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I have a thousand Things to fay to your Lordfhip, on this copious Head, which I fhall referve for fome future Occafion, and for the Sake of Method, confine myself at present (though I hate Confinement of every Kind) to a particular Branch of our fcanty Revenue, commonly known by the Name of LECTURESHIPS.

Your Lordship being much better acquainted with ecclefiaftical Hiftory than myfelf, could probably acquaint me with the Origin and Rise of these PAUPERTATIS SUBSIDIA: as I am not, however, very ambitious of tracing the Source of this muddy Spring, I fhall defer the Search to another Opportunity, and content myself with obferving (a Truth which I am every Day more and more convinced of) that the Establishment of Lectureships, in and about London, has been extremely prejudicial to the inferior Clergy of this Kingdom, and contributed, in a great Measure, to bring upon the whole Body that Poverty and Contempt into which they are now fallen; that the Methods by which they are obtained are highly unbecoming our Character, and the Means made Use of to fupport them inadequate to the Duty performed; that they are acquired, in fhort, with Difficulty, loft with Eafe, and very few of them worth the keeping: which I will endeavour to prove to your Lordship in as few Words as poffible.

It may not, perhaps, be improper, when I talk of SERMONISERS, to follow the ufual SERMON Method, and divide my Subject into three or four general Heads; and though I would not, as Lord Shaftsbury fays, Bring my Two's and Three's be

fore a fashionable Congregation,' yet, as I am talking only to your Lordship, and what paffes may never go much further than ourselves, I may as well adopt the TEXTUAL Manner; (there, my Lord, is a new Word for Johnson's Dictionary).

I fhall proceed therefore,

FIRST,

To confider how LECTURESHIPS are can-. vaffed for.

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SECONDLY,

What is expected from them, And

THIRDLY and LASTLY,

How they are paid, and what Emoluments ufually arife to the Poffeffors of them.

First therefore, my Lord, with Regard to the canvaffing for Lectureships, as ufually practised amongst us, I will venture to affert, it is an Employment utterly inconfiftent with the Character, and unbecoming the Dignity of a Clergyman, an Office greatly beneath the Attention of Genius and Learning, and highly unfuitable to all the Notions of Life imbibed in the Courfe of a genteel and liberal Education.

The Choice of a LECTURER in this Metropolis is generally vested in the whole Body of the Parish, confifting, for the moft Part, of ordinary Tradefmen, fometimes very low Mechanics, Perfons not always of the moft refined Manners, or delicate Senfations. Your Lordship, I am fure, muft remember, how cavalierly, when we were at Cambridge, (for which by the bye, we deserved to be horfe-whipped) we used to treat the CANAILLE; if an honeft Tradefman came dunning to our Room of a Morning before Lecture, we tipped the NON DOMI upon him; or if by Chance he gained Admittance, and grew importunate in his Solicitations, without further Ceremony fhewed him the nearest Way down Stairs. Little did fome of us R 2

think

think what a different Behaviour we should one Day be obliged to affume towards fome of their illuftrious Brethren in this Metropolis.

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The common People, my Lord, in this King-: dom of Liberty, are of fo combustible a Nature, that the leaft Point of Difpute blows them up into a Flame a Conteft about Church-Wardens, the Choice of a select Veftry-Man, or a paltry Lectureship, fhall fet as many fober Cinizens together by the Ears as a County Election. To fay the Truth, there is now-a-days almost as much dirty Work practifed in the canvaffing for one as for the other. The Parfon, as well as the Candidate, muft play over, if he hopes for Succefs, all the little low Tricks of bribing the Indigent, flattering the Proud, cajoling the Rich, abufing and calumniating his Antagonist, buying, making, fplitting, hiding Votes; the whole Catalogue, in fhort, of minifterial Artifices must be practifed in the Veftry with as little Confcience as on the Huftings; and a Candidate for St. A's Church has almost as much Mire to wade through, as a Candidate for St. S~'s Chapel.

But, as I have heard fay in Westminster-Hall, there is nothing like a CASE IN POINT; I will therefore treat your Lordship with one, to illustrate the Subject under Confideration, and that Cafe, to prevent any Miftakes, fhall be MY OWN.

Your Lordship I believe may remember the Time when my poor Uncle died, which obliged me to quit the University and feek my Fortune in Town, where I had not been above three Weeks before I ftrolled on Sunday Afternoon into a Church in the City, and, after Service, heard the Clerk, by Or. der of the Veftry, declare the Lectureship of the Parish vacant, and invite the Clergy, however dignified or diftinguished, to be Candidates for it, and to give in their Names by the enfuing Sunday. No

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fooner did I hear this CHUCH SERJEANT thus beating up for Recruits, than I immediately refolved to enlift; and accordingly, the next Day, waited on the Worfhipful Stentor abovementioned, who took down my Name and Place of Abode: on my defiring him at the fame Time to acquaint me with the beft Method of proceeding, which I was an utter Stranger to, he advised me as a Friend, to apply as fpeedily as poffible, to Mr., a Cheefemonger in Lane, who was then firft Churchwarden, a leading Man in the Veitry, and a Perfon, he affured me, on whom the Election would in a great Meafure depend. I took honeft AMEN'S Advice, and by nine the next Morning, not I muft own without fome Reluctance, dreffed myself as well as I could, and waited on Mr. Church-warden. As foon as he faw me enter the Shop in my Canonicals, (for I had hired an excellent new Gown and Caffock behind St. Clement's on the Occafion) he made me a very low Bow, gave me the Title of Doctor, and imagining no Doubt, that I was come to befpeak Cheeses for the Country, begged to known my Honour's Commands; to which I replied in an humble Tone, and looking extremely difconcerted, that I came to wait on him on Account of the Lectureship of the Parifh, and begged the Favour of his Vote and Intereft, &c. Your Lordship I am fure would have smiled to see the sudden Alteration of his Features and Behaviour: he dropped all the Tradesman's Obfequiousness, and in a Moment affumed the magifterial Air and Dignity of a Church-warden; turned afide to a Woman who was juft then afking for a Pound of Cheshire, and without addreffing himself to me, cried out, This is the fourth Parfon I have had with me To-day on the fame Errand;' then, ftaring me full in the Face; Well, young Man,' fays he, you intend to be a Candidate for this fame Lecture:

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you are all to mount the Noftrum, I fuppofe, and Merit will carry it: For my Part, I promise nobody; but remember I tell you before-hand, I am for Voice and Action; fo mind your Hits.' When he had faid this, he immediately turned upon his Heel, and went into the Counting-houfe. I took my Leave in an awkward Manner, as you may fuppofe, being not a little chagrin'd at his Infolence; and, as I went out of the Shop, overheard his Lady obferving, from behind the Counter, that I was a pretty Sprig of Divinity, but looked a little sheepish, and had not half the Courage of the Gentleman that had been recommended to her Husband by Mr, Squintum.

The Inftant I quitted the Sign of the Cheshire. Cheefe, I laid afide all thoughts of further Solicitation, and refolved to return to College, and live on making Fellow-Commoners Exercifes, rather than fubject myself any more to fuch mortifying Indignities. Good God! thought I to myself, is this the Fruit of my Studies: this the Reward of all my Toil and Labour in the University; to have the important Point, whether I fhall eat or starve, at last determined by a Cheefemonger, who declares for Voice and Action ?

In fpite notwithstanding of this Refolution (for Refolutions, your Lordfhip knows, are much eafier made than kept) I was obliged in less than fix Months, having during that Time taken it into my Head to fall in Love and marry, to repair once more to the great City, and put into the ecclefiaftical Lottery; where, by the bye, as in most other Lotteries, you buy fo dear, meet with fo few Prizes, and run fo much Hazard, that none but Defperadoes ought to venture in them: There, my Lord, I renewed my Solicitations, and experienced all the Miferies and Misfortunes, all the Infults and Indignities, which the Pride and Infolence of the Rich,

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