fubject. Instead, therefore, of being held out to the public as defpoilers of a public charity, the Gentlemen of the Committee of Christ Church ought rather to be confidered in the light of confiderable benefactors to it; for, by their voluntary act, the funds of this Hofpital have an annual increase of between forty and fifty pounds, to balance again what might have been nothing.

There is still one additional proof, and of the demonstrative kind, relative to the charge in queftion, which may be drawn from the public language of that Rev. Gentleman who, in concert with others, has been engaged in bringing this charge before the public.

Dr. Gardiner, in his fermon at Chrift Church, on the last day appointed for preaching for the benefit of this Hofpital, told the congregation, that he was under the indifpenfable obligat on of mentioning the two objects for which their charity was that day folicited, namely the Church and the Hofpital: and the argument built on this ground was, that their benefactions fhould be proportionably liberal, with a view of providing for these two purposes. And the Dr. bim elf, on leaving the church, left a feven fhilling piece with the Collector, with the expre's direction that it fhould be carried to the benefit of the Church, exclusively. The Rev. Dr. then, who, in concert with others, has brought this charge of fraud against the Committee of Christ Church, left that Church in the full knowledge that the collection then made, was made for two specific and publicly declared purposes; and coniequently that no fraud could poffibly have been com mitted in dividing the collection to made, according to the appointed proportions. For on this ground, Gentlemen, I maintain, that had the Col lectors at Chrift Church carried away the whole collection and poured it into the funds of this Hofpital, the Committee of Chrift Church would have been jultified in making ufe of the tame legal remedy for the recovery of that part of the general col ection which belonged to the Church, as the Governors of the Hopital would be juftified in employing for the recovery of the third part referved for the b nefit of Chrift Church, had the collection been proteffedly made for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Hofpital. I now pafs on, Gentlemen, to another circumfiance, because it may confidered as bearing, at least indirectly, on the Governors of this Hospital. One of the writers on this occafion, has faid, that the third part of the collection referved for the Church, and reprefented by hum as fubtracted from the fum collected for this Hospital, has been employed in furnishing, carving, gilding, mufic, and frippery ornaments" for the New Church. Now, Gentlemen, the fame reasoning that has already been made ufe of, will apply to this charge-it is either true, or falfe. If true, the Governors of the Hospital have been wanting to their truff, in conving at fuch a perverfion of the Hofpital money. For, if I held the plate on the occafion, whether I put my hand into the plate, and put a handful of money into my own pocket, or after carrying the plate into the veftry, deducted one. third from its contents, for any purpose different from that for which the collection was made, the injury to the Hofpital had been the fame, and the remedy adopted for its redrefs ought to have been alio the fame. But this writer has been informed, that no fuch abufive expenditure of the money collected for the Hopital has actually taken place. Mr Bowles, that officious advocate," as the Rev. Dr. has thought fit to call him, from a paper printed for the fubfcribers to the Church, extracted the following particular benefactions, in addition to the fubfcriptions of the feveral par s-"The great bell, the Rev. Mr. Sibley; the communion plate, Mrs.

be

Denison;

Denison; the velvet and gold fringe, for altar-table, pulpit, and desk, Mrs. Barnften;" and to the altar-piece, with its gilding and appendages, I have the honour to plead guilty. From whence it appears, that the whole of the ornamental part of Chrift Church, to the amount of between four and five hundred pounds, came out of the private purse of individuals. In fact, nothing was paid for out of the general fub cription, but the rough materials of the building, as stone, timber, mortar, &c. together with the labour of putting them together. And the fubfcribers are fatisfied that they have received the full value of their money, because in the final Debtor and Creditor account of the expence of the building, carried out, printed, and fent out to every fubfcriber, the balance against the Church and in favour of the Treasurer, was 317. 1 fhall only observe, that the writer in question in the teeth of this circumftantial and authentic evidence relative to the expenditure for ornaments at Chrift Church, in his letter fubfequent to the informa tion communicated by Mr. Bowles on that head, ftill repeats his charge relative to the money which ought to have passed into the funds of the Hofpital, having been expended" in the gilding, canopies, carpets, cushions, &c.” of the New Church, I make no comment, but leave the judgment with others.

Having ftated these facts as necessary to precede your determination on the motion before the Board, I fhall proceed to give a short answer to fome few things which have fell from the Rev. Dr. In answer to what the Dr has faid relative to Chrift Church establishing a dangerous prece dent in this cafe, I observe, that no precedent can be eftablished by the practice of Christ Church, because no place of public worship in this city ftands in the fame predicament that Christ Church does. To the threat held out by the Rev. Dr. that, thould a third be continued to be deducted from the collections at Christ Church for the fupport of that Church, the fame deduction will be made at the Octagon and Laura Chapels, I reply-that when the areas of these two Chapels thall be dedicated to the free use of the poor, and the galleries only referved for the neceflary outgoings, the cafes will then be parallel; and the proprietors of thofe Chapels will then have the fame reason for making fome prudent provifion for the support of their buildings, that the Committee of Chrift Church now have for the tupport of the Church committed to their charge; and on this fubject I shall at any time be ready to meet the Rev. Dr. before the Bishop. With refpect to the long petition which the Rev. Dr. has propofed for prefentation to the Bishop of the Diocefe, with the view of inducing his Lordhip to interfere, I can save him the trouble of presenting it, by telling him what the Bishop's opinion on the present fubject is: I can tell the Rev. Dr. that his Lordship knows and perfectly approves the plan that has been established at Chrift Church; he confiders that the Committee offer a boon to the Hof- pital, which it is the duty of the Governors to accept; and that, was he difpofed to find fault at all, it would be that we had not kept to the òriginal plan which his predecessor marked out for us relative to our annual fermon; in which cafe we should have had no connection with the Hofpital and there could have been no ground for difpute.

To this general view of my fubject, I fhall content myfelf with fubjoining one fhort obfervation. The objection to the plan established at Chrift Church for the charity fermons proceeds doubtlefs from the apprehenfion of its proving productive of injury to the Hofpital. But, Gentlemen, from the knowledge I have of the fentiments of the congregation at Chrift Church, I have good reason to believe that no fuch injury will accrue.

For

For I verily believe that the Hofpital receives as much from the product of two-thirds of the collection on the prefent plan, as it would receive, were the collections made at Chrift Church, as elfewhere, for the Hospital alone. And I am fully perfuaded, that so long as the fpirit of the Gofpel continues to preferve its influence on the human heart, no charity in this place will ever receive detriment from its connection with the economy of Christ Church.

With this

In thus ftating plain facts, unaccompanied with comment, my object has been, that the fubject before the Board fhould be entered into with that coolness and temper best calculated to produce a wife decifion. view I have ftated them in the way, I truft, the leaft hurtful to the feelings of thofe Gentlemen who, if we may judge from their writing, appear to poffefs no very delicate regard for the feelings of others. My object has been not to irritate or inflame, and thereby add a ftimulus to that uncharitable difpofition which has already manifefted itself on this fubject; but to convince the Gentiemen concerned, that it has not been my wish to answer them, as I might have been justified in anfwering; and as they might eatly have been antwered; but in the way in which, as a Chriftian Minifter, I ought to anfwer them. My object, is conciliation; an object at all times most desirable; but in no cafe more than in the present; because it is moft calculated to promote the interests of this Hospital.

Having faid thus much, Gentlemen, I have only to return thanks for your patience, and fhall trefpafs no longer on your time; having no doubt on my mind, that from the premiffes that have been brought before you, your conclufions, relative to the motion before the Board, will be fuch as hall do credit to your characters as Governors of this Hofpital, and prove most inftrumental to the interefts of that excellent charity, for which, as Governors, we ftand responsible to the public.

Upon the question being put,

There appeared for refcinding the Refolution 9
Against it

25

The whole cafe is now before our readers, as far as it has come to our knowledge, and if we be not egregiously mistaken among them there can be but one fentiment on the fubject. In fact it would puzzle wifer heads than those of Dr. Gardiner, and his reverend and his medical affociates, to prove to the fatisfaction of the public that two thirds of a charitable collection are not better than no collection at all; and certainly it was under this exprefs ftipulation that a fermon was allowed to be preached for the benefit of the Bath Hofpital at the Free Church. It is clear, therefore, that the conduct of thofe perfons who thus officiously, and, we muft fay moft injudiciously and foolish, ftrive to annul the condition of the contract, has an immediate tendency to vitiate the contra& itself, and confequently to deprive the Hofpital of that portion of its benefits, which it at prefent enjoys from the annual fermon at the Free Church. It has often been obferved that an injudicious friend is the worst of enemies ; and unquestionably thefe Gentlemen have laboured hard, by their conduct in this business, to establish the truth of the position.

DIRECTIONS TO THE BINDER.

The Index, Table of Titles, Author's Names, and Title Page to Vol. XXI. will be found in the first Number of Vol. XXII,

INDEX.