fil, if not altogether yet in a considerable degree, the wise and benevolent purposes of their founders." page 2.

"There are, it is true, some charitable gifts for education which were either unwise in their origin, or in course of time have become useless, either from bad administration or other causes, and which would require, in order to be made useful, a complete departure from the donor's expressed intention, and from his real object." page 2.

"Our conclusion will be, and is, that the legislature alone can remedy most of the evils complained of, and that a remedy ought to be provided which shall reach the full extent of the evil, by adapting all charitable endowments for education to that state in its social progress which the nation has now attained.” page 3.

"The function of the Court (of Chancery) is, to carry the intention of the donor into effect, so, far as it can be ascertained, and provided the intention of the donor is not illegal." page 6.

"To give property for charitable purposes is one of those habits which, with us, may properly be called national, and it appears to be inveterate."-But Mr. Long thinks that if a comparison could be made between the good intention of the donors and the actual result, perhaps" on the whole, the country would have been better without them." page 10.

Remarks -Endowments are almost infinite in their variety, both in extent and conditions; but the usual description is land vested in certain Trustees, for the purpose of maintaining a Master and Scholars. Frequently a Visitor has been appointed-and where none has been fixed, the Sovereign acting by the Lord Chancellor, is official Visitor. Endless disputes have arisen, chiefly from the increased value of property, leaving it questionable who are to enjoy the surplus revenues; and from the course of education, prescribed by the Founders, becoming useless or impracticable. All such suits are decided in the Court of Chancery. Some of those suits, however, have been pending for many years; one of them (Berkhampstead School,) for upwards of a century. Trustees are considered to controul the propertybut the Visitor alone has the power of regulating the internal conduct of the School.

In many instances the Trustees, with the authority of Chancery, and sometimes without it, have altered the Founder's arrangements so as to adapt them to the wants and circumstances of the present age.

Mr. Long, however, insists that Chancery has no proper power to do more than fulfil the Founder's intentions, if lawful, and as far as they can be ascertained from his Deed :—for example, if the Founder did not direct writing to be taught, he considers that the Trustees who add a Writing Master to the School, exceed their powers, however ample the funds, however desirable the addition.

A leading object of Mr. Long's paper appears to be to prove that the Chancery law, on the subject of these endowments, is a mass of inextricable confusion and anomalous judgments.* And all his facts and reasonings are intended to lead to this conclusion that a new court or power must be erected with absolute jurisdiction over this immense Fund, amounting, as it will appear, to £1,500,000 a year. He states that there are certain Endowments, among which are the foundations in our Universities, which are exempted from the investigation of the Charity Commissioners, t but which he would now include in the proposed arrangements.

The new power which he proposes is a new Minister, the Minis

* Perhaps the confusion in the Chancery decisions may not, in reality, be so great? Perhaps there may be more power in the Court of Equity to enable Trustees and Visitors to make Endowments efficient than Mr. Long admits? Trustees have modified Schools occasionally; and even if Mr. Long is right in questioning their authority, yet, if there is to be legislation on the subject, it would seem the easiest course to sanction or to strengthen, if need be, their authority.

† On 28th of August, 1818, a Commission was issued for the investigation of of "Charities in England for the Education of the Poor." That Commission has been extended. It is now concluded. It cost £208,527, 13s. It investigated 26,751 Charities in England, and 890 in Wales. The first two Reports are printed; but there are 22 Reports not yet printed; and which will cost £20,000 From this investigation, our Universities, Harrow, Rugby, Eton, &c. are excepted, page 72.

more.

F

ter of education; under whose control and disposal he would place the whole vested funds for education. This great officer of state to be a member of the Cabinet.

On one point, Mr. Long has never touched: Many, perhaps most, of the education Endowments have been granted by Members of the Church of England; and by the qualifications required of the schoolmasters, and the course of education marked out, have undeniably been intended to maintain the doctrines and discipline of that Church. No sophistry can evade this conclusion. Nothing but an act of mere arbitrary power can divert these funds into any other channel. The object has been distinctly indicated, and it is a lawful one. The means have been appointed, and they are efficient.

NOTE (C.) Page 14.

I am aware that some of the statements which have been made in the Sermon, respecting the principles, tendencies, and objects of Dissent, may appear to some persons overcharged with severity; but, I believe, it will be found, that every sentiment and expression, written, I trust, not in a spirit of harshness, or of uncharitableness, will be borne out by the following additional quotations, from dissenting writers of acknowledged weight and influence; and quotations to the same effect might be multiplied to an unlimited

extent.

I. The principles of Dissent.

"It is the principle of Dissenters that no human authority can be admitted in religious matters."-Towgood on Dissent.

"According to the system of the Dissenters, a Church is said, by them, to be a voluntary Society of professing saints, which is complete in itself, subject to no jurisdiction but its own, competent to make and execute its own laws, acknowledging no rule but Scripture, and possessing the ability to ascertain its directions. The voice of the Society decides every thing. Every measure is

proposed and discussed, and the majority determines the matter." -Binney's Life of Morell, page 134. 135.

66

Among Dissenters, the members of each individual Church are usually the judges of the qualifications of the Minister to instruct them in sacred things: and with them his appointment to the pastoral office is vested. It is obvious that, under these circumstances, every thing must depend upon the religious taste and information of the Church members."-Ecclesiastical Library, Misc. Series, Vol. I. page 41.

Let this statement of dissenting principles be compared with the admission of Mr. James, himself a celebrated Dissenting Minister. "No case occurs, in the inspired history, where it is mentioned that a Church elected its Pastor."-James's "Church Members' Guide," 8th edition, page

10.

It is curious to compare the assertions which Dissenters sometimes make respecting the purity of their principles, and the scriptural constitution of their societies, with their oft-repeated confessions and complaints as to the unsatisfactory state of things amongst them.

"Every thing depends upon the religious taste and information of the Church Members." Such being the case, it is no wonder that they lament" the present low state of general knowledge among the great bulk of those who do not rank beyond the middle classes of society in England: it is of these that the congregations which dissent from the establishment are almost exclusively composed ; and their increased intelligence, under the blessing of God, is the chief resource to which we must look for a more liberal and enlightened piety in the Christian community."*

It is the principle of Dissent that " the voice of the Societythe majority-decides every thing." But, if we enquire, who are the persons that have the right of voting in the election of a Minister? we are told, " on this point, the practices of our Churches are so multiform that if we were asked for the general rule

* Library of Ecclesiastical Knowledge, Misc. Series, Vol. I. page 42.

of Dissenters, we must reply, they have none.

This is characteristic, it is true, of our principles as Independents, but, it is a serious question whether it is not as independent of Divine as it is of human control." -James, &c. page 177.

The same writer, referring to a practice which is very prevalent amongst the Independents, namely, the election of their Ministers by the votes of seatholders, observes, "I am utterly at a loss to conceive on what ground this practice can be defended: certainly, not on the principles, or the precedents, of the New Testament."

Again" In small societies, and especially when they are to be found in small towns, there may be Arians and Socinians occupying seats, and is it right, is it safe, to give such persons the right of choosing our Ministers? I have no question that it is in this way such numbers of once orthodox places have fallen into the possession of those who oppose the truth as it is in Jesus. The many pulpits now devoted to the propagation of Unitarian doctrine, but once the fountain of purer principles, shew the danger of suffer. ing mere subscribers to join in electing the Pastor. is not the case that Socinians are in the congregation, there may be worldly minded persons, whose influence may be exerted, not to elect the individual most suitable for the office, but most congenial to their taste, whether that taste were for a literary, scientific, or political companion." page 178.

But where it

How singularly instructive are these comments on the professed purity of dissenting principles! Who would suppose that such a discrepancy could exist between the statement of facts, and the profession of principles, as we find in the writer above referred to?-in one who describes the nature of Church power as follows,

"In the whole business of Church government we are to acknowledge the authority, and consider ourselves as doing the will, of Christ. Nothing is left to our will, to our wisdom, to our caprice; but in all things, we are to be guided by the law of Jesus, laid down in his word."

"Let it once be admitted that a Church of Christ has a right of