NOTES. be his person; and as to property, his private property, and not his benefice. [34. VIII. Miscellaneous Cases not included in the preceding Classes: 0, 38, 51.] In this may be seen another very convenient niche, well adapted to the purpose of serving as a lurking hole to an individual case that would not bear description. Note, that of these eight cases, styled "Cases which could not be included among Licenses or Exemptions," the two only ones which have place in the Return for the first year, viz. 1809, are that of" Absence without License or Exemption," and that of "Livings held by Bishops." But, in the Return for 1809, we have a' general head, denominated MISCELLANEOUS CASES, and the number subjoined to it as high as 1250. Under this general head will of course have been included in that year the individual cases designated by the six particular heads added in the years 1810 and 1811. In the Returns for the years 1810 and 1811, the numbers under these six particular cases are no more than, for the year, 1810, 361; for the year 1811, 401; corresponding to the number 1271 in the year 1809, will, in the year 1810, be 1011; and, in the year 1811, 403. Compare these numbers with the number for the year 1809, viz. 1271. Here we have another instance to add to the variations brought to view under Note (') p. 337. Thus,-wheresoever, for the accomplishment of the prime object of Excellent Church, viz. pay without service, there was any thing in the case that seemed to afford so much as the faintest shadow of a pretence, the budget of pretences, vast and shameless as it was, not being yet large enough for a demand altogether insatiable, which, having been established by the Act of Henry the Eighth has now been distinguished by the name of EXEMPTIONS; a place (we see) was found for it among the contents of the new budget now established under George the Third, for this same pious purpose, under the head of Licenses. Yet even this-we see how far it was from being sufficient :-for of the three successive years, the Returns give, as Cases of Absence without License or Exemption, for the NOTES. year 1809, 672: for 1810, 650; for 1811, no fewer than 1,033. Such was the number of the instances, in which, upon the face of this statement, the inexecution of the laws, and, consequently, the inefficiency of the system of discipline employed for giving execution to them, stands demonstrated. The last, of the three successive years respecting which these Returns had been exacted, was of course the year in which it might be expected, that, by the new and additional instrument of discipline, consisting in the call thus made for these notifications, its utmost effect would have been produced. Yet, in these last of the three years, the number of these pretenceless instances of dereliction of duty is more than half as great again as in either of the two preceding years: it amounts to more than one-sixth of the whole number of cases of absence. In all these several particulars, had the Returns, furnished by these Bishops, exhibited marks of the most perfect accuracy, it would not have followed that to any useful purpose discipline was maintained by them; or that in that, or any other respect, this order of men was of any the smallest use. But,-forasmuch as to these shepherds of the professed shepherds of souls, their immediately subject flock, composed mostly of wolves in sheep's clothing, were, generally speaking, personally, as well as in every other particular, unknown,—thus it is that, generally speaking, no sort of care of them can they have been in use to take. In these several documents, under whatever heads the matter of abuse may be found exhibited, thus much should all along be borne in mind, viz. that, in respect of quantity, the representation thus given cannot possibly have gone beyond the truth, but may, to an indefinite amount have fallen short of it. § 8. Ulterior Information from Mr. Wright. Thus far the ground we have been treading upon is sure:-Acts of Parliament and official documents. For the ulterior lights which follow, we must, in the first instance, content ourselves with the authority of the abovementioned Mr. Wright, whose opportunities of information have at any rate been unquestionable. If not themselves in any instance conclusive evidence, to any one who to the power adds the wish to bring to light any such completely satisfactory evidence, they may at any rate serve to furnish subjects for inquiry. In favour of their verity an universally applying and notorious article of circumstantial evidence applies: in the face of Excellent Church have they been standing now for about these three years, and not in all this time, in any instance, has denial been from any quarter opposed to them. In the manufacture of Parochial Sinecurism has already been seen one of the capital objects of Church-of-England policy. Of the nature of Exemption and License, and the use made of those two chief instruments in the carrying on of that valuable branch of manufacture, a conception sufficiently correct and extensive for the purpose has already, it is hoped, been conveyed. Of the nature and virtue of connivance, a conception could not have been rendered quite so clear from the Abstracts alone, as it will, it is believed, be found to have been rendered by those same Abstracts, elucidated by the explanations, for which we are indebted to the quondam Diocesan Secretary. Connivance supposes delinquency: in its import the word bears an implied reference to delinquency in some shape or other, towards which this sort of countenance is NOTES. year 1809, 672: for 1810, 650; for 1811, no fewer than 1,033. Such was the number of the instances, in which, upon the face of this statement, the inexecution of the laws, and, consequently, inefficiency of the system of discipline employed for giving execution to them, stands demonstrated. the The last, of the three successive years respecting which these Returns had been exacted, was of course the year in which it might be expected, that, by the new and additional instrument of discipline, consisting in the call thus made for these notifications, its utmost effect would have been produced. Yet, in these last of the three years, the number of these pretenceless instances of dereliction of duty is more than half as great again as in either of the two preceding years: it amounts to more than one-sixth of the whole number of cases of absence. In all these several particulars, had the Returns, furnished by these Bishops, exhibited marks of the most perfect accuracy, it would not have followed that to any useful purpose discipline was maintained by them; or that in that, or any other respect, this order of men was of any the smallest use. But,-forasmuch as to these shepherds of the professed shepherds of souls, their immediately subject flock, composed mostly of wolves in sheep's clothing, were, generally speaking, personally, as well as in every other particular, unknown,-thus it is that, generally speaking, no sort of care of them can they have been in use to take. In these several documents, under whatever heads the matter of abuse may be found exhibited, thus much should all along be borne in mind, viz. that, in respect of quantity, the representation thus given cannot possibly have gone beyond the truth, but may, to an indefinite amount have fallen short of it. § 8. Ulterior Information from Mr. Wright. Thus far the ground we have been treading upon is sure:-Acts of Parliament and official documents. For the ulterior lights which follow, we must, in the first instance, content ourselves with the authority of the abovementioned Mr. Wright, whose opportunities of information have at any rate been unquestionable. If not themselves in any instance conclusive evidence, to any one who to the power adds the wish to bring to light any such completely satisfactory evidence, they may at any rate serve to furnish subjects for inquiry. In favour of their verity an universally applying and notorious article of circumstantial evidence applies: in the face of Excellent Church have they been standing now for about these three years, and not in all this time, in any instance, has denial been from any quarter opposed to them. In the manufacture of Parochial Sinecurism has already been seen one of the capital objects of Church-of-England policy. Of the nature of Exemption and License, and the use made of those two chief instruments in the carrying on of that valuable branch of manufacture, a conception sufficiently correct and extensive for the purpose has already, it is hoped, been conveyed. Of the nature and virtue of connivance, a conception could not have been rendered quite so clear from the Abstracts alone, as it will, it is believed, be found to have been rendered by those same Abstracts, elucidated by the explanations, for which we are indebted to the quondam Diocesan Secretary. Connivance supposes delinquency: in its import the word bears an implied reference to delinquency in some shape or other, towards which this sort of countenance is |