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entirely a sinecure ?”

Is the office of Dean

Has he no duties

to perform? no sermons to compose and preach? no parishes called Peculiars to visit, besides, superintending twice every day for three months the public service in his cathedral? Is the place of Canon Residentiary "entirely a sinecure"? Can he be absent one day from the cathedral services during his three months' residence? Has he no sermons on public occasions to compose? On almost every Sunday, indeed, if the prebendary, whose turn it is to preach, is not present, the residentiary preaches. Has he no schools to attend? No public functionaries to receive? No charities to dispense? I know not whether the large sum you assign to such entire sinecurists be correct, but I am sure, if it be, some Chapters get very little of it;-I am sure that the cathedral Clergy are not "entirely sinecu

To show that the revenues of these dignitaries in the Church, since the reformation, are pretty well curtailed already, in the Papal times it was ordered that no Archdeacon should come to a clergyman's house with more than twenty-four horses! He could not keep one with the profits of archdeaconry alone, in the present times.

+ His Lordship kindly says, he "preaches a few sermons"! yes, and he is sworn to "exercise hospitality," as bishops are required to do by the gospel.

rists, in any sense of the word ;* and I am sure, also, as a body, they have done more important services to the cause of religion, not excepting your Lordship's counsellors, than any set of men in the kingdom.

But is it not somewhat singular that a nobleman of education, candour, and piety, should sit down to write on a momentous subject,consulting, as it should seem, those whoif we may judge from some other things which have been "suggested" as to reformation of cathedral choirs-are not over favourable to public services in these majestic places of worship, which services your Lordship pronounces "cold and formal"!

My Lord, when some malignant writers of the press, have boldly as falsely stated that an Archdeacon's" sinecure" amounts to fifteen hundred, and that of Canons Residentiary to a thousand or twelve hundred a year, we might have hoped that, in estimating the gross sum which, it is said, is applied to support these establishments, some remarks would have been made by a noble

The communion-service is always read by the Residentiaries to which the quoir responds, in harmonies, so devotional and impressive, that they might, we should almost think,

"Draw iron tears down Calvin's cheek"!

man of high station and character, respecting these iniquitous and scandalous exaggerations; instead of which the sum is lumped all in one large aggregate, on the very highest calculation-I will not say to COUNTENANCE that exaggeration-but as if to astound us with the amount, placed as it were in front, and then asserting all this is paid "entirely for

sinecures."

At all events you will admit, that, as to the "entire sinecures," information the most accurate should have been sought from other sources than, possibly, from those whose look towards our ancient and beautiful Cathedrals is as "cold" as you deem their services "cold and formal."

As your "spiritual friends," my Lord, have "suggested" some things, allow me to " suggest" a little more information on the subject of these "entire sinecures," as you are pleased to designate them.

In some Cathedrals, it may be observed, that those who preside over their public services are called Prebendaries, as at Durham, Winchester, &c. There are, in other cathedrals, as Wells, York, St. Paul's, Exeter, Salisbury, a larger body called Prebendaries, who, except in

a general chapter, and preaching once in their yearly turn, have nothing more to do with the "cold and formal" worship in the cathedral. In Salisbury there are forty of these prebendaries, six of whom, as canons residentiary, are elected out of this body, especially to be near the Bishop, who have separate duties, such as taking care of all repairs of the fabric, &c. ; besides twice every day superintending these cathedral services, in the cathedral city.

It is the same, I believe, at Wells, Exeter Lincoln, &c. Your Lordship might have, with some propriety, called these prebendaries, in the present day, " sinecurists;" for, though the station is honourable, and, as such, in the Bishop's disposal, as to cathedral duties, except preaching in their annual turn, they might, doubtless, be called "sinecurists."

And so the Præcentor, occupying a most important place in the ancient establishment, in the present day might be called a sinecurist, an “entire sinecurist;" though strictly according to the statutes, he is not allowed to be absent one day in the year, except for sickness, because, before there was an organist, he was the master of the quoir, having his sub-chaunter under him, also a pre

bendary; and should illness prevent the daily attendance of the præcentor, the Bishop himself, like David's "chief musician," is required to lead the chant instead of the præcentor!

Now the possessor of this once important office may be called a "sinecurist," except in such instances as the poet Mason, Præcentor of York, and, as, also, there is dignity and preferment attached to the office, I might not have appeared as an opponent, if your Plan, my Lord, had been applied to the abolishing of whatever should be found, in Cathedral Establishments, without any services what

ever.

As to the prebendaries, in the earlier periods of the Church, their use was also important. -Parish churches, called, in the Saxon chronicles, "upland churches," were, in comparison, very few and scattered. The cathedral church was the great church of the county; and from the cathedral churches to distant crosses, and wherever there was a Baptistory" the priest was sent out by the bishop, to whom, in general, the tithes of the distant parishes were paid, there being then few rectors, as at this time.

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