Sir William Petty, who, under the name of captain Graunt, published fome obfervations upon the bills of mortality about five years after the refloration, tells us the parishes in London were even then fo unequally divided, that fome were two hundred times larger than others. Since that time, the increase of trade, the frequency of parliaments, the defire of living in the metropolis, together with that genius for building which began after the fire, and hath ever fince continued, have prodigiously enlarged this town on all fides, where it was capable of increase; and those tracts of land built into streets have generally continued of the fame parish they belonged to while they lay in fields; fo that the care of above thirty thousand fouls hath been fometimes committed to one minifter, whofe church would hardly contain the twentieth part of his flock: neither, I think, was any family in those parishes obliged to pay above a groat a year to their fpiritual paftor. Some few of thofe parishes have been fince divided, in others were erected chapels of eafe, where a preacher is maintained by general contribution. Such poor fhifts and expedients, to the infinite fhame and fcandal of fo vaft and flourishing a city, have been thought fufficient for the fervice of God and religion, as if they were circumftances wholly indifferent. This defect, among other confequences of it, hath made fchifm a fort of neceffary evil; there being at least three hundred thousand inhabitants in this town, whom the churches would not be able to contain, if the people were ever fo well difpofed and in a city not overstocked with zeal the only way to preferve any degree of religion, is to make all attendance upon the duties of it as easy and cheap as poffible; whereas, on the contrary, in the larger parishes, the prefs is fo great, and the pew-keepers tax fo exorbitant, that those who love to fave trouble and money, either ftay at home or retire to the conventicles. I believe there are few examples, in any chriftian country, of fo great a neglect of religion; and the diffenting teachers have made their advantage largely by it, fowing tares among the wheat while men slept, being much more expert at procuring contributions, which is a trade they are bred up in, than men of a liberal education. And to say truth, the way practised by several parishes in and about this town, of maintaining their clergy by voluntary fubfcriptions, is not only an indignity to the character, but hath many pernicious confequences attending it; fuch a precarious dependence fubjecting a clergyman, who hath not more than ordinary spirit and resolution, to many inconveniences, which are obvious to imagine; but this defect will, no doubt, be remedied by the wisdom and piety of the prefent parliament; and a tax laid upon every house in a parish for the support of their paftor. Neither indeed can it be conceived, why a house, whose purchase is not reckoned above one one third lefs than land of the fame yearly rent, fhould not pay a twentieth part annually (which is half tythe) to the fupport of the minifter. One thing I could wish, that, in fixing the maintenance to the feveral minifters in thefe new intended parishes, no determinate fum of money may be named, which in all perpetuities ought by any means to be avoided, but rather a tax in proportion to the rent of each house, although it be but a twentieth, or even a thirtieth part. The contrary of this, I am told, was done in feveral parishes of the city after the fire, where the incumbent and his fucceffors were to receive for ever a certain fum; for example, one or two hundred pounds a year. But the lawgivers did not confider, that what we call at prefent one hundred pounds will not, in procefs of time, have the intrinfick value of twenty; as twenty pounds now are hardly equal to forty fhillings three hundred years ago. There are a thousand inftances of this all over England in referved rents applied to hofpitals, in old chiefries, and even among the clergy themselves, in those payments which, I think, they call a modus.. As no prince had ever better difpofitions than her prefent majefty for the advancement of true religion; fo there never was any age, that produced greater occafions to employ them on. It is an unfpeakable misfortune, that any defign of fo excellent a QUEEN fhould be checked by the neceffities of a long and ruinous war, which the folly or corrup tion tion of modern politicians have involved us in, against all the maxims, whereby our country flourished fo many hundred years: elfe her majefty's care of religion would certainly have reached even to her American plantations. Thofe noble countries, stocked by numbers from hence, whereof too many are in no very great reputation for faith or morals, will be a perpetual reproach to us, until fome better care be taken for cultivating chriftianity among them. If the governors of those feveral colonies were obliged at certain times to tranfmit an exact reprefentation of the state of religion in their feveral diftricts, and the legiflature here would, in a time of leisure, take that affair under their confideration, it might be perfected with little difficulty, and be a great addition to the glories of her majefty's reign. But, to wave further fpeculations upon fo remote a scene, while we have fubjects enough to employ them on at home: it is to be hoped the clergy will not flip any proper opportu nity of improving the pious difpofitions of the QUEEN and kingdom for the advantage of the church; when, by the example of times paft, they confider how rarely fuch conjectures are like to happen. What if fome method were thought on towards repairing of churches; for which there is like to be too frequent occafion; thofe ancient gothick structures throughout this kingdom going every year to decay. That expedient of repairing or rebuilding them by charitable collections Leems, feems, in my opinion, not very fuitable either to the dignity and usefulness of the work, or to the honour of our country; fince it might be fo eafily done, with very little charge to the publick, in a much more decent and honourable manner, while pariaments are fo frequently called. But thefe and other regulations must be left to a time of peace, which I fhall humbly prefume to with may foon be our share, however offenfive it may be to any, either abroad or at Lame, who are gainers by the war, NUM |