constitution
among us to obey this command (which includes no less than a whole
sermon) upon any other opportunity than when our people are met together
in the church; and to perform this work in every house where the
parishes are very populous, consisting sometimes here in town of 900 or
1,000 houses, would take up the space of a year, although we should
preach in two families every day; and almost as much time in the
country, where the parishes are of large extent, the roads bad, and the
people too poor to receive us, and give charity at once.

But, if it be meant that these exhortations are commanded to be made in
the church, upon the Lord's day, we are humbly of opinion, that it is
left to the discretion of the clergy, to choose what subjects they think
most proper to preach on, and at what times; and, if they preach either
false doctrine or seditious principles, they are liable to be punished.

It may possibly happen that the sufferer recommended may be a person not
deserving the favour intended by the brief; in which case no minister,
who knows the sufferer to be an undeserving person, can with a safe
conscience, deliberately and affectionately publish the brief, much less
earnestly persuade, exhort, and stir up the people to contribute freely
and cheerfully towards the relief of such a sufferer.[2]

[Footnote 2: This M'Carthy's house was burnt in the month of August
1723, and the universal opinion of mankind was, that M'Carthy himself
was the person who had set fire to the house. [Note in edition of
Swift's Works, vol. viii., 1765, 4to.]]

Thirdly, Whereas in the said brief the ministers and curates are
required, "on the week-days next after the Lord's day when the brief was
read, to go from house to house, with their church-wardens, to ask and
receive from all persons the said charity:" We cannot but observe here,
that the said ministers are directly made collectors of the said charity
in conjunction with the church-wardens; which however, we presume, was
not intended, as being against all law and precedent: And therefore, we
apprehend, there may be some inconsistency, which leaves us at a loss
how to proceed. For, in the next paragraph, the ministers and curates
are only required, where they conveniently can, to accompany the
church-wardens, or procure some other of the chief inhabitants, to do
the same. And, in a following paragraph, the whole work seems left
entirely to the church-wardens, who are require