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 "THE WEEKLY OFFERTORY." 
 
 A SERMON 
 
 PREACHED IN THE 
 
 CHURCH OF S. PHILIP, CLERKENWELL, 
 
 ox THE 
 
 P^IRST SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY, 
 June G, 1858. 
 
 % BY 
 
 AVARWICK R. AVROTM, R.A. 
 
 INCUMBENT OF S. I'HILII', CI.KRKENWEI.L. 
 
 AND o77 STRAND, LONDON: 
 
 JOHN HENRY AND JAMES PARKER. 
 
 1858. 
 
 %
 
 LONDON: 
 Printed by G. Barclay, Castle St. I^eicester Sq.
 
 TO THE 
 
 P^cmbfvs of mg /loch, 
 AT S. PHILIPS, CLE R KEN WELL, 
 
 ON WHOSE ZEALOUS CO- OPERATION 
 THE SUCCESS OF THE WEEKLY OFFKItTOllY 
 
 AT 8. Philip's 
 
 MUST, UNDER GOD, MAINLY DEPEND, 
 
 Ci)f folloiuing ^frmoii, 
 
 PUBLISHED AT THE REQUEST OF MANY WHO HEAIiD IT, 
 
 IS DEDICATED 
 
 BY THEIR FAITHFUL FRIEND AND PASTOR, 
 
 W. I{ w

 
 A SERMON, 
 
 c&C. <£t. 
 
 1 Cor. xvi. 1, 2. 
 
 " Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given 
 order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the 
 first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, 
 as God hath prospered him." 
 
 One of the greatest practical difficulties at the present 
 day is that of obtaining funds sufficient, first, for the 
 support of the Ministry; secondly, for the expenses of 
 Divine worship ; and thirdly, for the relief of the poor, 
 the maintenance of schools, and those other charitable 
 institutions which tend to promote, in so great a degree, 
 the well-being of the community. This difficulty is not 
 experienced in this Parish only, but far and wide you hear 
 the same complaint and appeal — "Funds are greatly 
 needed. ^^ In this wealthy land, and specially in this the 
 richest metropolis in the world, it is a fact, that numbers 
 of the Clergy are receiving stipends not exceeding those 
 of a common artizan — that there are 350G benefices
 
 6 THE WEEKLY OFFERTORY. 
 
 with incomes less than 150/. per annum* — that many are 
 not onl}^ "preaching the GospeP' without ^' Hving of the 
 Gospel/^ t but are also compelled to contribute beyond 
 their power for the keeping up of the public worship of 
 Almighty God, not only "feeding a flock," without 
 " eating of the milk of the flock," but, to change the 
 metaphor, "going a warfare at their own cost." The 
 consequence of this state of things is, that manifold expe- 
 dients are resorted to for raising the necessary funds. At 
 one time it is the Bazaar, with its varied allurements — its 
 articles very different from the "coats and garments "i 
 made by Dorcas, and disposed of in a very different way. 
 At another time it is the Charity Dinner, with its 
 list of subscriptions read out, often amid loud applause 
 for the donors of large, and impressive silence for the 
 donors of small sums. At another, it is the occasional 
 Charity Sermon, delivered by special preachers, — a plan 
 very generally followed in churches situated as our own. 
 These and other plans, more or less allowable, more or 
 less objectionable, more or less secular or religious, have 
 been the chief means by which, of late years, the treasury 
 of the Church has been supplied. Nor can it be denied 
 that at particular times, and under particular circum- 
 stances, large sums have been collected by such means, 
 
 * See the First Report of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. 
 A calculation has been made that there are more than 10,000 out 
 of the 17,000 Clergy of England and Wales, whose professional 
 income is less than 150^. a-year. 
 
 t 1 Cor. ix. 14. t Acts, ix. 39.
 
 THE WEEKLY OFFERTORY. 7 
 
 but they all have these fundamental objections — first , that 
 they do not avail for the continual, regular supply of the 
 alms needed ; and secondlij, that in the use of them people 
 forget the true nature of almsgiving as an act of worship 
 — as an offering of the substance to the Giver of all good 
 gifts, for a testimony of our heartfelt homage, dependence, 
 and love. The excitement also attending them is often 
 most injurious; and just as physically extreme depression 
 follows the excessive use of stimulants for the body, so 
 spiritual depression follows the employment of stimulants 
 of this nature. And yet, since people have been accus- 
 tomed to give only when under the influence of such 
 excitements, and not regularly and systematically, as part 
 of the worship due to Almighty God, they regard them 
 as indispensable ; and though I believe there is a feeling 
 springing up and increasing, that most of these means 
 can only be justified by necessity, yet still, on the ground 
 of supposed necessity, they are continued. 
 
 Now, brethren, these facts have made me turn my 
 thoughts to this particular subject, and the course and 
 result of those thoughts I purpose, with God^s blessing, 
 to lay before you this morning. 
 
 I have said to myself, ^^ Can it be, seeing that funds 
 are so necessary for the extension of the Church of 
 Christ, and that the provision of funds is so difficult and 
 uncertain, that God has altogether left us without indica- 
 tions of His will in this matter — without any rules how 
 'collections^ should be made — or, at any rate, without 
 principles from which rules may naturally be deduced ?
 
 8 THE WEEKLY OFFERTORY. 
 
 And if God has laid down certain rules_, or enunciated 
 certain principles regarding ^collections/ can it be that 
 the branch of the Church to which we belong has failed 
 to embody these rules or principles in her system ? And 
 if we find that God has not left us without guidance in 
 this matter, and that the Church has, ' concerning the 
 collection for the saints/ taken Holy Scripture for her 
 guide, does it not follow that we are bound, as obedient 
 children of God, and faithful members of the Church, 
 to follow henceforth the Scriptural and Ecclesiastical way, 
 rather than ways of man^s devising ? '^ 
 
 Let me ask your earnest attention while I pursue this 
 examination, and try to elicit, first, what Holy Scripture 
 tells us on the subject of '^collections;^' and, we^/, see 
 how far this accords with the practice enjoined by the 
 Book of Common Prayer. 
 
 But, previous to entering upon these questions, I 
 would prepare the way by showing the duty of every one 
 giving alms for the service of Almighty God. This is 
 not only a law for the Jews, but natural to all mankind. 
 It is part of the eternal law^ of nature and reason — a ray 
 of God's mercifulness infused into us with our human 
 nature — one of the especially Christian '' sacrifices/'* (as 
 S, Paul terms it), or acts of worship, which every man is 
 bound to pay. And, indeed, it is noticeable, that so in- 
 tegral a part is it of the worship of God, that the worship 
 of the heart and spirit seems ever thus to manifest itself. 
 Even before the Holy Scriptures w^re written, " Abel 
 
 ^ Heb. xiii. 16.
 
 THE WEEKLY OFFERTORY. 9 
 
 brought of the firsthngs of his flock, and of the fat 
 thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel, and to 
 his ofFering.^^* " xlnd Noah builded an altar unto the 
 Lord, and took of every clean beast, and of every clean 
 fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar, and the 
 Lord smelled a sweet savour.^f The patriarchs in like 
 manner offered of their flocks and cattle. The children 
 of Israel received the command, none shall "appear 
 before the Lord empty.^' J " Every man shall give as he is 
 able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God, which 
 He hath given thee.^^§ And passing over instances too 
 numerous to quote, and coming at once to the time of 
 our Lord, the wise men, the first-fruits of the Gentiles, 
 when they " fell down and worshipped the young Child, 
 opened their treasures, and presented unto Him gifts, 
 gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.^^ || Cornelius the cen- 
 turion, that " devout man," previous to his conversion, 
 ''gave much alms,^' and "his prayers and his alms came 
 up for a memorial before God.^^^ Not only did " the 
 rich men cast their gifts into the treasury,^' but " a cer- 
 tain poor widow also cast in thither two mites.** And 
 our Lord Jesus says, " Give alms of such things as ye 
 have;"tt and " It is more blessed to give than to re- 
 ceive.^^JJ And S. Paul, " To do good and to commu- 
 nicate forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well 
 
 * Gen. iv. 4. ^ Acts, x. 2, 4. 
 
 t Gen. viii. 20. ** S. Luke, xxi. 2. 
 
 X Exod. xxiii. 15 ; xxxiv. 20. ff S. Luke, xi. 41. 
 
 § Deut. xvi. 16, Ir. ++ Acts, xx. 35. 
 II S. Matt. ii. 11. 
 
 a2
 
 10 THE WEEKLY OFFERTORY. 
 
 pleased/^ '^' And again in the text, "Upon the first day 
 of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as 
 God hath prospered him.'^ The law of almsgiving, then, 
 is a universal law — a law written by nature in the hearts 
 of men — a law practised by the Gentiles, who, "having 
 not the law, did by nature the things contained in the 
 law,^^t — ^ la^' of the Jews — a law which our Lord 
 " came not to destroy but to fulfil,'^J promulgated there- 
 fore by Himself, and ratified and confirmed by His Apo- 
 stles — a law, therefore, as binding upon all Christians in 
 their degree as any other law, moral or positive. Of the 
 duty of almsgiving there can be no question. No man, 
 who believes his Bible, can possibly deny it. 
 
 This, then, being premised, let us see next in what 
 mode Holy Scripture tells us "collections^^ should be 
 made. Listen we to S. Paul. "Now concerning the 
 collections for the saints (or Christians), as I have given 
 order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon 
 the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him 
 in store as God hath prospered him.'^ 
 
 Now, first of all, notice here the time of giving. It was not 
 left to every person's choice — though, doubtless, each could 
 give at other times also, if he had abihty, and opportu- 
 nity ofi'ered — but, "upon the ^r5^ day of the week,'' i.e. 
 Sunday, every one was commanded to give. On the day 
 of our Lord's resurrection — the day of the descent of 
 the Holy Ghost upon the infant Church, was " every 
 one to lay by him in store as God had prospered him," 
 
 * Heb. xiii. 16. t Rom. ii. 14. J S. Matt. v. 17.
 
 THE WEEKLY OFFERTORY. 11 
 
 for a testimony of his gratitude for the unutterable 
 blessings, the root and beginning of spiritual life, which 
 the merciful Lord had this day so bountifully shed 
 forth. 
 
 Nor was this commandment confined to the Corinth- 
 ians. S. Paul mentions that he had given the same rule 
 to the churches of Galatia (" as I have given order to the 
 churches of Galatia, even so do ye^^). Churches, be it 
 remarked, in very different positions. Corinth, a rich 
 and wealthy emporium of commerce ; Galatia, a country 
 comparatively poor and needy ; and yet this mode of 
 giving was suited for each. 
 
 The time of giving, then, was to be the Lord^s day. 
 The place is not mentioned by S. Paul in the passage 
 before us, but there can be no reasonable doubt that the 
 House of God was the place where offerings were wont to 
 be made. It was m the place that the Lord had chosen 
 to put His Name there,* where the Jews were commanded 
 to offer to God. It was in the Temple that He accepted 
 the mites of the poor widow. f In the Sermon on the 
 Mount, addressed to us no less than to the Jews, He 
 spoke of "bringing the gift to the altar/' % — and "we" 
 too " have an altar." It was when the disciples were 
 assembled in breaking of bread and in prayer that those 
 who had sold their lands brought the price and laid it 
 down at the Apostles' feet.§ And in illustration of the 
 
 * Deut. xii. 5, 6. t S. Luke, xxi. 2. 
 
 t S- Matt. V. 23. Heb. xiii. 10. 
 
 § Acts, iv. .34. See also ch. v. 1, 2, and ii. 42 sqq.
 
 12 THE WEEKLY OFFERTORY. 
 
 manner in whicli the Christians, immediately after the 
 apostolic age, understood the Apostle, it may be mentioned 
 that Justin Martyr (a.d. 150), in his " Apology,^^ gives 
 an account of Divine worship " on the day which is called 
 Sunday,^^ and makes special mention of the offerings of 
 the congregation. "Each of those who have abundance 
 and are willing, according to his choice, gives what he 
 thinks fit.^'* The service was always accompanied with 
 almsgiving. And this was regarded as a religious act — 
 " overall our offerings^' (says the same S. Justin) " we bless 
 the Creator of all things, through His Son Jesus Christ, 
 and through the Holy Spirit.'^ It was an offering to 
 Almighty God, and therefore presented to Him in His 
 house and through His ministers. 
 
 And observe further, brethren, that the ^^collections'' 
 thus made were not for the poor only, though these were 
 special objects of the Church's care, but the Clergy were 
 supported, and other expenses discharged from the same 
 source. In the early days it was literally the case, that 
 they who ministered about holy things lived of the 
 sacrifice, and they who waited at the altar were partakers 
 with the altar. t And though S. Paul gave up his right 
 of maintenance, he no less asserted that he might have 
 claimed it if he would. " I only '' (observe the general 
 custom) " and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear 
 working ?^^ J And if, at the present day, the support of 
 the clergy is provided for sometimes by tithes and en- 
 dowments, which have scriptural authority, sometimes by 
 * Apology, § 87, 88. f 1 Cor. ix. 13. % I Cor. ix. 6.
 
 THE WEEKLY OFFERTORY. 13 
 
 pew-rents, yet, believing as I do that these latter can be 
 justified only on the plea of a poor expediency, and on no 
 other ground, and that the house of God ought to be free 
 to all, rich and poor, I cannot but trust that the time may 
 come, ere long, when these may be superseded for the 
 better and more scriptural way. 
 
 Such then, brethren, seems to have been the mode of 
 giving commanded by the Apostle. " Upon the first day 
 of the week^^ — so often as the Lord's day came round — 
 every Christian, rich or poor, was to lay by him in store, 
 as God had prospered him, and bringing with him this 
 '^present,"* was to "come into the courts" of the 
 Almighty, and offer it to Him. And it seems, from what 
 follows in this chapter,t that distribution was to be made 
 of the sura thus collected by the Clergy and persons 
 appointed by the congregation in concert. 
 
 And now let us turn from Holy Scripture to our 
 Book of Common Prayer, and see what are the rules laid 
 down by the latter, and how far they agree with the 
 former. Our Reformers appear to have simply followed 
 in the steps of the Apostle. The rules laid down are : — 
 " Then (after the Sermon) shall the Priest return to the 
 Lord's Table, and begin the Offertory, saying one or more 
 of these sentences following, as he thinketh most con- 
 venient in his discretion." " Whilst the sentences are in 
 reading, the Deacons, Churchwardens, or other fit person 
 appointed for that purpose, shall receive the alms of the 
 poor, and other devotions of the people, in a decent bason 
 
 * P.S. xcvi. 8. t 1 Cor. xvi. 3, 4.
 
 14 THE WEEKLY OFFERTORY. 
 
 to be provided by the Parish for that purpose, and 
 reverently bring it to the Priest; who shall humbly 
 present and place it upon the Holy Table /^ 
 
 ^' And upon the Sundays (and other Holy-days) if there 
 be no Communion, shall be said all that is appointed at 
 the Communion, until the end of the general prayer for 
 [the whole state of Christ^s Church miUtant here on 
 earth] ^ together with one or more of the Collects, ending 
 with the Blessing." " After the divine service ended, the 
 money given at the Offertory shall be disposed of to such 
 pious and charitable uses as the Minister and Church- 
 wardens shall think fit. Wherein, if they disagree_, it shall 
 be disposed of as the Ordinary shall appoint." 
 
 Observe here^ brethren, how the Church of England 
 makes special provision that every one, on the first day of 
 the week, may have an opportunity of laying up in store, 
 as God has prospered him ; how it acknowledges that alms- 
 giving is an offering to Almighty God, and thus causes 
 the alms to be brought to the Priest, who is to present 
 them humbly upon the Holy Table, with prayer to God that 
 He may ^' most mercifully accept our alms." And the 
 different Offertory Sentences, some of them having refer- 
 ence to almsgiving generally, some to the maintenance of 
 the Clergy, and the cost of the spiritual w^arfare to be 
 waged, and others referring to the poor, and " specially 
 those that are of the household of faith," plainly show the 
 " pious and charitable uses" to which the offerings may 
 be applied; while the disposal of the alms is appointed to 
 be in the hands of '^ the Minister," that is, the Clergy,
 
 THE WEEKLY OFFERTORY. 15 
 
 and of the Churchwardens, that is, the representatives of 
 the laity, as we find was the case with " the collections^^ 
 spoken of in the text. 
 
 Thus, brethren, I think it is plain, that the Church of 
 England has simply embodied in rules the principles laid 
 down by S. Paul ; and if so, then are we not bound, as 
 obedient children of God, and faithful members of the 
 Church of England, to act up, so far as is possible, to 
 those rules ? And may not God have suffered us to see 
 the hollowmess of all human expedients, in order to teach 
 us that, if we hope to prosper in our work, we must have 
 courage enough to act in exactly a reverse way to the 
 Pharisees (of whom ^ve have read this morning), and, 
 " laying aside the tradition of men, hold the command- 
 ment of God?"* This is my ow-n firm and settled 
 conviction. It is the conviction of many of the 
 best, most faithful, and temperate members of our 
 Church. The Bishop of Lincoln, for example, thus 
 spoke in the Upper House of Convocation on the sub- 
 ject of Church Missions, both Home and Foreign : — 
 " In the long-run," (he said,) '^ the question resolves 
 itself into one of a supply of money. It has been 
 a growing conviction on my mind, that the only way 
 in which the Church can meet these wants is by 
 recurring to the use of the Weekly Offertory. It is a 
 mode most agreeable to the practice of the early Church. 
 It is a mode accepted by almost every Church in the 
 w^orld except our own. It is a mode which seems fitted 
 
 "^ Mark, vii. 8.
 
 16 THE WEEKLY OFFERTORY. 
 
 for all the various conditions of our parishes. It is well 
 adapted to the congregations of manufacturing parishes, 
 where huge gains are frequently made in short periods, 
 and where each one who feels disposed to return to God, 
 in proportion to the way in which he has been blessed, 
 has the opportunity weekly of doing so. It is well 
 adapted to the agricultural parishes, where the farmers^ 
 gains are made by the aggregate of small savings, and 
 where they are more unwilling to give largely than fre- 
 quently, and where they may have the opportunity of 
 putting their weekly mite in the plate. It is well adapted 
 to the poor, who have the right to be presented with such 
 an opportunity of giving. It is the only means that I 
 know by which a large result can be produced without 
 those continually recurring excitements, which cannot be 
 kept up without a great effort. ^^ The Bishop then went 
 on to state that a weekly collection of alms was the prac- 
 tice of the Presbyterian Kirk in Scotland, in most parts of 
 the continent of Europe among the Reformed communions, 
 and also that it had been tried with signal success at 
 Kidderminster. Many other similar instances might be 
 added. 
 
 Before and since my determination to commence it, 
 numerous testimonies to its success have come before me. 
 I heard only yesterday of one country parish, where 
 it was commenced last Lent, and the weekly offerings have 
 varied from 5/. to 21. 45. A most interesting statement 
 has also been made by an excellent Clergyman* of the 
 * The Rev. W. Cooke, Vicar of Gazeley.
 
 THE WEEKLY OFFERTORY. 17 
 
 working of the Offertory in a parish close to London, in 
 some respects similarly situated to our own, where he 
 "ministered (as he says) before God to his people for 
 six most anxious, laborious, yet happy years." Though 
 it was a new district, not altogether separated from the 
 parish church, and therefore the inhabitants had to pay 
 rate and tithe to it, as if it had been the only church, yet, 
 over and above what they had to pay to the Mother 
 Church, they collected through the Offertory, and in 
 other ways, no less a sum than 750/. after the first twelve 
 months from the opening of the church, " mostly by six- 
 pences, and shilhngs, and half-crowns, and with a few 
 gold coins among the offerings, and with many coppers 
 of the poor." And the Clergyman mentions, that besides 
 all this they raised more than 1800/. for the building of 
 schools in five years; making altogether about 1000/. a-year. 
 And now, having called your attention to these few in- 
 stances out of many that might be adduced, because I 
 trust, that even as S. Paul inspirited the Corinthians 
 by the example of the Galatians, so your emulation may 
 be kindled by an account of the well-doings of others, I 
 desire to apply what has been said to our own parish of 
 S. Philip^s. You are aware of the difficulty we have 
 always had in obtaining funds for Church expenses and 
 other purposes, under our present system. The deficiency 
 in the former alone for several years past has always been 
 considerable — speaking roundly, some 20/. or more per 
 annum ; and I have reason to believe that this sum would 
 have been much larger, had it not been for the careful and
 
 18 THE WEEKLY OFFERTORY. 
 
 economical manaQ;ement of our late Churchwardens and 
 their predecessors. Now there is no fund whatever for 
 meeting this deficiency. It is sometimes, indeed, sup- 
 posed that it may legally be made up from the pew-rents. 
 This is not so. These cannot legally be touched for this 
 purpose, though of course the Incumbent may give any 
 portion of them to supply the sum required. The conse- 
 quence has been, that a few of the most willing among 
 you, together wdth the Clergy, have been called on to con- 
 tribute a very disproportionate amount, w^hile many have 
 given little or nothing. I see no probability of any change 
 taking place in this respect, in so poor a neighbourhood, 
 under the present system ; and if, therefore, I w^ere com- 
 pelled to continue it, I should feel this state of things so 
 utter a hindrance to me in my work among you — I should 
 see so little hope of that work being carried on with 
 energy under such fiscal disadvantages — that with deep 
 regret indeed, and with many a lingering look behind on 
 the kind friends who, ^^ amid evil report and good report/' 
 have ever been zealous in all that is good, and willing and 
 ready to help forward the work of Christ, and sti-engthen 
 the hands of His ministers — I should feel it a duty to 
 leave this post for another. But, after much thought and 
 many prayers, I determined to try, in simple faith and 
 humble dependence upon Almighty God, that which I be- 
 lieve to be the Bible way, and the way our Church at the 
 Reformation enjoined upon her members. This resolve of 
 mine to commence the Weekly Offertory was mentioned 
 at a vestry meeting held some little time since, and was
 
 THE WEEKLY OFFERTORY. 19 
 
 assented to by all then present. Remembering, however, 
 the ancient rule, " Do nothing without the Bishop/' a 
 deputation was appointed to accompany your Clergy to the 
 Bishop of London, who, on hearing the circumstances, 
 gave his sanction and approval. This being the case, it 
 remains only that I beg the hearty co-operation of you all. 
 After what has been said, I will not assume that any will 
 object to the revival of a custom so Scriptural, so strictly 
 commanded by our Prayer-book, and introduced with the 
 sanction of your Bishop. But if objections should arise 
 in the minds of any, I would ask them to do me the 
 favour of calling on me, and I will, as God shall give me 
 power, try to remove them. 
 
 The plan of collection will be this. Immediately after the 
 Sermon the Oj0fertory Sentences will be read, the congrega- 
 tion standing, and a collection made from seat to seat. 
 After this the alms will be presented to God, through His 
 Minister, in the prayer for the Church Militant ; then 
 will follow one of the appointed Collects, and the Blessing. 
 In the evening, the collections will be made during the 
 singing of two or three of the Offertory Sentences, and 
 the gifts thus collected will be brought to the Altar, and 
 the Service will conclude, as in the morning, with a Collect 
 and the Blessing. At present the alms will be given for 
 Church expenses; but if they should be as large as I 
 hope,* we purpose to support, in whole or in part, other of 
 our charities in the same way. Due notice of the objects, 
 
 * The Offerings on the first Sunday amounted to rather more 
 than 12/.
 
 20 THE WEEKLY OFFERTORY. 
 
 however, will be given, and at any time a person may Lave 
 his contribution applied to a special purpose by inclosing it 
 in a piece of paper, and writing thereon how he wishes it to 
 be disposed of. At the end of the year the Churchwardens 
 will render an account of the receipts and expenditure. 
 
 And now, in conclusion, I would ask you all to give 
 something, the poorer as well as the richer. "Let every 
 one of you lay by him in store." If this be done, a large 
 sum may be gathered in the course of the year, without 
 being burdensome to any. The language of S. Chrysostom 
 on this text is full of common sense — "He (the iVpostle) 
 calls the ^collections a co?ztribution, immediately making 
 out the thing to be easy. For when contribution is made 
 by all together J that becomes light which is charged upon 
 each.-" " The gathering by little and little hinders all 
 perception of the burden and cost." 
 
 There are other points on which I fain would have 
 touched in connexion with this subject, but the time 
 warns me to leave something unsaid. I beg you to re- 
 ceive what has been spoken in love, in a spirit of love. 
 The question I want to propose to you is this: — ^' If 
 almsgiving be a burden^ then, in very justice, all ought to 
 bear a share in the burden ; but if almsgiving be a jjrivi- 
 lege, then every one of you. even the poorest, has a right 
 to have an opportunity of sharing in that privilege." 
 
 Loiidon: Pr nted by G. Barclay, Castle St. Leicester Sq.
 
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