the devoted servant of may be very ill-endowed, and yet, by a judi- God. Lancashire, amongst all her worthies, cious system of organization and discipline, boasts none worthier than the poor and ignoand by a proper provision for its education, rant Walker of Seathwaite. But such men it may command not only the love of the are necessarily exceptional. In regulating a poor, but the respect of the rich. The effi- great national institution, we must consider ciency of the Scotch establishment during the the effect of circumstances, not upon aposlast century and a half is a decisive proof of tolic individuals, but upon the multitude; we this. But if we have a clergy taken from must deal with men as they are, not as they the poorer classes of society, and left in indi- ought to be. If no man were to be admitted gence, without education, without superin- to the ministry who had not the spirit of a tendence, without organization, and without Paul or a Bernard, a Xavier or a Wesley, we discipline, then it will inevitably become de- must give up established churches and parospised and despicable. Not that a priesthood chial systems altogether. No human regulaof vulgar paupers is in reality more contempt- tions can raise the general mass of any great ible than a hierarchy of well-bred Sybarites; profession above the weaknesses of ordinary for, in the sight of God, Leo X. was perhaps humanity; but a wise machinery may, nevermore despicable than Tetzel; but that the theless, create a body of parochial ministers, cultivated Epicurean will be able to veil his who, though falling below the ideal standard, faults under a more decent disguise. The may confer a thousand blessings on the careless and undevout members of an unedu- nation. cated peasant clergy will retain the low tastes and coarse vices of the class from which they sprang; and the zealous (who at the best must be a minority) will disgust their more intelligent parishioners by an illiterate fanaticism. These may be followed by the ignorant, but will be ridiculed by the educated; those will be deservedly despised by rich and poor alike. When men, who are appointed by the State to be the religious guides and examples of the people, thus forfeit both the respect of the wise and the esteem of the good, the object of their mission is defeated.

But, before we proceed, we ought to notice the objection which will be made to our views

We repeat, then, that poverty, though in a Church perfectly organized and provided with all requisite machinery, it would not necessarily degrade the clergy, yet has been, under our existing system, an actual cause of their degradation.

In mountain countries, the produce of the land, and consequently the value of the tithe, must always be smaller than in more fertile districts. But this necessary poverty has, both in England and Wales, been much increased by spoliation. In the middle ages the tithes of many parishes were alienated to monastic bodies; and when the monasteries were suppressed, the tithes, instead of reverting, as they should have done, to the

parochial clergy, were granted by the Crown to other parties. It is strange, that the Church was most robbed in the very localities where it was originally poorest. The tithes thus alienated from the parochial clergy amount in the diocese of Bangor to a third of the whole; in St. Asaph and Llandaff to half; and in St. David's (which has been most despoiled), to four sevenths of the whole. In the diocese of Carlisle, four parishes out of five (199 out of 249) have been stripped of more than half their tithes, and 154 stripped of the whole. In Durham, 147 parishes out of 260 have been entirely deprived of tithes.t In Wales there are 282 benefices in which the clergyman's annual income is below 1007., and 527 benefices in which it is below 150. In the diocese of St. David's, the number of livings below 1507. is 290 out of 419, or about three in every four; and 167 of these are below 1007. In Durham, 62 livings out of 260 are helow 1507. In Carlisle, which is the poorest of all, out of 249 livings 151 are below 1501., and 95 (nearly half) are below 1007.

in Durham. Another held a stall in St. David's, a rectory in Salisbury, a stall at Wells, and a rectory in Winchester. Another held a rectory in St. Asaph's, a rectory in Durham, a second rectory in St. Asaph's, a vicarage in Durham, and a stall at Norwich, and his income from these five preferments amounted to 40007. a year.

*

We ought not, however, to mention these abuses without stating that they belong to the past, and are rendered impossible for the future, not only by the higher sense of duty which animates the dispensers of ecclesiastical patronage, but also by an Act of Parliament against pluralities, which was passed in the present reign, with the unanimous concurrence of the Episcopal bench. Nevertheless, the consequences of these past transgressions still exist; the law must respect vested interests; and the pluralists created by a less conscientious age will cumber the ground for a few years longer.t

These pluralities probably reduced the average income of the Welsh clergy in the poorer countries, twenty years ago, to below 1007. a year. In the English mountains, as we have seen, it is still not much higher than this. Now it is plain that no parent whose means enable him to give his son a liberal education, will educate him for a profession in which his probable income would be (at the best) under 2007. a year. The cost of an English University education, including school as well as college, ranges between 10007. and 30007.; 15007. may be considered a moderate estimate. But a parent would clearly be making a bad investment for his son, if he sank 15007.

But the actual poverty of the clergy in these districts has been even greater than that which the above statistics would lead us to suppose. For, till very recently, it was the practice to accumulate the richer benefices in a few favored hands, and to leave only the refuse for distribution among the mass of the clergy. The bishops of half a century ago seem to have been absolutely without a conscience in the disposal of their preferment. Their best livings and stalls were usually bestowed in leashes upon their sons or nephews; and when these were satisfied, the benefices next in value were similarly strung together for him in a way which only produced a life in favor of some Episcopal chaplain or college friend. Sir T. Phillips gives the following examples of such abuses, selected from the First Report of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, which was published twenty years ago.

At that time, a single ecclesiastic held the following preferment; in the diocese of St. David's three rectories, including five parishes; in the diocese of Gloster one rectory, including three parishes; in the diocese of Bristol one prebendal stall. Another individual held two rectories in St. David's, a prebend of St. David's, two perpetual curacies in St. David's, an archdeaconry in St. David's, and a prebend of Brecon. Another held a rectory in Bangor, a perpetual curacy in Winchester, and two vicarages in St. David's. Another held a stall in St. David's, the chancellorship of St. Paul's in London, a rectory in Durham, and a perpetual curacy

We include in the diocese of Carlisle the portions of Lancashire and Westmoreland prospectively transferred to it by Act of Parliament.

In Durham, however, many of these perpetual curacies are sufficiently endowed from other sources, though they have lost their tithes.

income of 1501., charged with the condition of performing certain professional duties. In fact, he might purchase a life annuity charged with no conditions at all, on better terms.‡

For other gross cases, see Phillips, p. 214217. Canon Williams of St. Asaph, in a visitation sermon recently published, gives the following account of the former state of things in that diocese. "The best preferments were notoriously given with reference to some political or family influence. Even within my own recollection of many parts of this diocese, clerical non-residence appeared to be the rule, and residence the comthe parishioners was entrusted to curates, engaged paratively rare exception. The spiritual care of at stipends disgracefully low. Even in their case, residence was not invariably enforced, and they often travelled several miles to perform their Sunday duty. On week days the intercourse between the pastor and his flock was in great measure suspended. Nor was it always considered necessary to preach even a single sermon on Sundays."

+ Out of 56 parishes, in the North of Pembrokeshire, 33 were still without a resident clergyman in 1847. See Educ. Com. Rep. i. p. 24.

It is no answer to this to say, that English gentlemen of the highest education are daily or

518

But

Hence it follows, that the parochial clergy of land. The features which we have to notice districts so ill endowed as those we have de-are strikingly similar in both localities; but scribed, must be mainly drawn from classes we shall speak first and chiefly of that which, below the gentry. And, in point of fact, we from its size and quasi-national peculiarities, find that they are, with few exceptions, the is of most importance- the Principality of sons of farmers or small tradesmen, who do Wales. not differ in habits or education from their parents, brothers, and cousins. A friend of ours was consulted, not long But it must be remembered, that amongst town, concerning the prospects of his second since, by a shop-keeper in a Welsh provincial this rustic hierarchy are to be found, scat-son. tered here and there, some clergymen of rank sending him into the Church. His brother "I am thinking, sir,' ," said he, "of and fortune, some of professional eminence, is a clever lad, and takes well to the business, some of European reputation. So groundless but I can't make anything of this one. I is that cavil which accuses Mr. Macaulay of thought to set him up in trade, but he hasn't inconsistency in representing two orders of the head for it. But I fancy, sir, he might men so widely different from each other as soon learn enough to be ordained." existing side by side in the same profession. notwithstanding some recruits of this kind The very difference which he describes may from the commercial interest, the chief supbe still seen in the regions of which we write. ply of clergy is derived from the farming class; Thus, while the diocese of Carlisle was probably because the shopkeepers, by pushing adorned by the science and piety of Dean Mil- their children in trade, can give them a betner, and the acute logic of Archdeacon Paley, ter provision than the Church would offer. the mass of the inferior clergy were, in man- The general character of the small farmers ners and acquirements, scarcely raised above among the Welsh mountains has been indithe Cumbrian peasantry; and even within sight of those cathedrals which we missioners. They are there described as ignow, cated in the Reports of the Educational Comassociate with the names of Copleston and norant and addicted to intemperance; and Thirlwall, indigenous pastors are to be found their households are said not unfrequently to who cannot speak English grammatically, and exhibit scenes of the coarsest immorality.† who frequent the rural tavern in company In such a home the future pastor may receive with the neighboring farmers. bibe his earliest views of life; those views the moral training of his childhood, and imwhich abide by us to our latest hour. In very many cases his father is a dissenter; but that does not prevent him from bringing up one of his sons to be a clergyman - for it is his duty to provide for his family- and a mountain living, though but a poor maintenfarm. ance, may be rather better than a mountain

It is this latter class of clergy which forms our present subject. Their numbers may be roughly estimated at between 700 and 800 in Wales, and about 200 in the north of Engdained to curacies of less value than this; because their curacies are only the first step in their professional life, just as an ensigney is the first step in a military career.

of farmers or tradesmen.

*We have ascertained that out of 100 clergymen in the diocese of Bangor, taken at random, in November, 1852, there were sons of clergymen, David Jenkins, a small farmer in BrecknockLet us suppose, then, that thirty years ago, 29; sons of other gentlemen, 30; sons of farmers or tradesmen, 41. That is, two fifths are the sons shire, resolved to bring up his son Evan for tion in St. Asaph is about the same. We believe the propor- the Church; and let us attempt to follow the there were (including curates) in the diocese of and ministerial, till he obtained a benefice. Now in 1852 lad through his subsequent course, educational Bangor 169 clergy, and in the diocese of St. Asaph Young Evan acquired the art of reading at 221 clergy. Hence, two fifths of these, or about 150 of the North Welsh clergy, are the sons of the the Sunday school attached to the nearest lower classes. But, probably, a third of this num-meeting-house. In due time he learnt what ber have received an Oxonian education, as servi- was called English (which, however, he was tors of Jesus College (a circumstance which does not exist in South Wales). Hence we may deduct 50 from the class, as being better educated than the rest, and reckon the peasant clergy in North Wales as 100. In South Wales the livings below 1507., and the curacies, are almost invariably held by this class; and many of the livings of higher value also. So that if we reckon all the curacies, and all the holders of livings below 1501., as belonging to the peasant clergy, we shall still understate their number. Now in Llandaf diocese this will make their number 219, and in St. David's 402. So that we shall have 621 in South Wales, and in the whole of Wales their number will amount to 721.

most of which are not above 701. or 801.; adding * We have 151 livings in Carlisle below 150, to these 30 curates, we have 181. cent hills of Durham and Ripon dioceses there may be about 60 more of the same class. In the adjain all they may amount to 260. In other parts of England, livings of 1201. a year would be held by So that gentlemen of private fortune, who take such small preferment from a love for the work; but this is seldom the case in the Northern hills. We may, however, suppose some slight deduction from the above 260, on this score.

See Ed. Com. Rep. i. p. 21, and Rep. iii. p. 61, and p. 334.