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the improvement of the morals of the’people, with greater pro-bability of having them well considered, and, if thought usefuland practicable, brought into effect.
“ The parish-churches of this metropolis are greatly too few toafford an opportunity of attending divine service to the increasingnumbers of its inhabitants, and this inconvenience is much aug-mented by the pews which have been erected in them. WhatI would propose is — the building an additional number of newchurches, each on a large scale, in proper situations, which shouldhave no appropriated seats, but, being furnished merely withbenches, should be open alike to the poor and rich of all parishesand of all countries.
<( The structure of these edifices should be as simple and ofas comprehensive a figure as possible, that no public moneymight be unnecessarily expended, and a clergyman of great cha-racter and ability should be appointed to officiate twice everySunday in each of them, and to explain the Catechism on Wed-nesdays and Fridays in Lent , without interfering with the emolu-ments or the duties of the parochial ministers, within whoseparishes the new churches should be built.
“ The salary of each clergyman should be, I think, about 40 01 .a year, but no curates should be allowed except in cases ofextreme necessity.
“ I forbear dilating on this scheme; many advantages andprobably some objections will occur to a man of your penetration;but it is needless for me to enter into the consideration of either,till there is some prospect of the idea being adopted by govern-ment ; and if the notion meets your own approbation, I can haveno objection to your hinting the matter to Mr. Pitt.