"Before we pass from hence, we shall offer to consideration the inequality of parishes in and about London, evident in the proportion of their respective burials; for in the same year were buried, in Cripplegate parish, 1191, that but 12 died in Trinity, Minories, St. Saviour's, Southwark, and Botolph's, Bishopsgate, being of the middle size, as burying 5 or 600 per annum: so that Cripplegate is a hundred times as big as the Minories, and 200 times as big as St. John the Evangelist's, Mary Coal Church, Bennett's, Gracechurch, Matthew, Friday Street, and some others within the City.

"2. Hence may arise this question, Wherefore should this inequality be continued? If it be answered, Because that pastors of all sorts and sizes of abilities may have benefices, each man according to his merit, we answer, that a two-hundredth part of the best parson's learning is scarce enough for a sexton. But, besides, there seems no reason of any difference at all, it being as much science to save one single soul as a thousand.

"3. We incline, therefore, to think the parishes should be equal, or near, because, in the reformed religions, the principal use of churches is to preach in: now the bigness of such a church ought to be no greater than that unto which the voice of a preacher of middling lungs would easily extend; I say easily, because they speak an hour or more together.

"4. The use of such large churches, as Paul's, is now wholly lost, we having no need of saying perhaps fifty masses all at one time; nor of making those grand processions frequent in the Romish Church; nor is the shape of our cathedral proper at all for our preaching auditories, but rather the figure of an amphitheatre, with galleries gradually overlooking each other; for unto this condition the parish churches of London are driving apace, as appears by the many galleries every day built in them.

5. Moreover, if parishes were brought to the size of Colemanstreet, Alhallows Barking, Christ-church Black friers, &c., in each whereof die between 100 and 150 per annum, then a hundred parishes would be a fit and equal division of this great charge, and all the ministers (some whereof have now scarce forty pounds per annum,) might obtain a subsistence.

6, and Lastly. The church-wardens and overseers of the poor might find it possible to discharge their duties, whereas now, in the greatest out-parishes, many of the poorer parishioners, through neglect, do perish, and many vicious persons get liberty to live as they please, for want of some heedful eye to over-look them."

Since Captain Graunt's days, many large parishes have been divided, but very few instances of incorporation have occurred, although the population of the city parishes have so declined, that could the inhabitants, en masse, appear at their parish churches, they would not occupy half the seats; for in the city churches there is an excess of 18,000 sittings beyond the wants of the people. Besides the advantages that would accrue to the church for such National and Political Observations, &c. upon the Bills of Mortality. pp. 114-118.

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unions of small parishes, its friends anticipate no inconsiderable resources will accrue from the surplus revenues of the cathedrals, which the Church Commissioners propose in future to employ for church and clergy extension.

"It has been asked," says the Bishop of London, in his recent charge to his clergy, "are cathedral institutions useless?' and the ingenious querist, in order to prove them useful, sets himself to show that they might be made to answer several good purposes, which they do not answer as at present constituted. I agree with him in thinking that they might be made more useful than they now are; but I am of opinion, that the most certain method of doing so, is to render them largely conducive to the supply of those appalling spiritual wants, which, as far as we can see, cannot be effectually supplied from other sources. If we desire to remedy, or even greatly to alleviate, the evils which now result from the want of a sufficient fund for the maintenance of a body of parochial clergy, adequate to the spiritual necessities of the country, we must look to our cathedral establishments; we must take from those who do not, in virtue of their office, bear any part in the parochial instruction of the people, the means of increasing the numbers and efficiency of those who do."

From this source alone his Lordship expects to realize about £130,000 a-year, which will support a thousand additional clergy

If a fourth of these should be located in his diocese, they will

be equal to the supposed destitution of the metropolis.

Besides this, we must not overlook "the spontaneous contributions of the faithful." For the Bishop says, "I trust I am duly thankful to the Great Head of the Church for the spirit of liberality which has of late years been awakened in its members, and which is undoubtedly increasing in strength and energy!" So that when the fruits of reform and liberality are all gathered, the Established Church in London, so far as seat-room and clerical service are concerned, will be in a position of commanding influence.

Mr. Richman informs us, that at the beginning of the last century the population of the metropolis was 674,000 persons; at present it amounts to upwards of 1,500,000, which is more than double.

The Rev. James Paterson, in his small volume entitled Pietas Londinensis, published 1714, says, "I have given an Historico-Theological account of 201 places which have been set apart for the service of God, whereof there are 63 chapels, but 35 of them are not." At that period, then, the total number of churches and chapels connected with the Establishment was 166, but at the present time they amount to 255, so that during the last 124 years, while the population has more than doubled itself, the church provision, including all parliamentary grants and private endowments, has increased little more than one half, a fact which proves how ill adapted the old machinery of the Establishment has been to overtake the moral destitution of a growing community.

A Charge delivered to the Clergy of the Diocese of London, at the visitation in Oct. 1838, by Charles James, Lord Bishop of London, pp. 32, 33.

N. S. VOL. III.

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The exact progress of nonconformist places of worship cannot be so easily tested. Mr. Walter Wilson, in his preface to his "History of Dissenting Churches in London," &c. very truly observes, "this subject has been strangely passed over by all who have undertaken to write concerning the history of London......The parochial churches have received ample illustrations from the pen of the historian, but no one has hitherto explored the sanctuaries of the Dissenters." Hence we have no certain means of comparison. The late Rev. Samuel Palmer, of Hackney, possessed a manuscript " List of Meeting-houses in and about London, with an account of the Ministers who preached in them, from the year 1695 to the year 1731." This list was published in the Protestant Dissenters' Magazine for 1799, and enumerates only 52 places of the Presbyterian and Independent bodies. In "A Complete Guide to London," published by Rivington, Baldwin, &c. in 1763, the 9th edition, there is a list, entitled The Meeting-houses in London and its Suburbs." By this list it appears, that at that date there were 8 Presbyterian, 22 Independent, and 19 Baptist places of worship-making a total of only 49 places. If we include the Unitarians with the former body, it will be found that at the present time the numbers are as under.

Being almost a five-fold increase in the space of 75 years.

It will be interesting to our readers to mark the character of this increase amongst the three denominations.

The Presbyterians, including under that title the Scotch and Unitarian bodies, have not only increased in the number, but in the size of their chapels. The Scotch Church, Regent Square, Finsbury and Albion Chapels, are edifices of a style and capacity quite unknown to that denomination a century ago. The meeting-house, Little Carter Lane, Doctors' Commons, erected in 1734, which will seat about 750 persons, was the largest Presbyterian place in London, and as Mr. Walter Wilson says "was scarcely equalled by any place of worship amongst the Dissenters in London," but now the smallest of the three just named, greatly exceeds it in accommodation.

The change in the Independent chapels in London as to size and appearance, as well as numbers, is still more remarkable. The 116 places we have classed under that denomination are all Pædobaptists, and maintain the Independent system of church order in various degrees of purity, but their pastors are not all members of the Congregational Board.

The great proportion of them are large and highly respectable places of worship, forming a striking contrast with the state of things fiveand-thirty years ago. At that period, the Congregational denomination had not three chapels in London that would seat a thousand hearers. Stepney meeting would accommodate 1200, and White Row, Spital