matter, because we knew how reluctant ministers of the Gospel are to complain to their people of any real or seeming delinquency on this score. They shrink from making their relation to their people prominently one of pecuniary hire. It goes against their sense of propriety, or delicacy to say the least, and against their ideas of the proper character and spirit of their calling. They, too, who suffer most from lack of outward comforts and the proper manifestation of sympathy, are very often just the ones to keep their troubles to themselves, and suffer with least complaint. Since the writing of our former article, we have casually come to the knowledge, possessed we presume by few, save the sufferers themselves, that in what would be deemed the part of New England more exempt than any other from the possibility of such a state of things, there are a large number of the Congregational clergy who are deprived of a proper livelihood, and toward whom in several instances their parishes have acted in a manner shameful to an intelligent and Christian age.

We are glad, therefore, to see the evidence given by the Report of the Committee of the clergy of New Haven county, that some of the profession have ventured to speak out upon this subject, in a way likely to attract attention, and to be productive of a desirable effect. We are all the more glad too, that the Report before us emanates from the Episcopal clergy of that county, rather than from those of other denominations, and could readily excuse, if need be, the amusing arrogance with which that not overweighty body of men would ignore the existence of Yale College, and the First Church of New Haven with their pastors, from the time of Davenport until now, to say nothing of others of the same faith, who lifted up their voices in the several towns of that county, long before the responses of an Anglican Liturgy were heard in the meetinghouses in which now officiate those who so complacently style themselves "The Clergy of New Haven County." We say that we are glad that the Report in question has emanated from this particular family of the clergy, rather than from another denomination, for our Episcopalian laity have not been considered slack in comparison with others, in providing for the comfort of their ministry. There certainly is no want of wealth among the Episcopalians of New Haven county, and they are too accustomed in all their historical associations, to the knowledge, that the support of the clergy costs money, not to be as ready as others to make that pecuniary provision which is needful for the proper maintenance of religious ordin

The Report alledges two facts, on the basis of which it makes its appeal to the public. One is, "that in general the salaries of the clergy have not been increased, in proportion to the increased expense of living." The other is, "that comparatively but few parishes are provided with parsonages."

In regard to the first of these alledged facts, the report presents an array of figures, which tell their story very summarily, and which we cannot do better perhaps than quote:

"The average of the salaries of the Connecticut clergy of the present day, is about $450 per annum, showing but little, if any, increase over the grade established thirty years ago; while we venture to say that the expense of living has doubled, and the wealth of the church quintupled. A few figures will very much assist in showing the pecuniary condition of the priesthood. Let us, therefore, estimate a few articles of the necessary expenses of the minister who is receiving the full salary of a thriving country parish, $500. House rent, $75. He must keep a horse and carriage, the annual expense of which, including wear and tear,' horse feed and interest on original outlay, cannot be less than $100. Wages and board of one domestic, $100. Three fires; one in the kitchen, one in the sitting room,' and of course one in the study, making the year's bill for fuel, $60. must attend the Convention and all county meetings, besides being subject to many other calls of duty to the church, involving expense, all of which, together with necessary stationery and postage, cannot be less than $50. Total, $385. Leaving $115 to clothe and feed his family, pay educational debts, buy books and periodicals, and meet all contingent expenses !"

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In connection with their statement in regard to the inadequacy of salaries, the Committee making the report advert to the manner of payment, as having not a little to do in occasioning the indebtedness and consequent troubles of the clergy. It seems from the statements here made, that the custom of paying ministers their stipulated salary, only at the close of the year, is not confined to one denomination, but that even the most apostolic or canonical pedigree does not ensure the payment of tythes any more promptly than the most purely Congregational ordination. There is great weight in the observation of the Committee, "were salaries paid punctually at the end of every three months, the church would at once be largely relieved from the weight and disgrace of an indebted clergy, and the laity, so far from finding their burdens to be heavier, would, in the end, derive great benefit to themselves." We might, however, go somewhat farther and suggest, that in some parishes the experiment has been tried of paying the salary in monthly installments, and found to work beneficially in respect both to pastor and people. On the other hand, we have known the case where a clergyman's salary was considered due only at the close of each official year, though by special grace he was allowed to draw from the treasury occasionally in anticipation; and we have known one thus situated to hire a horse and ride to his treasurer, at the extremity of the parish per

haps, and then get hardly enough to pay for the beast which took him there. Such cases, too, we have reason to think are not very rare. But how people possessed of common sense, and of common knowledge in regard to the practical matter of living, and especially in regard to the pecuniary condition of most of those who are called to the ministry, should ever expect a man to live on a salary thus paid, even if adequate in itself, passes our comprehension. Such an expectation is most unwarrantable. Those who fill the ministerial office are, for the most part, persons not born to wealth, but poverty rather. They are commonly the sons of parents in moderate worldly circumstances, who by diligence and utmost economy, have been able to give their children a common school education, and perhaps afford one son some help towards a collegiate training. From some friend or society that son has borrowed what was needful to pay his way through the college and the seminary, and the chance is that when he is finally invited to assume the charge of a parish, he ascends the pulpit with a debt already upon his shoulders, larger in amount than a year's salary. If he has anything of the spirit which fits him to be a minister of the Gospel, he will be anxious to repay the loan, by which he has obtained his education, as soon as possible. His sensitive soul will ache to do it, and the more lenient his creditors are, the more solicitous will he be to discharge his obligations to them. But how is he to do it? With the pastoral he has perhaps commenced the family relation. He takes a house and furnishes it, of necessity, on credit. He buys a horse and carriage also on the same terms, for these his people give him to understand, are as indispensable a part of the equipment of a clergyman as of a doctor. And now he is fairly, or unfairly, launched in life, with a salary of five hundred dollars perhaps, to be paid at the end of the year, and a debt contracted at the beginning of it, large enough to swallow the whole and ask for more.' But then along between these extremes are to be supplied somehow the no less indispensable articles of daily use and daily life. Man shall not live by bread alone' may be a very good text for our young minister to preach from, but nevertheless he cannot live without bread, and if indeed he should venture to preach from so spiritual a text, it will in all probability greatly damage his prospects of receiving any material aid,' when farmer A. threshes out his shocks of grain, or farmer B. brings home his grist from the mill.

Then the minister must never undertake to cheapen the price of anything which he needs for his household. That would be to

discredit the character of his parishioners, and at once create a ferment of excitement. What then shall he hope for, between the fact that he is unskilled, because unpractised, in the art of domestic economy, and the fact that he is obliged to buy everything on credit, what shall he hope for, we say, but that the end of the year, when it comes, will find him not only without any of his salary wherewith to diminish his indebtedness for his education, but on the contrary with an increase of indebtedness on the score of the first year's expenses of living? And how is the matter likely to be changed for the better in years to come? As his family increases, expenses will not adopt the inverse ratio of progression and diminish at an equal pace. The prospect is dark indeed. And they who may have loaned him the funds necessary for the procurement of his education, may as well first as last relinquish their claim upon him. They will thereby relieve him somewhat, and they will realize full as much to themselves, as though they continue to set it down from year to year as an item in their inventory of assets. It would surprise many of our congregations to learn, as many of them might learn by a little inquiry at the proper source, that their minister, though he may perhaps have grown old in their service, has not yet been able to pay his just dues for that intellectual furnishing which has made him an acceptable minister to them, and the source of unmeasured benefit both to them and to their children. Yet so it is. Congregations, and not those in the country alone, but those resident in the city, and whose wealth is able to meet the largest demands, are often so indifferent in this matter as to suffer a man of noble intellect and keen sensibility, to shorten his days among them, because, in addition to the proper burdens of the ministerial office, he is weighed down by pecuniary burdens which they could most easily remove.

The last Report of the Education Society, were there no other means of information on this subject, would be enough to show us that a large portion of the ministry are very much straitened in their pecuniary resources. This Report informs us, that while there has been paid to beneficiaries of the Society during the past year, the sum of seventeen thousand four hundred and eighty-five dollars, there has been refunded during the same time, by all who have been assisted since the formation of the Society, only eight hundred and eighty-nine dollars. It will be remembered here also, that this Society, some years. since, changed the basis of its operations so far as to make its appropriations as a gratuity, when so preferred, instead of a loan. The Report states, (p. 13,) that "quite a large proportion

of the young men now receive the money as a gratuity." It further informs us, that while under the loan system, the amount annually refunded averaged about two thousand dollars, it now averages, under the gratuity system, less than one thousand. Here we see, in a single view, how inadequate are the pecuniary resources of the ministry. It seems that even with the pressure of a loan, and the sense of indebtedness and obligation which it must generate, and the self-denial it must prompt to, for the discharge of such obligation, the ministers aided by this Society, have refunded but a small portion of the money which they have received in aid of their education, while under the gratuity system, that amount has diminished more than half. This shows, beyond all dispute, either that the ministry are not able to extinguish their indebtedness, or that they are men of altogether too facile or obtuse consciences to be en trusted with the charge of the pulpit.

But enough on this point, on which, after having said what we have in our former article, we did not design to dwell at any such length. If, however, the repeated allusion to this topic shall turn the effective thoughts of any to this really important subject, the iteration will not be in vain.

The Report of the New Haven Committee presents another subject of kindred character, which may claim a little of our attention. The Resolution under which the Committee was raised makes the averment "that comparatively but few parishes are provided with parsonages. The matter of parsonages is certainly a new subject to be argued publicly in this country. We think, however, that the movement made by the author of this Report, is by no means premature or unwise.

At the settlement of our country, and down to a comparatively recent period, in fact, a parsonage was deemed well nigh as indispensable as a house of worship. The church, the school house and the parsonage were on nearly the same footing in public estimation. In the days of the Colonies the thought of settling a minister without providing for him a comfortable house, to be kept in repair at the expense of the parish, and a liberal allowance of land for pasture and tillage, was never entertained. Such a provision has continued in many places even to the present time. The word parsonage is not yet quite obsolete with us. Gradually, however, a different state of things from the first has become prevalent. From various causes it has come to pass that a house for the minister is not deemed, as once it was, an indispensable article of parish equipment, and in many a village the boy may now grow to man's estate without coming to the knowledge of that genuine parish