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 M 
 
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 THE USE OF THE OFFERTORY. 
 
 A LETTER 
 
 TO THE RIGHT REV. THE 
 
 LORD BISHOP OF WORCESTER, 
 
 SUGGESTING A MODE OF GIVING GREATER EFFICIENCY 
 
 ^moxtmtx Bioctmn ai:^urcf)=13uiltiina ^amt^, 
 
 AND TO OTHER 
 
 SIMILAR EFFORTS OF THE CHURCH. 
 
 REV. RICHARD SEYMOUR, 
 
 RECTOR OP KINWARTON, 
 AND RURAL DEAN. 
 
 LONDON: 
 PRINTED FOR J. G. F. & J. RIVINGTON, 
 
 ST. PAUL'S CHURCH YARD, AND WATERLOO PLACE, PALL MALL; 
 LANG BRIDGE, BIRMINGHAM; & EATON & SON, WORCESTER. 
 
 1843.
 
 LONDON : 
 GILBERT AND RIVINGTON, PRINTERS, 
 
 ST. John's Square.
 
 *'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, that there be no gatherings 
 when I come'." 
 
 "Mark how he exhorts them even from the time: for 
 indeed the day was enough to lead them to almsgiving. 
 * Wherefore call to mind,' saith he, ' what ye attained to 
 on this day: how all the unutterable blessings, and that 
 which is the root and beginning of our life took place on this 
 day. Moreover, the communicating also on this day in 
 mysteries so tremendous and immortal, instils great zealous- 
 ness.' On it, accordingly, 'let each one of you, not merely this 
 or that individual, but each one of you, whether poor or rich, 
 woman or man, slave or free, lay up in store by himself.' 
 Observe also how he avoids being burthensome. He saith 
 not, ' so much,' ' or so much,' but whatsoever he may have 
 been prospered in, whether much or little. . . And by his not 
 enjoining them to deposit all at once, he makes his counsel 
 easy ; since the gathering by little and little hinders all per- 
 ception of the burthen and the cost ^" 
 
 " The poor hath as much right to your alms, as you have 
 to your estates; alms being as a rent-charge which God hath 
 reserved for the poor, out of the estates, which He hath put 
 into your hands. Hence the same word, which in Hebrew 
 signifies righteousness, in other oriental languages, especially 
 
 > 1 Cor. xvi. 1, 2. 
 
 * St. Chrysostom, Library of the Fathei-s, vol. v. p. 60fi, 607- 
 
 a2
 
 IV 
 
 Syriac and Arabic, is commonly used for alms ; and the 
 Hebrew word itself is ordinarily translated by the LXX 
 iXcTj/zoauvrj, almsgiving, or charity : and so it is plainly used 
 in Daniel iv. 27'." (Compare Job xxix. 11— 16; St. Matth. 
 XXV. 34—40.) 
 
 ' Bevei'idge's Sermons, vol. iv. 403. 
 
 'S. 
 
 ^UJUC 

 
 LETTER, 
 
 My Lord, 
 I HAD fully purposed to attend the late important meeting 
 called by your Lordship for the revival of our Diocesan 
 Church Building Society ; and I had intended, if an oppor- 
 tunity was afforded me, to call the attention of those present 
 to a mode of proceeding which has long commended itself to 
 my mind as eminently calculated to obtain for that Society 
 assistance larger in amount, and more universal as regards 
 the contributors, than it has ever yet received. Having been 
 unavoidably detained at home by parochial duty, I venture 
 to address to your Lordship the substance of the remarks 
 which I had purposed to make to the meeting; not, my 
 Lord, that I imagined myself capable of recommending what 
 I had in my mind by any powers of language, nor that 
 I imagine myself able to do so now by my pen, but because 
 I have a deep conviction that the plan to which I wish to call 
 attention is that which is most likely, under the good bless- 
 ing of God, to effectually promote not only the building of 
 churches, but also the other great kindred works in which 
 the Church is now engaged, and which your Lordship has 
 proved to your diocese that you have so much at heart.
 
 The mode of proceeding to which I refer is, the regular 
 use of the Offertory as directed by the Rubrics in the Book 
 of Common Prayer. 
 
 In venturing to address your Lordship on this subject, I 
 must premise, first, that I am in no way actuated by the idea 
 that 1 can afford your Lordship any information upon it, or 
 that any thing I may say can influence your Lordship's 
 judgment. I am not actuated by any such presumption : 
 but my desire is, to call the attention of some of my clerical 
 brethren to a subject which possibly may not have much 
 occupied their thoughts ; and some of them may perhaps be 
 induced to read a letter addressed to your Lordship, which 
 my own name alone has no power to recommend to them. 
 And I feel confident that your Lordship will not object to 
 my adopting this mode of stating my strong impressions on 
 this subject, because upon my acquainting your Lordship 
 with what I had myself done in this way, you were pleased 
 to sanction it with your approval. Secondly, that though I 
 should have shrunk from putting forth any private scheme, 
 however promising, of my own invention, I do not feel the 
 same diffidence in calling attention to a practice which ap- 
 pears to me to have every authority to recommend it, which 
 either as Christians or as churchmen we could desire for it. 
 
 For it will hardly be denied by any one, that the practice 
 of collecting on every Lord's Day the offerings of His people, 
 accordingly as God hath prospered them, and enabled them 
 to offer, is an apostolical practice. It is in strictest agreement 
 with St. Paul's instructions to the Churches of Corinth and 
 GalatiaS It was therefore (almost beyond a question) the 
 mode in which they, who learned their faith and practice 
 from the very lips of the apostles, made their offerings for 
 pious and charitable works, — such as for the relief of the 
 poor brethren at Jerusalem *, or for the support of the apos- 
 tles®, when engaged in that which was strictly the apostolic 
 
 ' 1 Cor. xvi. 1,2. •'■ Rom. xv. 25, 26. 
 
 * riiil. ii. 25 ; iv. 10—18.
 
 work, the propagation of the faith ^, — works, I need hardly 
 observe, almost identical with our own almsgiving, and our 
 offerings for the extension of our Redeemer's kingdom, whe- 
 ther at home or abroad. Nor was the practice of connecting 
 this exercise of devotion towards God, and love towards man, 
 with public worship, new in the apostles' days. It was, as 
 your Lordship is doubtless well aware, simply the con- 
 tinuance of what was practised under the Mosaic Law, which 
 .ordered that the Israelites should not appear "before the 
 Lord empty'," and that "every man should give as he was 
 able, according to the blessing of the Lord his God, which 
 He had given him^" The apostles, therefore, did not 
 originate, but, under the guidance of the Holy Ghost, they 
 perpetuated in the Church this practice of connecting alms- 
 giving with public worship. 
 
 Further, — That this apostolical usage is ordered by the 
 Church of England, is evident from the plain directions in 
 the Book of Common Prayer, — directions repeated in sub- 
 stance, though with some variations, at every revision of the 
 Prayer Book, from the first book of Edward VI. to that set- 
 tled, as now used, after the Restoration. (See the Rubrics 
 before and after the Offertory Sentences, and also the last 
 of those which follow the Post Communion Service.) This 
 practice, therefore, to which I am anxious to call attention, 
 having been sanctioned and ordered by the Apostles, and 
 likewise enjoined by the Church of England, appears to me 
 to have every authority attaching to its observance, which 
 either as Christians or as churchmen we could desire for it. 
 
 To come now to the particular purpose for which I venture 
 to address your Lordship, — I learn from the report of the 
 late public meeting, that amongst other resolutions adopted 
 was this : " That it is desirable that all classes of the com- 
 munity be interested in the promotion of the object of this 
 Society." By all classes are of course meant, not the rich 
 
 ' 2 Cor. ix. \—fn. « Deut. xvi. 16, 17 ; Exod. xxxiv. 20. 
 
 ' Ecclus. XXXV. 4 — 11.
 
 8 
 
 only, who can afford to give largely, but the middle and loiver 
 classes, the farmer, the tradesman, the artizan, and the 
 labourer, who, though they may not be able to give largely, 
 are nevertheless equally able, and equally bound, to act upon 
 the apostolic rule, which teaches every Christian man, whe- 
 ther rich or poor, to give " as God hath prospered him" My 
 Lord, the principle embodied in that resolution appears to 
 me to be a most important one. The offerings of the poor 
 are, to say the least, not less acceptable to God than those of 
 the rich. And while any such association of Christians, as 
 this for building churches, is confined to one class only of the 
 whole body, there is, I would humbly suggest, something 
 wanting in order to our obtaining the fulness of God's bless- 
 ing upon our work. That this is true, not in theory only, 
 but in practice, is well known to all who are acquainted with 
 the workings of our different religious societies, which have, 
 I believe, invariably prospered in proportion as they have 
 received the offerings, and with them the prayers and sym- 
 pathies of " all classes of the community." Such a resolution, 
 therefore, had, I consider, peculiar propriety. But the ques- 
 tion will naturally occur to many minds, as it does to my 
 own, — How are we to carry this resolution into effect? And 
 such a question is the more reasonable, because I recollect 
 hearing a similar resolution ably recommended and adopted 
 at a similar meeting presided over by your Lordship's pre- 
 decessor. And what has followed? Let any one glance 
 his eye over the list of contributions in the late reports, and 
 he will be compelled to reply, " Nothing." And, my Lord, 
 it is because I have my fears that the resolution lately 
 adopted may be followed by a hke result, that I venture thus 
 to express my sentiments. 
 
 I need hardly say, that on the Clergy of your Lordship's 
 diocese it almost entirely depends, whether this resolution is 
 really to be acted upon or not: nor will it be denied, that as a 
 body they have every inclination to act upon it, and to promote 
 in every possible way the designs of this Society. And yet.
 
 9 
 
 my Lord, with every good disposition on their part, I have my 
 fears that unless some means, hitherto untried, are resorted 
 to, that resolution will continue almost a dead letter, and the 
 Society be supported, as hitherto, with very few exceptions, 
 by one class of the community only. That your Lordship^s 
 appeal to your diocese will be promptly responded to by 
 many, and that the more pressing difficulties under which 
 the Society labours will be removed, I feel no doubt. Indeed 
 this has been already proved. Nor do I doubt that the 
 exertions of the Society's Secretaries will be rewarded by 
 some increase in the annual subscriptions to the Society's 
 funds. But, my Lord, I have nevertheless my fears that 
 this Society will not do the extensive good which it might 
 do, and which is urgently looked for from it, until the co- 
 operation of all classes is secured to it ; and I am fearful that, 
 notwithstanding this resolution, that co-operation may not be 
 obtained. 
 
 For, allow me, my Lord, to ask, in what way are the 
 Clergy to proceed to obtain the assistance of the middle and 
 lower classes of the community ? The system of collecting 
 from house to house is one which is burthensome, and to 
 many minds very distasteful : and those who would be most 
 likely to act upon it, have already their collections for mis- 
 sionary purposes, their subscriptions to schools, and other 
 periodical demands, which are likely to make them reluctant 
 to add to them the claims, most just though they be, of 
 our Church Building Society. And supposing a plan to be 
 adopted similar to that which is practised by the Society for 
 the Propagation of the Gospel, and by the Church Mis- 
 sionary Society, and periodical meetings held, or sermons 
 preached for the benefit of this Society, — I believe, my Lord, 
 that though this plan might succeed to some extent, the 
 success would be but partial. I speak from some little ex- 
 perience, as the secretary for a large district of our two oldest 
 societies ; and I venture to assert, what I have long felt, and 
 believe to be felt by very many of my brethren, that we need
 
 10 
 
 some better machinery, by which the sympathies of the whole 
 body of the Church, not of a few parishes here and there, but 
 of every parish in the kingdom, and of every individual in 
 each parish, may be aroused, and not aroused only, but con- 
 tinually acted upon, in order that adequate means may be 
 supplied for the great works in which the Church is engaged. 
 In proof of this, I may appeal to all who have taken any 
 active part in the increased efforts made of late to send mis- 
 sionaries to our long-neglected colonies, and to other parts of 
 the heathen world. Who has not heard heart-stirring nar- 
 ratives of the wants of those colonies, and appeals, apparently 
 irresistible, in behalf of all from whom the knowledge of their 
 Saviour is still withheld ? And under the influence of such 
 appeals it has seemed to be impossible, considering the many 
 and great blessings which we of the Church of England 
 enjoy, that the means would be withheld from the Church, of 
 accomplishing (so far as money can avail) that great part in 
 the conversion of the world, which the Providence of God has 
 so plainly committed to her. And yet we learn from the last 
 report of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, that 
 during the past year, though their noble efforts have been 
 enlarged, their income has not increased : and if we turn to 
 the Church Missionary Society, we find that the efforts of 
 that society also are most seriously hindered, owing to their 
 straitened resources. Experience, therefore, does not appear 
 to encourage the attempt to interest all classes of the com- 
 munity in favour of our Church Building Society by similar 
 means. 
 
 Here then, my Lord, it is, (I would humbly suggest,) that 
 the Offertory, as ordered by the Church, seems to come to 
 our relief. Instead of periodical collections, made from house 
 to house, at the expense of much time and trouble, it provides 
 the means of making such collections on every Lord's Day 
 in the Lord's house. Instead of confining many of the good 
 works in which the Church is engaged to one class of the 
 community only, we may thus impart a share in them to
 
 11 
 
 thousands, and tens of thousands, whose means will not allow 
 them to contribute in any other way. Instead of the neces- 
 sity of holding meetings, and burthening many of the Clergy, 
 — generally those who bear the heaviest burthens in their own 
 parishes, — with the task of travelling about the country as 
 deputations from their respective societies, and thus entailing 
 on the societies themselves considerable expense, every pastor 
 will, as part of his regular ministrations, invite every member 
 of his flock to make his weekly offering to God, " according 
 to his ability." Instead of the excitement, too often produc- 
 ing little fruit, of eloquent speeches from the platform, or 
 charity sermons from the pulpit, every member of the 
 Church will, on every Lord's Day, be appealed to in the 
 words of God, and exhorted " to do good unto all men," " to 
 be merciful after their power;" and will be reminded, that 
 " with such sacrifices God is well-pleased," and that, " He 
 will not forget their works and labour that proceedeth of 
 love." And, instead of the system — savouring, surely, too 
 much of the Pharisaism against which our Lord has repeat- 
 edly warned us, and certainly tending to produce unchristian 
 motives — of publishing to the world every gift which is 
 offered, we should enable all to exercise this part of Christian 
 charity, as a solemn duty to be transacted between themselves 
 and God, and exercised after the simple and unobtrusive 
 manner prescribed to us by our Lord. 
 
 In these observations I hope, my Lord, I shall not be 
 thought to speak slightingly of practices of late so generally 
 resorted to. I am not forgetful that they have been sanc- 
 tioned by the highest authorities, and that God has to a great 
 extent blessed them for the accomplishment of much good. 
 And if, therefore, I depreciate them, it is only in comparison 
 with what I believe to be the more excellent ivay, the way 
 taught us by Apostles, and prescribed to us by the Church ; 
 and because I have my fears, that, until we return to that 
 way, those who have at heart the promotion of true religion 
 both at home and abroad, will have the pain of seeing the 
 
 11
 
 12 
 
 building and endowing of churches, the extension of sound 
 rehgious instruction, and the propagation of the Gospel, 
 continually halting for want of the means of sustaining 
 them. 
 
 Your Lordship is, no doubt, well aware, that this opinion 
 has been recently advanced by several writers who have a 
 power to recommend it, such as I have no pretensions to. 
 Mr. Palmer, in his " Inquiry into the possibility of obtaining 
 means for Church Extension without Parliamentary Grants *," 
 after showing, that "six millions of the inhabitants of 
 England and Wales are beyond any effective control and 
 guidance of the Church, with her present means, and that 
 no less than 6000 additional clergy are requisite, at this 
 moment, to place her in a state of full efficiency" — maintains, 
 that the weekly collections by the Offertory, if made in every 
 congregation, would in all probability provide the means, 
 which the Church requires to enable her to build and to 
 endow, within the next 20 years, the requisite number of 
 sacred edifices. Mr. Markland, in his " Remarks on English 
 Churches, &c.^' has a chapter on the same subject, a part of 
 which (and I might say the same of it all) is so pertinent to 
 my purpose, that I will quote it at length. " We will," he 
 says ^, " take as an example a church, in a city or town, with 
 a congregation of about 700 persons of mixed classes of 
 society, deducting one-third part for children and the very 
 poorest of the congregation, say 232, there would be left 468 
 as donors : 
 
 
 
 Weeklj 
 
 Sum. 
 
 Annual Amount. 
 
 
 
 s. 
 
 d. 
 
 £. s. 
 
 d. 
 
 75 contributors at 2 
 
 6 
 
 . 487 10 
 
 
 
 100 
 
 » 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 . 260 
 
 
 
 100 
 
 j> 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 . 130 
 
 
 
 50 
 
 » 
 
 
 
 4 
 
 . 43 6 
 
 8 
 
 141 
 
 5> 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 31 1 
 
 
 
 4n8 
 
 
 
 
 ^£951 17 
 
 8 
 
 ' 2nd Edition, 
 
 p. 13 
 
 
 
 ^ Pp. 
 
 146, 117.
 
 13 
 
 " These minute calculations may seem almost derogatory 
 to so high a subject as Christian charity ; but more general 
 statements may be doubted or denied, and these specifications 
 will enable a Clergyman to form some idea what may be done 
 in his own church in raising annually from his congregation 
 the largest sums in the most effectual and least onerous 
 manner. The sums themselves cannot but be regarded as 
 moderate, and might be modified and varied in many respects. 
 If the contributors of the larger sums were fewer in number, 
 those of less amount might, on the other hand, be more 
 numerous ; still a sum of from J900 to £1000, might, from 
 such a congregation, be annually collected. Occasional 
 absence and deficiencies would be supplied, doubtless, by 
 more Uberal contributions at the great festivals. Many would 
 feel, that extraordinary mercies demanded a larger measure 
 of bounty, * Give unto the Most High as he hath enriched 
 theeJ' (Ecclus. xxxv. 10.) But if we take the collection, as 
 above, at £950, and deduct one-fourth, as sacramental alms 
 (to be appropriated as such alms have been usually distri- 
 buted), £237 10s., a surplus will remain of £727 10*. This 
 residue might be divided into equal proportions, the one-half 
 to be applied in aid of the parochial schools, of hospitals, and 
 dispensaries, and other local purposes, for which sermons 
 have been accustomed to be preached, and the other moiety 
 be paid over to the Societies for Church Building, and the 
 Propagation of the Gospel both at home and abroad, in such 
 proportions and manner, as the wants of these societies might 
 from time to time demand." 
 
 " As a further illustration of this practice,^' Mr. Markland 
 adds in a note, ''we will take an existing city church with a 
 congregation of 1000 persons in less affluent circumstances, 
 generally, than those comprised in the above statement : in 
 this church there has been collected, during the past year, on 
 the several occasions when the Holy Communion was admi- 
 nistered, the sum of £85 35. 7d., and when eight charity ser- 
 mons have been preached, £145 16s. 7d., total £231 Qs. 2d.
 
 ]4 
 
 Supposing weekly Offertory collections to be made in this 
 church from two-thirds of the congregation, according to 
 something like the following scale, the result would be as 
 follows : — 
 
 
 Weekl} 
 
 Sum 
 
 
 s. 
 
 d. 
 
 222 conti'ibutors at 1 
 
 
 
 222 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 222 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 Sums actually received in one year 
 
 Excess £682 1? 10" 
 
 Annual Amount 
 
 £. 
 
 s. 
 
 d. 
 
 . 577 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 . 288 
 
 12 
 
 
 
 . 48 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 913 
 
 18 
 
 
 
 . 231 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 I have no fear, my Lord, that Mr. Markland (having in his 
 mind especially our town parishes) is over-sanguine in his 
 expectations of what would be obtained by the regular use of 
 the Offertory. And, in confirmation of this opinion, I beg to 
 submit to your Lordship the following statement, which my 
 friend, the Rev. Robert Eden, Rector of Leigh, Essex, has 
 sent me of the Offertory collections in his church, from 
 Advent Sunday, 1841, to Advent Sunday, 1842: —
 
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 ^ 2 
 
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 t-^ eo CO (N © © 
 
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 CC J2 (p 
 
 
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 r=3 ^ -S .5 -a ^ 
 
 QQQQpq Pi E-HHEh 
 
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 12;
 
 16 
 
 Mr. Eden remarks on this statement, " In former years, 
 when the Offertory was at the Communion only, £50 was the 
 utmost ever realised, if indeed it ever quite reached that. 
 Thus the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel receives 
 as much (the annual sermon being taken into the account) as 
 when we collected by means of the parochial association. 
 And in addition we have been able to divide £42 amongst 
 other societies which never benefited by our parish. And 
 the poor have also obtained a larger portion than they ever 
 received before. In short, all is gain ; which must, I trust, 
 redound to the glory of God." 
 
 The population of the parish of Leigh amounts, I believe, 
 to about 1000 souls, chiefly employed in fishing. 
 
 I hope that 1 shall not be thought very presumptuous if, 
 in further confirmation of this opinion, I cite my own limited 
 experience in my own parishes, which are small, and strictly 
 agricultural. For more than two years I have invited my 
 parishioners to contribute in this way their weekly offerings 
 for pious and charitable purposes. It has been understood, 
 that one-half of the sums collected would be devoted to the 
 sick and aged in our own parishes, and that the other half 
 would be given, in part to the Society for the Propagation of 
 the Gospel, and in part to our Diocesan Church Building 
 Society. The result has been, that we were able last year 
 to send from this source £11 16s. 6d. to the Society for the 
 Propagation of the Gospel, and £5 18*. Sd. to the Diocesan 
 Church Building Society. And at the end of this year I hope 
 that our contributions to the same Societies will not fall short 
 of this. I should state, that as I have two churches, the col- 
 lection is only made in each on alternate Sundays ; and when, 
 my Lord, I add, that the inhabitants of my two parishes are 
 only 400 in number, and that we have no advantage which 
 does not belong to almost every other agricultural parish, I 
 think I may fairly cite our case in proof of the high proba- 
 bility that the use of the Offertory will not be followed by 
 disappointment. For human nature is, I imagine, the same
 
 17 
 
 both here and elsewhere. The motives by which alone the 
 ministers of Christ can effectually urge their congregations to 
 almsgiving, are the same also. And therefore, if my little 
 congregations can annually contribute £5 or =€6 for building 
 churches for their less favoured brethren, and twice that sum 
 for the propagation of the Gospel, I would respectfully ask 
 why the same thing is not equally practicable, in proportion 
 to their wealth and population, in every parish in your Lord- 
 ship's diocese ? Only, I will add my belief, that while some 
 few parishes might perhaps do less, others would undoubtedly 
 do much greater things \ And seeing that during the year 
 1841 the contributions of my parishioners by the Offertory to 
 the Church Building Society exceeded the total amount of 
 all the smaller subscriptions entered in the last Report — which 
 smaller subscriptions do, I imagine, represent the middle and 
 lower classes — I do feel very sanguine, that the fund which 
 would thus be contributed for building, and (what is not 
 less important) for endowing new churches and chapels, would 
 very largely exceed any thing which we have yet seen in this 
 diocese, while there might also be supplied, from the same 
 source, contributions to our Diocesan Board of Education, 
 as well as for missionary purposes. 
 
 For, my Lord, the very use of the Offertory sentences, as a 
 part of divine service, would, I believe, tend to recal us to a 
 right mode of thinking respecting the great Christian duty of 
 giving alms, whether for the poor in this world's goods, or 
 for those who are destitute of that bread of life, which the 
 Church of Christ, as His appointed means, can alone impart 
 to them. And is there no need of such a recal ? If Love be 
 the fulfilling of our blessed Master's law ; and if it be a part 
 of Christian love to care for the eternal as well as temporal 
 
 ' There might, perhaps, occasionally arise some difference of opinion as to 
 the right mode of distributing the sums thus collected, but this difficulty would 
 be easily surmounted, wherever it arose, by the aid of your Lordshii)'s 
 advice.
 
 18 
 
 interests of others, then there cannot be a duty more plainly 
 incumbent on every Christian person, than this of helping to 
 build churches for those who are too poor to provide them 
 for themselves. And yet, my Lord, if we are to judge from 
 its practical effect, this duty is only recognized in a most 
 limited degree. It would not, I believe, be difficult to find 
 parishes, even with large populations, in which the only 
 subscriber to the Church Building Society is the Clergyman 
 of the parish, and he by no means the richest inhabitant, or 
 the best able to subscribe. In some such parishes it would, 
 I believe, be found, that there is no association for missionary 
 purposes, no means by which the people may contribute to 
 any of the great Christian works in which the Church is 
 engaged. And in these very parishes, it would, I believe, be 
 found, that even the annual Queen's letter is received reluct- 
 antly, and followed by the most scanty offerings. Now why, 
 my Lord, is this? Is it that the Clergy of these parishes have 
 no desire to see their parishioners co-operate in good works ? 
 I am far from supposing this to be the cause ; I am confident 
 that it is otherwise. Or is it that the inhabitants of those 
 parishes are less open to the blessed power of their religion, 
 the true and essential test of which is, victory over self, and 
 love towards others ? No : but simply, as I believe, because 
 there is wanting the means by which the Clergy may regu- 
 larly appeal to their flocks, and by which every Christian 
 worshipper may have the opportunity of exercising, as a part 
 of Christian worship, his thankfulness towards God, and his 
 love towards his brethren. That opportunity would, my 
 Lord, be supplied by the regular use of the Offertory. And 
 might we not fairly indulge the hope that, with its use, there 
 would revive better feelings? that people would gradually 
 learn, not the duty only, but also the blessedness, of partaking, 
 according to their ability, in every good work ? Might we 
 not hope that men would come to see and believe that in the 
 order of God's law, they benefit themselves far more by
 
 19 
 
 giving, than by keeping back, of their substance ? That the 
 promise is *, " Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with 
 the first-fruits of all thine increase ; so shall thy barns be 
 filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new 
 wine :" that " There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth ; 
 and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, and it 
 tendeth to poverty :" and that the Lord Jesus hath said, 
 " It is more blessed to give than to receive ;" the fulness of 
 which blessing, and the loss to those who seek it not, will, as 
 our blessed Saviour has in many places declared, be abun- 
 dantly realised at His second coming. I am persuaded, my 
 Lord, that the use of the Offertory is more likely to be blessed 
 by God Almighty to the revival of a practical faith in these 
 truths, than any other means to which we can resort. I 
 imagine it to be the only means by which " all classes of the 
 community" can possibly be brought to take their share in 
 those good works for which the help of all is so greatly 
 needed. 
 
 The amount of success in restoring this practice would no 
 doubt be at first more or less encouraging, according to the 
 extent to which the duty of alms-giving has been already 
 taught and practised in different parishes. In some it would 
 be but the carrying out in a new and (as it appears to me) a 
 better form, principles long and faithfully acted upon. In 
 others it would be received as a strange thing, and would 
 need much patient and oft-repeated explanation. But pro- 
 vided that such explanation was affectionately and per- 
 severingly afforded, and information occasionally given re- 
 specting the several works to which the offerings were 
 devoted, either by the Clergyman himself, or by printed 
 statements periodically supplied to him, and circulated by 
 him in his parish ; provided, too, that all proper publicity 
 was given to the mode in which the sums collected were 
 disposed of, — the churchwardens being associated with the 
 
 * Prov. iii. 10, 1 1 . 
 B 2
 
 20 
 
 Clergyman in his care of this sacred fund^ as ordered by the 
 Rubric, — and I cannot suppose it possible^ that the Offer- 
 tory would, after a little while, be in any parish other than 
 the channel by which the people w ould willingly make their 
 grateful offerings for those pious and charitable works to 
 which they are exhorted by their Pastor, under the sanction 
 of their Bishop. 
 
 I will only add, that I am, my Lord, 
 
 With the sincerest respect. 
 
 Your Lordship's obedient servant, 
 
 R. SEYMOUR. 
 
 Kinwarton Rectory, 
 Dec. 5, 1842. 
 
 * " Considering tlie great amount of wealth in this country, and, I must add, 
 the charitable and liberal disposition of a large portion of our congregations, I 
 cannot think there would be any difficulty in inti'oducing the practice, with so 
 holy and religious an object in view. Where the contribution was voluntary, 
 and was urged and recommended on religious motives, it would surely be diffi- 
 cult to imagme on what grounds Christian congregations could object to it. It 
 may be said, that the amoimt would be insignificant, and that many persons 
 would not contribute to this fund. It is possible that some little time might be 
 requisite to instruct our congregations in their duties in reference to the sub- 
 ject ; but it is one which is so deeply connected with rehgious considerations, 
 that if the clergy were obliged to bring it continually before the consciences of 
 their hearers, it is morally impossible that there could be any failure. In fact, 
 several clergy in various parts of the country have, without the least difficulty, 
 restored the practice of collections in church. One clergj-man mentioned to me 
 lately, tliat the collections in his church (which are applied to the erection of a 
 new church) average more than four pounds each Simday." — The Rev. W. 
 Palmer, pp. 18, 19. 
 
 To the same efifect Mr. Markland observes : 
 
 " If this plan be regarded as visionary — that it is not worth the experiment, 
 because (as it may be assumed) it could not answer — that, if put uito practice, 
 its success would be partial, and the contributions trifling — the author would 
 answer in the words of our revered Metropolitan*, ' the practice of giviug will 
 create habits of boimty.' Communicants always increase by a more fi-equent 
 administration of the Eucharist, and the universal duty of Christian charity, on 
 its true foimdation, (by too many scarcely understood, and very little practised, 
 as a ftabit,) would undoubtedly, by the adoption of this weekly custom, be both 
 taught and encouraged." — P. 149. 
 
 * Charge of His Grace the Archbishop, 1840.
 
 21 
 
 P.S. To the remarks which I have thus ventured to 
 address to your Lordship, I have the satisfaction of being 
 able to add the opinion of the learned Chancellor of the 
 diocese of Worcester, respecting the lawfulness of the prac- 
 tice recommended in my Letter. 
 
 Case submitted to Dr. Phillimore, D.C.L., and Chancellor of the 
 Diocese of Worcester, for his opinion. 
 
 A. B. the rector of C. informs his parishioners that he 
 purposes henceforth to collect " the alms for the poor, and the 
 other devotions of the people," not only on the days when the 
 Holy Communion is administered, but also on every Sunday, 
 in the manner enjoined by the Rubric in the Prayer Book. 
 He further explains to them that the offerings thus collected 
 will be disbursed, partly (say one half) within the parish, 
 amongst the poor, and partly (i. e. the other half) without the 
 parish, in assisting to build churches for the poor, and to 
 propagate the Gospel, &c. This proceeding on the part of 
 the rector is sanctioned by the Bishop. 
 
 Is there any thing illegal in the practice thus entered on ? 
 Is it in the power of a churchwarden, or wardens, or of any 
 parishioner, to hinder such a disbursement of money thus 
 collected, the purpose to which it will be devoted having 
 been previously made known, and its disbursement in this 
 way sanctioned by the Bishop ? 
 
 The Rubrics, to which attention is particularly called, 
 are: 
 
 1. The two immediately preceding the Offertory sen- 
 tences. 
 
 2. That which follows them. 
 
 3. The last of the Rubrics which follow the Post-Com- 
 munion Service. 
 
 Opinion. 
 The question involved in this case is, to me, at least;, a
 
 22 
 
 question primce impressionis, and therefore I have taken 
 rather more time to consider it, than I should otherwise have 
 done. 
 
 As the Book of Common Prayer was appended to the Act 
 of Uniformity, it follows that the provisions contained in the 
 Rubrics, which form a component part of the Book of Com- 
 mon Prayer, have the force and validity of statute law : I am 
 therefore of opinion that the solution of the question pro- 
 pounded is to be sought for in the Rubrics alone. 
 
 The Rubrics authorise the collection of "alms for the poor, 
 and other devotions of the people," during the reading of the 
 Offertory, whether the Oifertory be followed or not by the 
 Communion. 
 
 Further, after the termination of Divine Service, the 
 Rubric enjoins, that " the money given at the Offertory shall 
 be disposed of to such pious and charitable uses as the 
 minister and churchwardens shall think fit." 
 
 Thus, the collection may consist of " the other devotions 
 of the people," as contradistinguished from " the alms for 
 the poor." 
 
 Again, there is no limitation of the money collected at the 
 Offertory to parochial purposes. The only direction given 
 is, that it shall be applied to " pious and charitable uses." 
 
 From the best consideration, then, that I have been able 
 to apply to the facts detailed in the case, I am led to the 
 clear conclusion, that the incumbent of C. may, with the 
 concurrence of the churchwardens, apply the money col- 
 lected at the Offertory in the manner he proposes, and that 
 there is nothing illegal in the practice which he is desirous 
 of introducing into his parish. 
 
 As to the second point, it is undoubtedly competent to 
 the churchwardens to object to such an appropriation of the 
 money collected at the Offertory, as the rector contemplates ; 
 and if such objection be persisted in by both or either of the 
 churchwai'dens, the question at issue must be referred to the 
 ordinary, i. e. to the Bishop, whom the law has constituted
 
 23 
 
 sole arbiter, if any disagreement should arise between the 
 minister and churchwardens, as to the mode in which the 
 money thus collected should be distributed. 
 
 (Signed) JOSEPH PHILLIMORE. 
 
 Doctors' Commons, Jan. T, 1843. 
 
 The following opinion was given, though not formally, by 
 another learned civilian to a friend, who submitted to him 
 the same case : 
 
 " Of course there is nothing to hinder the clergy and 
 churchwardens together from disposing of the Oifertory col- 
 lection to any pious and charitable uses, which are not 
 contrary to the rules of the Church, and therefore they may 
 jointly apply the fund to the Society for the Propagation of 
 the Gospel, the building of churches for the poor, the main- 
 tenance of poor clergy, &c., as well as to the sick and poor of 
 the parish." 
 
 The following extracts from a Pastoral Letter of the Bishop 
 of New Jersey, (for which I am indebted to the Christian 
 Remembrancer,) will, I feel assured, be deemed a valuable 
 addition to the above. After recommending to his clergy 
 that, instead of monthly, or at rarer intervals, as had been 
 the previous practice, the offerings of the church be 
 MADE EVERY Lord's Day, in Connexion with the Offertory, 
 as appointed in the Communion Service, the Bishop pro- 
 ceeds thus : — 
 
 " 1. This was the primitive mode. 
 
 " II. This is the simplest and most dix-ect address that can be made to the 
 parishioners. 
 
 " III. This is the Church's proper action, in her due organization, under the 
 direction of her ministers, on the call of her Divine Head. 
 
 " This plan combines many advantages. 
 
 " 1. Its frequency is an advantage. The contribution can never be forgotten. 
 
 " 2. Its constancy is an advantage. The sujjply from it will be perpetual and 
 sure. There is nothing to be trusted like a habit. 
 
 12
 
 24 
 
 " 3. Its simplicity is an advantage. Ft is intelligible by every one, and will 
 commend itself even to little children. 
 
 " 4. Its moderation is an advantage. Returning frequently, it, of course, calls, 
 at each time, for comparatively little. Thus it meets the convenience of all. 
 ' If thou hast much, give plenteously ; if thou hast httle, do thy diligence gladly 
 to give of that little.' 
 
 , " 5. Its inexpemiveness is an advantage. It will cost nothing for agencies, and 
 be encumbered with no officers. 
 
 " 6. Its sobriety is an advantage. It makes no exciting appeals ; and creates 
 no heat, to be followed by a more than corresponding coldness. It is the oozing 
 of the water from the rock that fills the springs. It is the gentle dropping of 
 the dew that clothes the vales with verdure. 
 
 " What are its disadvantages ? 
 
 " 1. It is disagre.eahle to be asked so often to contribute. — As if the Lord's 
 Prayer did not ask every day for ' daily bread !' 
 
 " 2. It is disagreeable to make the collection so frequently. — As if it were not 
 better to be ' a door-keeper in the house of the Lord, than to dwell in the tents 
 of the ungodly.' 
 
 " 3. It is disagreeable to connect the giving of money with the worship of 
 the sanctuary. — As if there were any stn-er test of a lieart given up to God ! 
 As if the sanctuary itself could be built or sustamed without money ! As if the 
 offerings, by God's own appointment, were not formerly brought to his own holy 
 temple ! As if the silver and tlie gold were not all his ! 
 
 " 4. It is disagreeable to be detamed so long. — As if five minutes occupied in 
 hearing sentences from holy Scripture and in prayer were to be esteemed a 
 hardship for a soul that looks to an eternity of worship ! 
 
 " Brethren, dearly beloved in the Lord, I have but little more to say. I need 
 say but little more. My office compels me to acquaint myself with the destitu- 
 tion of the Saviour's ' sheep that are scattered abroad in the midst of this 
 naughty world.' 1 have only you to look to for the means by which they may 
 be gathered to this fold, ' and saved through Christ for ever.' If I seem impor- 
 tunate to any of you, it is that you may secure that precious privilege, of w liich 
 He hath said, ' It is more blessed to give than to receive.' You will pardon 
 me this WTons;." 
 
 THE END. 
 
 GiLBF.RT & UiviNCToN, Printers, St. Jolm's Square, Loiiiion.
 
 in 
 
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