case. The CHAIRMAN. As I have at the present moment no more cards of gentlemen who wish to speak, perhaps I may be permitted to occupy a few minutes of your time. The administration of the cathedral in Manchester is regulated by a private Act called the Manchester Cathedral Act, and I do not suppose that unless it is specially mentioned, and its provisions reconsidered, it would be affected by any general measure upon the subject of cathedrals. I am in great hopes that it will be found necessary soon to apply to the legislature to alter some of the provisions of this Act. For example, I am made by the Act the rector of a parish containing about 11,000 people, 7000 of whom are Protestants. Each canonry is to be attached to a large church in the city, and two of these are already so attached, and these parishes each contain from 12,000 to 15,000 inhabitants. The consequence is, as far as we can see at present, that we may expect to have the canon very much impeded in his cathedral duties by his parochial duties, and the rector of the parish very much impeded in his parochial duties by his cathedral duties. Therefore it will injure both the canon and the rector to unite their offices. If it is necessary that canons of cathedrals should hold benefices, they ought to be small benefices, and not of such a size as to call for their almost exclusive attention. What Mr Beresford Hope has shadowed forth is, I think, the right thing, viz., the attaching of canonries to positions of diocesan importance, and I think that will eventually be the There seems to be a consensus of opinion now that the clergy of the cathedral church should be rather diocesan officers than mere holders of college offices, or being spoilt as diocesan officers, by having the charge of very large parishes. I am sure that that opinion is growing, and I think rightly growing. As to the Diocesan Conference, and its connection with the cathedral, I think that although we are very much tied up at Manchester by past traditions and parochial entanglements, yet we have been able to work with the Bishop cordially and thoroughly in this diocesan scheme, and I hope that next month there will be a Diocesan Conference of clergy and laity in the diocese of Manchester, and that it will be connected in its religious aspect with the cathedral, and that all the cathedral officers will have some part to take in it. We had last year a diocesan synod which was held in the cathedral. The Bishop summoned all the clergy of the diocese to meet him and hear his opinion on certain points. I think it would be a great thing if this diocesan synod should supersede the tedious operation called a Bishop's visitation. The oral communication between the Bishop and the clergy in the cathedral church, with an opportunity for a few of them, within a limited and specified time, to express their opinions, would be more profitable than the reading of a long charge (which I have known to last three hours under the dome of St Paul's), which is afterwards sent to us in a pamphlet form. The old idea of a Bishop's visitation seems to have passed away. As far as I can recollect, the old idea was that the Bishop should go round his diocese to meet his clergy at different points, look in upon their churches, and do all that which in the intervals between his visitations is done by the archdeacons, viz., seeing that the churches are properly cared for, that the churches' furniture is all that it should be, and that the general condition of our parishes is satisfactory. No one can say that the mere responding to one's name as it is called out by a secretary, and then listening to a Bishop's charge which next day each parish priest will receive in print, fulfils the proper idea of episcopal visitation. I hope our diocesan synod will enable the laity as well as the clergy to express their opinions to the Bishop on points relating to the welfare of the diocese. We shall try to do this in Manchester, and I hope that such conferences will become general. I am happy to hear Mr Beresford Hope say that they are becoming general. I was under the impression that it was only in a few dioceses that such conferences were held, but I am glad to find that I am wrong. It will be a blessed thing if any deliberations of Churchmen should hasten the good time when a cordial understanding between our bishops, the clergy, and the laity, is exhibited in a public way in the face of the whole nation. ARCHDEACON WRIGHT. I CANNOT but consider that, valuable as are the many papers that have been read during the sitting of this Congress, there is no subject which has been discussed more important than that which occupies our attention here this morning. To the great body of clergy and laity gathered in the large manufacturing town of Stoke, it presents the work of the Congress in a very practical form; for placing a Bishop and Chapter in every thickly-populated town, is closely connected with evangelising the masses. We have towns such as Portsmouth, Halifax, Manchester, and Liverpool, and many others, with populations so large that out of every 100,000 we do not offer the means of grace to more than 30,000. I can speak with confidence on this point with regard to Portsmouth, which, with Gosport on the other side of the harbour, possesses 150,000 souls. It will be in vain for the Church of England to hope for the heart and confidence of the nation generally, unless something be done, and that speedily, to meet this terrible shortcoming; and my belief is, that giving to each large town a Bishop and Chapter might be made greatly to tend to such an end. I fully agree with the Very Rev. the Chairman, the Dean of Manchester, that to require, as in the cathedral body of that place, each canon to take charge of several thousand souls, is a serious mistake, for he cannot do the work of both canon (often with important literary occupation) and heavily tried parish priest. At the same time it will be perfect mockery to talk of a Bishop and capitular body for every large town, unless a strenuous endeavour be made by their means to grapple with the spiritual destitution immediately about them. But it will be asked, If each canon is not to be a parish priest, what is to be done? I answer, Let each town be divided into districts of, say, 4000 inhabitants. Let some twenty to thirty men and women be gathered together out of each district, and each pledged to provide £1 a quarter a sum obtained with the greatest ease where Christ is faithfully set forth. That would produce £100 a year, and inasmuch as all the services in the district would be missionary, another £100 would be certain from the "Curates' Aid Society," the funds of which, when so employed, would increase enormously. Thus a clergyman would be provided. A canon of the cathedral might see to the carrying out the good work, by making it the object of his special care; and if necessary he might, on an emergency, even commence it himself. Thus the Bishop and his Chapter would be powerfully felt and valued. But if this or something like this be not done, it will be in vain to place them in our towns; for be assured of this, the people, as I have already said, will never admit that the Church is doing her work as she should do it, until she is found providing the means of grace for those thickly-populated spots which at present never see the face of a clergyman. REV. R. G. L. BLENKINSOPP. I HAVE no hesitation whatever in saying that this is certainly one of the most important subjects that can be brought before a Church Congress, because it is a thoroughly practical one, and because so much of the Church's efficiency depends on the right working of cathedral institutions, which have never yet been able to carry out completely the objects for which they were instituted, for the simple reason that there have been in them more or less through successive generations the most flagrant examples of pluralities and non-residences. I have attended several Congresses in succession, and upon almost every subject I have heard discussed there have been differences of opinion, but upon the one subject of pluralities and non-residences I have never heard a single difference. All the speakers, without any exception, have condemned the system. There is, I believe, sufficient work in every diocese to occupy the canons and all the clergy connected with the cathedral, without their being engaged in any parochial work whatsoever. The attachment of our people is certainly increasing towards our great cathedral institutions; and I hope that every cathedral church of a diocese will become, what it ought to be, the very centre of spiritual life, spiritual energy, and spiritual health, to the remotest corner of the diocese. THE SUPPLY OF CLERGY, THROUGH THE "PROBATIONER" SYSTEM OR OTHERWISE. PAPERS. The REV. G. H. CURTEIS, M.A., Canon of the Cathedral, and Principal of the Theological College, Lichfield. It may be taken for granted, without further proof, that there is at present a great and growing need of additional clergy. It is a "great" need, because during this century the population has been trebled, while the numbers of the clergy have only been doubled. And it is also, I fear, a "growing" need, from several causes, which require from us a patient and careful scrutiny. I will only mention a few of these causes. (1.) The first is one which is highly honourable to our Church. It is, that she has cut out for herself, during the last thirty or forty years, an enormous increase of work. Parishes have been subdivided, churches built, schools organised, missions set on foot, in all directions; and the consequence is, that an anxious doubt is beginning to be awakened as to how all these great works are to be manned. The Greek poet taught us at school that "naught is the tower, and naught the ship, devoid of men to keep watch and ward therein." And our military officers are said to be looking gravely on their great entrenchments at Dover, Portsmouth, Portland, and many other places; because they do not see the way to man them. Just so it is with our bishops. They are beginning to look gravely at their enormously extended lines of Church-work; because their ordination-lists show a growing inability to fill the vacant curacies. It is to meet this serious peril that so many mixed theological collegescolleges, that is, which combine together graduate and non-graduate students have of late years been established. The earliest course adopted by the bishops naturally was to open the doors to "literates" pure and simple; and many admirable and earnest men entered the ministry that way. But it was soon found that the standard of requirement was being disastrously lowered. For what guarantee could a few hours' examination in Pearson and Paley afford, that the candidate possessed any fitness of character, or had passed through any education or mental discipline worthy of the name? It was therefore determined to supply colleges for training and discipline, where earnest men could work at Greek and other subjects, and could, after a year or two of preparation, meet fellowstudents of a higher education, on the common ground of a practical training for the ministry. Under this system, no less than 308 men have come under my own hands at Lichfield. And after sifting out 55 of these, there remain 253; of whom 83 (or about one-third) have been graduates. And I may say, from my own experience, that the influence of these two classes upon each other has been of great advantage to both. Of the 170 non-graduates, 86 came from the professional classes, 72 from the trading class, and 12 from the artisan or labouring class—no uncomely proportion of ingredients, I think, in which the clergy of a great national Church should represent to all orders of society the generous catholicity of her system. Yet, even then, the ever-growing demand for more clergy remained unsupplied; while the increasing number of ordinations among his own kinsfolk and acquaintance was already firing the imagination of many a self-devoted and studious man, eagerly ambitious of taking service in the Church, but financially unable to maintain himself at college. Should such workers be discouraged because they were poor? That would be strangely to forget the first principles of Churchmanship. Or should the mischiefs of the old Literate system be hazarded once more? That were surely impossible, with all its evils still fresh in episcopal memory. In this dilemma, a certain bishop, not far off-whom we have all heard slyly called "a first-rate general or admiral spoiled "-was not found wanting to the occasion. He invented a scheme-something like the Oxford and Cambridge local examinations--whereby a dozen good objects were secured at one blow. In the first place, his own cathedral chapter was induced to take a lively interest in the matter, and to appoint an Examining Board, which should meet twice a year to sift and test the "probationers" who should present themselves. Next, this examining body has put forth a list of subjects for study in four successive groups, carrying the student through a course of two years' prescribed reading, and taking each set of books for examination in its turn. And lastly, the parochial clergy themselves have been turned, before they were aware, into the most able and efficient recruiting-sergeants all over the country. So that, if the other dioceses do not mind what they are about, we shall (before many years are past) have all the most promising young men throughout England and Wales transmitted, by this new "underground railroad," for service in the diocese of Lichfield. Suppose, for instance, a young man at Newark or Coventry or Chester displays as member of the choir, Sunday-school teacher, district-visitor, or in any other capacity-some remarkable gifts or tastes suiting him for clerical life, the clergyman of the parish would naturally talk to such a man, would encourage him, inquire about his studies, test his abilities and his knowledge. If all these were satisfactory, his next step might be to write to Lichfield, recommending the young man as well worthy of probation. And if he would only undertake three things-to direct his friend in study, to employ him in parish work, and to certify half-yearly his diligence and good conduct-the recommendation would certainly be accepted. The candidate would then be furnished with his two years' list of subjects. And at the end of the two years, if each stage had been passed without misadventure, he would be admitted for one year's final training in the Theological College. It should also be added that the whole surplus-earnings of the college are devoted, every year, to exhibi tions (£30) for poor and deserving men; and that two of these, at least, are held in reserve for "probationers." Such is what we call at Lichfield "the probation system." And as we have no desire whatever to keep its advantages to ourselves, we wish to submit to this Congress the question, whether some such scheme be not demanded by the urgent necessities of our time; whether we may not, by such a plan, draw gradually under training for the ministry a large number of earnest and able men, whose services would otherwise be lost; whether the clergy, far and wide, up and down the country, would not thereby become deeply interested in recruiting their own order; whether the central influences of the cathedral, with its staff of highly-educated and experienced dignitaries, might not thus be made to vibrate in a hundred bank-parlours, counting-houses, schoolrooms, and even workshops, throughout the land; and above all, whether the true ideal of the Christian ministry-as it was instituted by the Lord Himself-would not by this means be strikingly set forth, each class of society being allowed to offer its sons for His service, each, therefore, (amid all the separations and conflicting interests of modern life) finding in the Church a common point of interest and a common field of labour, and each becoming softened and Christianised thereby, and so better guaranteed against wild schemes of social revolution. For the only true socialism is to be found in the Church of Jesus Christ. And whenever its wonderful beauty shall dawn on men, and they shall strive in earnest to realise it, then, instead of heated labourers' meetings and insane clamour against Church-endowments (the only form of property now remaining in which all classes have a perfectly common interest), we shall perhaps have that peaceful scene repeated, so sweetly painted for us by Chaucer "A good man ther was of Religioun, That was a poure persone of a toun: But rich he was of holy thought and werk; He was also a lerned man, a clerk. "With him ther was a plowman, was his brother, A trewe swinker, and a good, was he!- (2.) I pass on to a second cause which has been operating, of late years, to diminish the usual supply of clergy from the upper and middle classes. It is to be found in the modern vast extension of commerce, and the many roads that trade and manufactures have opened to the easy acquisition of wealth. Of course, this only operates to the detriment of the Church in one way-viz., in deterring parents and guardians from "destining their sons" (as it is called) for holy orders. This disadvantage may, however, be easily converted into a positive blessing. It may be made a sieve, whereby those who would fain serve the Church as hirelings, may be prevented from serving her at all. But beyond that-when it is seen that the highest in the land do not disdain to enter into trade, and so to meet on common ground the worldly of all classes who seek there an avenue to riches and power-is it too much to hope that the un-worldly and selfdenying of all classes may find in the ministry of the Church a common ground on which they can, without distinction, unite? The example has |