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which might have been earned in almost any secular calling. I am confident that I speak the fixed and deliberate purpose of the great body of my brethren in the ministry, of whatever degree, or whatever advantages they may possess, when I say, that if the question were ever to arise between an abandonment of the Church's principles and the sacrifice of its endowments, it will be found that their choice has been made beforehand: they would 'take,' if not 'joyfully,' yet resignedly, the spoiling of their goods,' in the strength of that confidence,' which hath 'great recompense of reward.' But we plead, and we will continue to plead, for the temporal possessions and immunities which belong to the Established Church, because we are persuaded, and every day's experience proves it to be so, that they recommend the Church, and through it the doctrines which it teaches, to the acceptance of the people at large; that they give to all its ministers a vantage ground upon which they may take their stand, and proclaim the great truths of the Gospel with an authority, derived indeed from their high commission, but strengthened by the habits and prepossessions of their hearers; and because it serves as a perennial fountain of Divine truth, continually sending forth its streams to fertilize the dry and barren places of the land, which, if left to the operation of a voluntary system, would lie for ever desolate and neglected.

"But let it never be forgotten by those who would deprive us of our endowments, much less by those who share in them, that if they are adapted to impart a tinge of secularity to the motives which induce men to enter into the ministry of our Church, they add greatly to the spiritual responsibility of those who do enter. To promote the growth of the Redeemer's kingdom upon earth, and to fashion it to the likeness of His kingdom in heaven, are the great ends for which we have been called and set apart

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from our brethren: these are the ends which we must propose to ourselves if we desire to do the work of Him that sent us,' in such a manner as to to save both ourselves and them that hear us;' and the greater the advantages we possess for doing that work effectually, the greater will be our sinfulness, if we neglect the gift that is in us,' and are no better than indolent, indifferent, unprofitable servants. This consideration, at all times a solemn and awakening consideration, must surely be felt to press upon us at the present moment with peculiar force. In addition to the awful thought that the eternal welfare of thousands of our brethren may be dependent upon our ministerial faithfulness, let us remember, that the stability of the Established Church itself is now more than ever contingent upon our personal qualities and exertions. Our first and highest trust, in this season of peril, must be in Him who alone is able to deliver us, and who, if it should please Him to purify our Church by tribulation, will, we are persuaded, acknowledge it, when purified, for His own. Let us look to Him for protection and guidance; let there be, at the present crisis, a more than ordinary degree of fervency and importunity in prayer to Him, for a more abundant effusion of His Holy Spirit upon all the members of His household. But, humanly speaking, the safety of the Church, as a recognized and honoured instrument of good in this country, depends upon its clergy; upon the faithfulness of their preaching, upon the assiduity of their ministrations, upon their exemplary lives and conversations, and, lastly, upon their brotherly union and concord.

O my brethren, at a time when we are constrained to labour in the work of building up the Church of God, as the Jews laboured when they made up the walls of Jerusalem, every one of whom with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a

EXHORTATION TO GODLY CONCORD.

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weapon,' we shall be strangely wanting to ourselves and to the cause which we have in hand, if we do not endeavour to realize the Apostle's precept, and stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel,. and in nothing terrified by our adversaries."""

CHAPTER XI.

Unpromising Aspect of Affairs-Bishop Blomfield's concern for the Spiritual Necessities of his Diocese-The "Metropolis Churches Fund" - Publication of "Proposals "- Evidence furnished by the Ecclesiastical Commission-Statistics of Spiritual Destitution in the Metropolis-Deficiency of Parochial Organization-Political and Social Dangers of this State of Things-Imperial Impor. tance of the Subject-Extent of the Bishop's Scheme-Abortive suggestion for a Coal Tax-Appeal to the Religious Sense and the Charity of the Public-Meeting at London House-Formal Establishment of the "Fund "--Remarkable Constitution of the Committee-Munificent Contributions-Different classes of Contributors―Their Number limited—Decrease of Annual Receipts -Collections for Local Funds-The Bethnal Green ChurchesDiocesan Church Building Society-Churches built and endowed by Individuals - Results of the Metropolis Churches FundCompared with those of the Ecclesiastical Commission-Striking Contrast between the Character of the Two Measures.

HE aspect which the affairs of the Church assumed after the retirement of Sir Robert Peel in April, 1835, and the return to power of the Melbourne Ministry on the shoulders of a compact band of Irish patriots, the representatives, virtually, of the Popish priesthood,-was anything but encouraging. More particularly the turn which the proceedings of the Ecclesiastical Commission took, and which resulted in the enactment already referred to, was not calculated to sustain, in the minds of those who had an opportunity of closer observation, whatever hopes they might at one time have conceived of an effec

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tual remedy for the existing spiritual destitution. Bishop Blomfield, whom this hope had tempted to give, not only his countenance, but his warm support and active cooperation, to the proposal for a partial redistribution of the revenues of the Church, was not long in discerning that, whatever course it might be his duty to pursue in regard to the Ecclesiastical Commission, he must look in a totally different direction for the supply of the spiritual necessities of his populous and ill-provided diocese. This subject had, from his first entrance upon his London Episcopate, pressed upon his mind. In his Charge of 1834 he had dwelt upon it, and adduced some startling facts illustrative of the state of the Metropolitan diocese in respect of Church accommodation and ministerial care and superintendence of the people. In proportion as his hope of seeing a general remedy applied to an evil which extended, in a greater or less degree, all over the country, grew feebler, his active mind naturally turned to the consideration of such other means as might be devised for the application of a local remedy in that portion of the Church which was more especially committed to his charge.

Hence, while the Ministers were engaged in concocting the measure which, towards the close of the session of 1836, they hurried through Parliament,* and which the Episcopal members of the Ecclesiastical Commission had so much cause to regard with disapprobation and distrust, Bishop Blomfield was occupied in the preparation of a measure of his own for the extension of the means of grace in his diocese, which, although it did not realize all the expectations entertained by its projector, yet presents, both in its principles and in its results, a most favourable con

* The second reading of the Bill was moved in the House of Commons by Lord John Russell on the 17th of June; and the Bill was brought up to the House of Lords on the 26th of July. During its progress through the Upper House Bishop Blomfield was precluded by the state of his health from giving his attendance in Parliament.