istence of such a power would render the cases rare in which it would become necessary to call it into operation; and while the whole regulation of the proceedings, as well as the final decision, rested with the bishop or archbishop, it need not be feared that any improper use would be made of the privilege thus conferred.

3rd. The grant of this privilege would be calculated to impress the minds of men with a belief that our rulers, both in church and state, are, in the erection of these new churches, seeking in good earnest the real welfare of the people; and if the public mind were thus impressed, it is highly probable that the contributions to the Bishop of London's fund would be greatly increased.

The following resolutions were also unanimously adopted by the meeting :First. That a committee be formed to obtain contributions in aid of the Bishop of London's proposed fund for the building and endowment of additional churches in the metropolis.

Second. That it appears to the meeting, that the obtaining of adequate contributions would be greatly promoted by such an arrangement of the patronage of the new churches as may best tend to provide for them a succession of pious and faithful ministers.

Third.—That these resolutions be respectfully submitted to the Bishop of London, as soon as the state of his Lordship's health will admit, with an intimation that a deputation from the meeting would be happy to have the honour of conferring with his Lordship upon the subject of them.

Fourth. That the gentlemen present at this meeting (with power of adding to their number) be considered as a provisional committee, to make arrangements for giving effect to the objects of the foregoing resolutions.

We, the undersigned, propose to subscribe to the Bishop of London's Fund, the sums set opposite to our respective names, upon condition, however, that such arrangements with regard to the patronage, as are contained in the foregoing statement, or any other arrangements entirely satisfactory to us on that head, shall be made. And reserving likewise, to ourselves, the power of specifying the particular church in aid of which we wish our contributions to be applied, if we shall think fit to do so, instead of leaving them to go without restriction into the general fund. And it being further understood that the several sums subscribed will ultimately be either paid down, or paid by four equal annual instalments, as each subscriber shall choose.

INCORPORAT

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING THE ENLARGEMENT, BUILDING, AND REPAIRING OF CHURCHES AND CHAPELS.

A MEETING of this society was held at its chambers in St. Martin's Place, on Monday, the 17th October; Newell Connop, jun. Esq., the treasurer, in the chair. There were present, Revs. Archdeacon Cambridge, and H. H. Norris, H. J. Barchard, J. S. Salt, George Branwell, Benjamin Harrison, E. H. Locker, Esqrs. &c.

Among other business transacted, grants, varying in amount according to the exigency of the case, were voted towards rebuilding the church at Kilgerran, in the county of Pembroke; enlarging the chapel at Lower Gornall, in the county of Stafford; repairing and increasing the accommodation in Christ Church, Bradford, in the county of York; rearranging the seats in the church at Ketteringham, in the county of Norfolk; increasing the accommodation in the church at Colbourne, in the Isle of Wight; increasing the accommodation in the church at Havering atte Bower, in the county of Essex; rebuilding the tower of, and rearranging the seats in, the church at Kimpton, in the county of Southampton; building a gallery in the church at West Halton, in the county of Lincoln; enlarging, by rebuilding, the church at Cheadle, in the

county of Stafford; building a chapel at Burrow Bridge, in the county of Somerset; building a church at Barton, next Gloucester; repewing and restoring the church at Mundesley, in the county of Norfolk.

NEW CHURCHES.

(From a Correspondent.)

In the list of churches built by individuals, published in the Magazine, there was an omission of Jesus Chapel, in the parish of Enfield, built at the sole expense of Christian Paul Megar, Esq. The liberal founder provided also a house for the minister, and a respectable endowment for the chapel.

NEW CHURCHES IN THE DIOCESE OF CHESTER.

In relation to new churches, some account of which you desire to receive, perhaps the accompanying narrative of a short tour lately made with the Bishop of Chester may prove interesting to your readers.

On the first of October the Bishop consecrated a small village church at Brathay, one mile from Ambleside, and three from the parish church of Hawkshead. Mr. Redmayne, of Bond-street, having lately purchased an estate there, found himself and about three hundred of his neighbours at that distance from public worship, the nearest church of Ambleside being inadequate to its own parishioners. His immediate resource was to build and endow a church under the Act 1 & 2 William IV, at an expense of about 3,000l., and at the head of the beautiful landscapes through which the Brathay runs, a village steeple now rises, and adds its hallowed associations to the natural beauties of the scene.

On the following day a similar, but larger church was consecrated, built for the township of Levens, in the parish of Heversham, by the Honourable Colonel and Mrs. Howard. This is also built under the same act, and endowed with 5,000l., and a parish of convenient size, with its appropriated minister, has been formed of about a thousand persons, who were from two to five miles distant from the church of Heversham.

The next consecration was at Thornton, a village in Poulton parish, where six hundred inhabitants were distant from the church, some three, some five miles. For these a very suitable structure, seating about three hundred, has been provided, and a parsonage house built, directly at the expense of the Hesketh family, three individuals of which have contributed each 500l. This church is also endowed with a portion of the tithes, and a small annual payment from the Vicar of Poulton, in consideration of the burthen from which he is relieved.

From Poulton we proceeded to Ashton, an out-lying hamlet of the parish of Preston, distant three miles from any place of worship. Here the Rev. Roger Carus Wilson, Vicar of Preston, has raised, by subscription, a beautiful little church, which was intended to be a chapel-of-ease to Preston, But that munificent individual, George Davenport, Esq., hearing of the exertions making to provide this rapidly increasing town with means of public worship, spontaneously offered Mr. Wilson 1,2001. for the endowment; thus enabling him to render four country townships, virtually, a parish, and giving them, what they could not otherwise have possessed, a minister of their own.

Another equally beautiful and equally useful chapel was consecrated on the 10th instant, at Feniscowles, a township in the parish of Blackburn, very similarly circumstanced with that just described. This church, forming an additional appendage to the vast parish of Blackburn, has been raised and partially endowed by the exertions of the vicar, and the family of W. Fielden, Esq., aided by a grant of 500l. from the Incorporated Society. The nomination remains with the vicar.

The last of these duties was performed at Preston, in the consecration of a very handsome church, of Norman architecture, and containing, with unusual commodiousness, a thousand persons. The church is placed in the centre of a population of at least five thousand; and the 4000l. which, including endowment, it has cost, have been obtained from public liberality, through the influence of the vicar, in addition to a grant of 8001. from the Chester Diocesan Society. Thus much has been done towards supplying the want of churches. But it must be added, that as much remains behind, not undone, though unfinished. The foundation-stone of another church at Witton, in Blackburn, was laid a few days previous to the consecration at Feniscowles; and a subscription has been commenced for one in the town itself, to contain 1,500 persons. Another church at Milnthorp, in Heversham parish; another at Kendal; another near Poulton; another at Preston-will be ready for consecration by May next.

The six churches here mentioned, all of which, it should be said, are no less ornamental to their localities than useful to the people, have cost the founders, with their endowments, 20,000l. All have towers or spires; the expense being, on the average, about 31. per sitting. All, too, have had the same origin; namely, the desire of those interested in the district around them, by ties of possession or of property, to promote the spiritual welfare of their neighbours or dependants, by providing them with ministerial instruction, and the means of worshipping God within the bosom of the established church. May many go and do likewise! I am, Mr. Editor, your obedient and faithful SPECTATOR.*

servant,

MORE CHURCHES WANTED.

To the Editor of the Warwickshire Standard.

SIR,-The spirited exertions which are now being made for the supply of church room in the several dioceses, and especially in the large towns, (such as London, Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham, Hull, Blackburn, &c.) naturally causes each man to look near to his own home. Such at least has been their effect upon myself; and I have been so surprised with the results of my inquiries, that I venture to think they will not be uninteresting to many of your readers.

The amount of the population in all cases, with the exception of Leamington and Emscote, (in which I have been at some pains to acquire more correct information,) is taken from the census of 1831. The accommodation afforded by the church in each place, is, I fear, not quite so accurate; but it is not arrived at without careful inquiry.

Table, shewing the comparative amount of population and of church room in several towns in the neighbourhood of Leamington.

The Editor begs to offer his warmest thanks to "Spectator" for this very interesting and cheering document.-ED.

In the other small towns in the neighbourhood, it is to be feared, there is an equal destitution in the means afforded by the church for public worship; in scarcely any, I conceive, is there accommodation for a third of the population.

It is in towns of this description, I think, that the prospect is most hopeless. In the large commercial and manufacturing districts capital and enterprise are abundant; but in the smaller post and market towns there is seldom a single resident to be found with more than an ordinary competence; and nothing probably has been expended on the church for centuries.

With regard to the table given above, two things are to be borne in mind :1st, that the population has very considerably increased since the returns were made in 1831; and 2ndly, that churches are never really available to the full nominal amount. This is especially the case where the old system of pewing prevails.

May we not hope that the reviving spirit of churchmen will at length remedy this sad deficiency. Almost all other endowments were in their origin voluntary; and it is to voluntary benevolence that we must look for their extension. Let the clergy, above all, try what a vigorous supporting of the King's letter, by appeals from the pulpit, may effect. Your obedient servant, C.

DRAUGHT OF A PETITION FROM THE CHAPTERS.

Having received a formal request from several members of different chapters to "have the following petition," (which was read at the meeting of members of chapters held yesterday at St. Paul's,)" lithographed for circulation in the several chapters of England and Wales." I am induced to send you the annexed copy, requesting you to lay it before the canon in residence, in case it may furnish any suggestions useful in the present emergency. I need hardly add, that should it, or any part of it, seem serviceable, any use may be made of it, omitting, adding, or in any other way changing or incorporating parts of it into any other petition, as may to each seem proper. The sentences inclosed in brackets have been added since the petition was read. I remain, your faithful servant,

Christ Church, July 21, 1836.

E. B. PUSEY.

To the Right Honourable and Right Reverend the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, in Parliament assembled; The humble Petition of

Sheweth,

THAT your petitioners have viewed with deep concern the destitution of so many members our church, where the population has outgrown the provision made for their spiritual necessities, or where the funds consecrated to that purpose were, on the dissolution of monasteries, diverted to secular purposes.

That your petitioners are anxious to see this destitution removed by any means which can be devised, consistent with the principles of the church, and preserving the several ends for which our cathedrals were founded by the pious munificence of our forefathers.

That your petitioners respectfully submit, that in the "Fourth Report of His Majesty's Commissioners appointed to consider the State of the Established Church with reference to Ecclesiastical Duties and Revenues," these ends have been, for the most part, disregarded; and that the property of cathedral bodies has been treated as if it had been simply bestowed for ecclesiastical purposes in general, instead of being a trust for particular ends.

That in any cases where it shall, upon due investigation, be ascertained, that these ends can no longer be answered, or where, from accidental causes, the proportionate value of the property has increased beyond what could have been originally contemplated, your petitioners altogether acquiesce in the appropriation of such surplus, or the employment of such benefices for other

needs of the church, [as also in such other modifications as change of circumstances may render advisable, provided that the original principles of the institutions in general be not lost sight of.]

They submit, however, that cathedral establishments, generally, are as old, nearly, as Christianity in this land, and that any material alteration in their extent or character would probably affect the well-being and structure of the whole church, beyond what would now be anticipated.

That cathedrals were founded (among other uses) to furnish a council to the bishops of the several dioceses, to provide for the maintenance of a solid, pious, and extensive learning, (for which the parochial clergy, generally, have no leisure, and without which, existing somewhere in the church, even the parochial duties would be poorly discharged, and heresy would creep in,) to prevent the introduction of unsound doctrine, or the corruption of the true, to keep up the daily more solemn celebration of the worship of Almighty God, and to maintain the dignity of religion, and to guard over the purity of the appointments of the respective bishops.

That if, in the last century, they have failed (in any degree) to discharge any of these duties, this was the fault of those who had the appointment to those offices, and does not diminish the value of the offices themselves.

That the diminution of the members of these ancient institutions, and a transfer of the funds to other purposes, (however desirable these may in themselves be,) is a violation of a trust, which has thus far been kept faithfully, (in some cases for above 1000 years,) and must, as such, be pernicious to the church; that it is establishing a precedent for their further reduction, and threatens to change the character of our whole church.

That, as councils to the bishops, the several chapters were intended to render [and from time to time have rendered] many and important offices, aiding and giving force to the due exercise of his authority, and tempering and restraining any such undue exercise of the same as human infirmity is liable to; that the diminution of their body is likely to injure both the rightful authority of the bishops and the security of the parochial clergy [against any such incidental arbitrary treatment from individual bishops]; that, in the metropolis, especially, the great reduction of the chapter of Westminster, the suppression of the prebendaries of St. Paul's, and the union of the offices of archdeacon and canon, will leave the bishop almost alone, amidst a very large and increasing number of parochial clergy, and that such disproportion will be very in jurious to the church at large.

That a well-ordered gradation of ranks is essential to the well-being of any government, and has been a distinguishing excellence of our ecclesiastical, as well as of our civil institutions; and that, on this account, (even independently of other considerations,) it would be desirable to retain the offices at present existing in the several cathedrals, as well residentiaries as non-residentiaries, even if new duties shall be annexed to any number of the same.

[That His Majesty's Commissioners did begin by acting upon this principle of annexation, instead of suppression, in the case of the stall of Westminister, mentioned in the present report.] +

That, as a provision for solid learning, our cathedral institutions have been admired by other protestant bodies which have them not, and our church thought happy for possessing them; that almost all the learning of our church in past ages has been connected with them; that they have been the bulwarks against every heresy; and that it would be very unwise to diminish them now that the Roman catholics are increasing among us, and the like institutions are being founded for them in this country by foreigners.

e. g. Westminster, when founded, was a monastery in a retired spot: the duties annexed to it, now that it is the centre of the capital, might obviously be different; it becomes what St. Paul's was.

+ The provision there made is not, however, annexations exactly for the prebentiaries.