The Curates Bill gives such power to the Bishops, that, if to that be added the power they already possess by the Bill of Residence, no clergyman who values his domestic comfort will ever think of differing from his bishop’s opinions in any publication, religious, political, or historical; thus a great mass of educated men are placed in utter subservience to those who are in utter subservience to the Crown.
The true remedy is, by taking care that proper peo-
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The law endeavours to prevent this, by saying such bargains shall not be binding; i. e. it aims to effect its object by making one man to act dishonourably towards another, when it is for the interest of the Church that they should both be on the best terms; and this very scoundrel who has thus broken his faith is the species of curate which Mr. Perceval contends is to be so honourable. How is his condition bettered by the Bill? If he be dishonourable, will he be a useful man to his parish?
That it comes from a school that you do not like should tamper with the Church of England; that whenever the revenues of the Church are seized upon, it will be under the very same plea upon which this Bill is founded;—i. e. that they belong to the State, and can be appropriated to any person or purpose which the State may think proper; and that the step is short from ecclesiastical to lay tithes.
I forgot to say, that it cannot be contended that this
increase of salary is meant to act as a fine upon the non-resident rector;
because you first pass a law
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This law supposes that the rector is only desirous of putting in the cheapest curate he can get; whereas non-resident rectors are commonly very desirous of putting in people of respectability.
It is folly to speak of bettering the condition of the curate, as if it were a permanent state: it is merely a transitory state. The grub puts up with anything, because it means to be an aurelia. A footman is better than a curate, if to be a curate were the only object of any man; but a man says, “I shall succeed to some preferment hereafter. That is my reward; but, in the meantime, I shall take what I can get.”
Lastly, is it worth while for the Bishop of London to make alterations in the Church when the world has only sixty years to remain,—indeed, now only fifty-nine and a half?
