The Pilgrim in Old England. By Amory H. Bradford. (J.
Clarke and Co.)—Mr. Bradford came over from the States to take stock of the condition of English Congregationalism, and, as a necessary part of the subject, of what he calls the "State Church." It is this part of his book that chiefly interests us. On the whole, he is not unfair or unkindly. Sometimes, it is true, he overstates his case. He says, for instance (p. 104), "that there are about 13,000 livings in the Church of England, and that of this number 7,900 are saleable ; " in round numbers, eight-thirteenths or nearly two-thirds of the whole. Now the word " saleable" is ambiguous. It gives the impression that they are from time to time on sale ; but the larger part are never sold. Those that actually come into the market are much fewer, scarcely more than two thousand, we believe. That this is far too many we acknowledge; but still Mr. Bradford's figures are not just. The patronage of great proprietors is, on the whole, well administered, and, as a rale, is not made a matter of buying and selling. Of course we have a. sneer at episcopal incomes, and equally, of course, no hint of the expenses. A New York church, with the pews let at opera- box figures, is a far more valuable thing than an Archbishopric. The value of Church property is ridiculously overstated. " It has been estimated," we read, at " about .P.220,000,000 " ! The nominal value of the tithe available for the income of the parochial clergy, and other ecclesiastical uses, is about £3,000,000 annually, depre- ciated to £2,250,000, and further burdened by local charges of not less than £350,000. The outside capital value would be under £50,000,000. The glebe houses and land may be worth £25,000,000 Adding in everything else, at the very highest imaginable price, it would be difficult to get a higher figure than £100,000,000. Mr. Bradford must have put himself, in this respect, into the hands of ignorant or unscrupulous persons.
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