be informed that he will receive the sum of 10s. under Lord Wharton's will. "And that the distributor of each parish be accountable to the Trustees of Lord Wharton for any collection that may be made in each church. "That the sermon be preached on the day of the delivery of the Bibles and the examination of the children." The collection was subsequently directed to be discontinued. Another resolution (May 31st, 1802) indicates how completely Nonconformist ministers were regarded by the trustees as outside the scope of the Trust: "It appearing by a letter from the Rev. Mr. John Terry, of Waddesdon, Bucks, that the Rev. Mr. Harris preached the sermon last year in the Presbyterian Meeting-house, at Aylesbury, Resolved that the Bibles are not to be sent to Mr. Harris for his distribution in future." At each annual meeting the list of places in which sermons were to be preached was regularly settled according to the Instructions, but none except clergymen of the Church of England were requested to preach them. CHURCH BOOKS AS REWARDS, 1805. 33. The Earl of Kinnoul, 1805. 34. George Harley Drummond. 35. George, Lord Rodney. Some of the trustees having recently departed this life-viz. Robert, Earl of Kinnoul, Michael Newton, John Robinson, and more recently Thomas Harley (who had before his decease nominated the present Earl of Kinnoul, Lord Rodney, and G. H. Drummond, Esq.) the following were appointed in their stead (through Moses Hoper, of Great Marlborough Street, Gentleman), May 20th and 21st, 1805: (33) The Right Hon. Thomas Robert Drummond Hay, Earl of Kinnoul; (34) George Harley Drummond, of Great Stanmore, co Middlesex, Esq.; (35) the Right Hon. George, Lord Rodney, Baron Rodney, of Stoke Rodney, co. Somerset ; and (36) the Hon. Thomas James Harley Rodney, of Berrington, the next brother of the said George, Lord Rodney. After this no further appointment took place for nearly forty years; but the new lines on which the Charity had been recently administered continued to be pursued during this period. Instead of Lye's Catechism and Alleine's "Sure Guide to Heaven," which had probably been set aside many years before, it was ordered (May 30th, 1810): "That twelve of the books entitled 'An Exposition of the Church Catechism,' by Dr. Isaac Mann, Lord Bishop of Cork and Ross, be in future sent with every ten Bibles; and also two other approved religious tracts with every ten Bibles, to be given as rewards to every tenth child who shall be found deserving." Soon afterwards (1814) it was ordered that "The Companion to the Altar" be sent, twelve with every ten Bibles, and bound up with the other religious tracts; and subsequently another book, entitled "Crossman's Introduction; or, a Catechism explanatory of the Church Catechism and of the Feasts and Fasts of the Church." A DISTINCTLY CHURCH OF ENGLAND CHARITY, "The benefits of the Charity are enjoyed exclusively by members of the Church of England."-STATEMENT OF THE TRUSTEES, 1894. Some other alterations in the administration of the Charity took place about this time. The age of children who might receive the Bibles, having been first raised to twelve years, was now (1811) raised to fourteen. It was deemed desirable that on account of the great increase of population (as appeared by the last census) in some of the places where the Bibles were distributed, the number of the Bibles sent to such places should be augmented " on account of the prosperous state of the funds"; and it was resolved to obtain a "Return of Baptisms in the Established Churches in the several places with a view to ascertain the population, and regulate the number of books distributed." On receiving such returns additional Bibles were sent to-Bedale 10, Halifax 10, Tadcaster 10, Sheffield 30, Bradford 10, Penrith 10, and Leeds 20. The letter of instructions to the distributors appears to have been varied from time to time. In like manner the inscriptions placed inside the covers of the Bibles were not always the same. But the following inscription is found in one of the Bibles given out by the Rector of Richmond in 1820: "Lord Wharton having directed that the name and age of the children to whom the Bibles are given shall be written on the book, the Trustees require it to be done so; and the child before it shall receive, or be entitled to receive, the book, shall be taught to read and be able to say by heart the Catechism, and some of the prayers herewith sent, according to the Establishment of the Church of England, as well as the 1st, 15th, 25th, 37th, 101st, 113th, and 145th Psalms." The same inscription was placed in the Bibles distributed at Northallerton; and it appears to have been continued up to a recent date. It is found in a Bible bound up with the Church Catechism in 1842, and in another at Healaugh in 1863. Another Bible contains the Apocrypha, and has a somewhat different inscription, which intimates that "by the terms of the will" the aforesaid Psalms "should be learnt if possible by the recipient." In a companion Prayer Book this clause is omitted. It does not appear when the Apocrypha was first bound up and distributed with the Bible proper; but it was certainly not until all the early trustees had long gone, and probably not till within the last fifty years. "The Puritans on every occasion protested against its ecclesiastical use; and among the changes which were proposed in the last conference at the Jerusalem Chamber, in 1689, was the omission from the calendar of all lessons from the Apocrypha" (Westcott, "The Bible in the Church"). The VI. Article of Religion, "Of the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation," places it outside the "Holy Scripture" or "those Canonical Books of whose authority was never any doubt in the Church"; and mentions the Apocryphal books only as "other" books to be "read for example of life and instruction in manners." FIRST REPORT OF THE CHARITY COMMISSION, 1820. In the year 1820, the Charity Commissioners held an inquiry concerning this and other Charities. Mr. Powell, Trustee, Treasurer, and Secretary, appeared before them (February 8th), exhibited copies of the Original Deed and Instructions, together with the Minute Book and Treasurer's Accounts, and gave information of the manner in which the Charity was then administered. But the Minute Book referred to contains no record of the proceedings of the trustees prior to the year 1786; and although it was stated that the trustees were "desirous that the Trust should appear conscientiously executed without any wish to improper concealment," no information was afforded of the Nonconformist books previously distributed with the Bibles or of the relation of the Founder to Nonconformists and of their former management of the Trust and participation in its benefits. The published Report of the Commissioners stated that the income of the Bible Charity was employed principally in the purchase of Bibles and religious tracts, which were distributed at the places mentioned in the instructions. With every ten Bibles twelve Catechisms, with the Psalms and "Companion to the Altar," and one of "Crossman's Introduction" as a reward, were sent. There was given to the distributors of the books in the parishes the sum of 2s. 6d. for every ten Bibles, whenever it was applied for. There was likewise paid a sum of 10s. for the preaching of each of ten sermons in every year; and rewards were given to the children and parents in shillings and sixpences. The books were sent down for distribution to the clergymen of the respective parishes, who selected those children whom they thought fit objects of the Charity. It was also stated that the Bible Lands had been let before 1806 at £307 per annum; and by valuation of the agent in that year and at fair rents at £512 125. There was a sum of £9,000 Old South Sea Annuities standing in the name of the trustees, which had arisen from accumulations, and a further sum of £410 secured by mortgage. The annual income was £782 12s. The expenditure was as follows:-For Bibles, &c., £544; distribution, £7 5s.; sermons, £4 10s.; rewards, 195.; salary of agent in Yorkshire, £10 10s.; carriage, &c., £49 13s. 2d.; making a total of £616 17s. 2d.; and there was a balance in hand of £416 10s. There had been no charge or allowance received by the Treasurer or trustees since 1800 for transacting the business of the Trust, or for attendance or trouble. Mr. Powell rendered his services on behalf of the Charity gratuitously. On his death in August, 1821, George, Lord Rodney was appointed Treasurer; and James Prosser was chosen paid Secretary, and continued such until 1841. It is said that statements were laid before the Commission relative "to the withdrawment of the Bibles from the Dissenters without any reason assigned or any known authority for such diversion; but they knew nothing of the subject, and did not seem to consider it within the scope of their powers."* The administration of the Charity went on as before; complaints were made about it from time to time in vain; and Dissenters continued to be excluded from any participation therein. The difficulty and expense of obtaining a decision on the matter in the Court of Chancery deterred them from taking legal proceedings, and the hope of a "Monthly Repository," 1822, |