The course hitherto pursued, of committing doctrine to formularies, and delivering them to each one almost without comment or witness as to their meaning, may seem to possess recommendations on the ground of safety or expediency, but surely it is hardly compatible with the Church's office as a witness and keeper of Holy Writ' and of the Christian faith; and may not unreasonably seem to incur the rebuke addressed to the slothful servant, who, for the greater safety hid his lord's money,' instead of trading' with it in the fearless spirit of faith and obedience. But if it be said this is mere theorizing, or at best magnifying a point of secondary importance,-that our Church has so long pursued her present course in the matter, and on the whole had such good success with it, that it is full late in the day to make exception to it, then I point to positive grievous results of that course, to instances in which she is rueing, and has rued for ages, her having failed to abide by the letter of the Apostle's precept. To this, as a very principal cause at least, may be attributed the divisions that are among us on matters of doctrine, and the immense difficulty that has been found, not merely in coming at an agreement, but, as has been well said, in so much as understanding one another. These divisions are, I venture to say, almost entirely the growth of this neglect. Let us suppose, that at some favourable period of our Church's past history,-say in the days of the great Caroline school of Divines, from Andrewes to Sanderson and Pearson,-seminaries for the clergy had been instituted, in which the voice of those apostolically minded chief pastors, or of others commissioned by them, might have been heard as a living comment on the Scriptures, the creeds, and the formularies, which they so ably defended. and so truly expounded, according to the mind of the early Church; that by this means those documents had not been merely placed in their hands to study, but commended to them with a definite interpretation, received from those who had gone before, and proveable out of Scripture itself, and the old Catholic doctors: Thus and thus we have received and deliver to you, on such a point:' such and such has invariably been the meaning of the phrase regeneration, or the like; or the intention of the Church in this or that thanksgiving after reception of baptism or holy communion.' Let us suppose such a teaching as this to have been imparted to that generation of clergy, which in its turn was to teach the next, and so on to our own day; and can we conceive that so vast a diversity, so distinct a yea and nay, could have come to exist among us on the most fundamental points of Christian doctrine? But the contrary of all this has been hitherto done. Each generation of clergy has studied and thought for itself, with little of counsel or guidance from that which preceded it. The consequences seem to be very distinctly traceable in the defective theological character of that spiritual re-awakening, which, towards the commencement of the present century, took place as a reaction from the lethargy of the preceding one. Whether that lethargy would have been averted by the existence of sound and definite teaching, maintained in schools of Divinity such as I am supposing, may well be questioned. It seems to have flowed rather from a universal corruption of manners, which, owing to various causes, had set in like a torrent, and undermined the moral outworks of the faith. But when the reaction came, then was seen at once the

difference between a theologically trained clergy, and one which had received no training at all. Divinity, as a religious and spiritual system, based on the facts of the creed, was unknown. A wrong watchword was taken up; a subjective truth, instead of an objective one, was laid hold of as a basis whereon to rest the whole weight of a Christian's standing before GOD. The central fact of our LORD's Incarnation, and the sacraments which derive their life from it, lost their due place in the Christian scheme, and infinite confusions were the necessary consequence. Through what struggles, and with what losses, we have won our way back even to the semblance of a united reassertion of fundamental verities, is known to all men, to none better than to those whom I am addressing.

"And now, my lord, and reverend brethren, what is to prevent a recurrence of this unhappy state of things? What is to hinder some new form of yevôúrvμos yvwvois, moral or intellectual, (our danger is perhaps this time especially from the latter,) from once more undermining or overrunning the Church; and the Church from such another crisis as she has passed or is passing through? Nothing, I solemnly believe, nothing, save, under GOD, some measures for the proper theological grounding and training of the coming clergy: nothing, save living oral communication to them, from the existing clergy, of that sound, orthodox and Scriptural manner of interpreting and holding the formularies of the faith, and the Scripture itself, which now by GoD's great mercy has been recovered and re-affirmed. Diocesan Synods themselves, I humbly but earnestly beg attention to this fact, -Diocesan Synods themselves cannot give any security for identity in doctrine between themselves as existing now and as gathered together a few years hence, otherwise than by providing, to the best of their power, for the safe transmission of the torch of truth from their hands to those of their successors."

But as Mr. Freeman very justly observes, the real evil lies deeper than any course of mere lecturing however orthodox and able could hope to reach. Acquaintance with the whole theory of Christian ministration ought surely to be—

"imparted beforehand, instead of its being painfully gathered in after life, by each one for himself, through many a false step and failure

1 Under this head we desire to call special attention to the very great service which we conceive has been done for the clergy by the publication of the "Churchman's Diary and Directory for the Celebration of the Service of the Church." The editors seem thoroughly to have realized the idea of the Church's ministrations. In justification of this remark we will quote certain "Notes:"

"The whole service (unless portions are sung') should be 'said,' i.e. recited musically on a single note. The responses should be said in the same tone, and a considerable pause made at the colon in the Psalms, in order that all may keep together. It is to be said Morning and Evening,' as standing in the place of the Morning and Evening sacrifice of the earlier Church.

"Public worship consists of Praise and Prayer. The first part of the Service is introductory. The office of praise begins with the Gloria Patri, and includes the Psalms, Lessons, Canticles, and Creed. The remainder comprises the office of prayer, the portion after the third Collect being devoted to intercessory prayer.

The Sentences, both at the beginning and in the Offertory, are to be regarded as

which a little of such foreknowledge might have averted. Concerning practical acquaintance with such ministrations, I confess to a larger share of misgiving than perhaps is generally entertained. Some departments of parochial work, doubtless, there are, in which much may be learnt during the period of preparation; such as schools, catechizing, and (under careful superintendence) intercourse of a quasi-clerical kind with the poor; but as for the more solemn aspects of the ministry towards the members of the Body of CHRIST, these, I humbly conceive, might somewhat jealously be reserved, in all their integrity, for the time when the actual Commission for the work of a Priest in the Church of GOD shall have been received. But the theory of all clerical ministrations, as involved in the offices and ordinances of the English Church, is a most important branch of preparatory study. The ordained minister, when he first goes forth into his field of labour, finds himself with not only work to do, but with certain instruments appointed for him to do it with. The formulæ of his ministration, no less than the commission to exercise it, have been delivered into his hands: he is to minister 'as this Church and Realm hath received.'

"The Church undertakes, by means of these offices and ordinances, to administer through his hands to the whole cycle of her children's spiritual needs. He must have, then, a just conception of these means, a clear insight into the adaptation of them for the ends in view, or his will be a blind and mechanical ministration; he must have come to believe in them as means to an end, or he will lack all heartiness and faith in applying them. The Church's daily, weekly, yearly round of observances,her offices for all the occasions of spiritual need,-these Antiphons, and therefore should be distinctly and clearly enunciated. It is better to use one than several. The following appears to be the best arrangement of them :

Advent. Repent ye,'' Enter not.'

"Lent and Fridays.—' The sacrifices,' 'Rend your hearts.'

Sundays and Festivals. To the LORD,' I will arise.'

Vigils and Wednesdays. I acknowledge,' 'O LORD, correct me.'

Benedicite should be used during Lent, except on Sundays and Festivals: Jubilate on four days in the year, which are mentioned as they occur. On all other

days Te Deum and Benedictus. Magnificat and Nunc dimittis always at Evensong, except when there are two Evening Services.

"It is convenient to mark the Fast Days, for which there is no special service appointed, by the use of the Collect, O GOD, whose nature and property.'

The second Ember Collect seems most suited for Saturday, the other for the previous days in Ember-week.

"The celebration of the Holy Sacrament is the principal act of Christian worship, inasmuch as it calls directly into action the office of our great High-Priest, not only to present our prayers to the FATHER, but to plead anew the merits of His own adorable Sacrifice. As there is one Altar, so can there be but one Priest, (acting in that capacity,) whose place is to stand at, i.e. in front of the Altar at the north side, facing south-east. Clergy acting as Gospeller and Epistoler, whether Priests or Deacons, should kneel below the foot-pace, facing eastward. The parts of the office which may be said by them are the Gospel and Epistle, the Offertory Sentences, the two Exhortations, and the Confession.

"In the celebration of any of the Divine Offices in private the Priest should wear the same vestments as in Church."

These form a part only of a most valuable body of hints scattered up and down in that little manual. We most heartily wish that the clergy may increasingly imbibe its spirit, which is none other than the spirit of the Church Catholic.

he ought to be thoroughly acquainted with, not merely in their historical aspect, as derived from this or that source, and as accordant with Scripture and with antiquity,-important as such studies are,--but also in their psychological character, as great instruments of dealing with the soul of man in all its relations. Thus for instance, the Church possesses and prescribes,-over and above the Sacraments, which are of positive Divine ordinance,—a large ritual system of her own; and she evidently assumes therein certain axioms as to the spiritual and mental constitution of man. The structure of her services, the succession of days of greater or less observance, of fast and festival, of seasons allotted for the contemplation of particular truths, of others to which no such definite occupation is assigned, all proceed upon the assumption that it is good for the nurture of men born again in CHRIST to have such a manner of treatment applied to them ;-good for them that their service towards GOD should consist of such and such elements, as, e.g. saying of Psalms, profession of a Creed, offering of prayers conceived after a particular type;-good for them to be chastened now, and now elevated, by obedient acceptance of the distinct character impressed by ordinances and associations upon portions of time; to spend such a period in forming such a habit of soul, or in taking home such a great objective truth, and again at the bidding of a spiritual Mother to lay all this aside. The theory of these things, though admirable and well founded, is by no means obvious; and it does seem most important that those who are to use these instruments of bringing the souls committed to them safely through their earthly pilgrimage, should derive just conceptions of them from the experience of others, and so be enabled to use them in a confident and intelligent spirit. And this knowledge may be acquired with singular advantage at such retreats for ministerial preparation as I speak of: since there the Church's system will both be practised by the candidates for the ministry, and its working studied, as well by their own inward experience of it, as by its being unfolded and exhibited to them by others.

"Hitherto I have spoken of the benefits immediately accruing to the outward ministrations of the Clergy towards their flocks, from their having received a definite preparation for their work. There is, however, another kind of benefit derivable from a rightly-directed system of training, which I am unwilling to leave altogether unnoticed. It has respect rather to the ethical and intellectual character of the Clergy, considered in themselves, than to their discharge of their active duties, though upon this also it cannot fail to reflect benefit. I am aware that I am treading here upon delicate ground: but I should be unfaithful to the task which I have undertaken, if I did not point out what seems to be wanting, and to be capable of being supplied, in this department. Let me be allowed to say, then, that what appears to be the prevailing defect of us, the Clergy of the English Church, as a body, is a certain secularity-manifesting itself, of course, in various ways, but springing, as I believe, from one root, and having a uniformly lowering effect on the outward aspect, and of course on the inward efficiency, of the entire body. There is no more favourite mark than this for the shafts of rival communions; no imperfection which so surely, though secretly, undermines the best directed labours of the Clergy. It is not enough that

the Clergy should be blameless in their lives, and diligent in their ministrations, remaining in all other respects,-I mean as to habits of mind and of conversation,-undistinguishable from other men. There must be a touch, a xapakryp, differencing them inwardly from men in general, and sure, more or less, to give outward evidence of itself. Whence that touch and note of difference should come, it is not difficult to judge it must come, in some way, of their peculiar commission and Vocation: the 'live coal' that 'touches' and marks them must be taken from the altar. Let me not be misunderstood. I speak of no flights of high asceticism for the Clergy, nor of obtaining reverence for them in the eyes of the people by laying upon them counsels of perfection' which our Church disclaims exacting of them. I only seek to restore a very plain and unpretending type of Clergy, yet the one most suited as I believe to our needs, and happily of late years reappearing among us;-a type familiar to our imaginations and our love in the honoured persons of Hooker, of Herbert, and of Sanderson.

"The root to which this variously-manifested secularity of which I have spoken may be traced, is, I conceive, the deficiency among us (1) of a priestly, and (2) of a theological habit of mind.

(1) When the character and qualifications necessary for the Clergy are discussed, the case which is apt to be exclusively or principally in view, is that of populous cures either fully or fairly tasking their energies and employing their time. To form indefatigable, hard-working men is generally assumed to be the object of clerical training. Now this, no doubt, is a most important object, and that training may be justly said to have failed of its purpose which does not render men thus laborious when placed in a sphere of activity. But it is hardly sufficiently borne in mind how very large a proportion of our cures have but a scanty population; so much so, that men can scarcely be hard-working in them if they would. It is well known to practical men that a moderately small agricultural parish cannot, under ordinary circumstances, be made to furnish constant active occupation for a Clergyman. It is quite as easy to do too much as too little in taking oversight of such a parish. Ordinary parochial visiting may easily be carried to excess and the extraordinary demands for it are in such places rare. Now the number of cures in this country containing less than four hundred souls-and such may be accounted, in ordinary circumstances, cures of little occupation-is somewhat more than one-third of the whole number. That is to say, there are, on a rough estimate, from five thousand to six thousand of our Clergy, Incumbents or "Curates," as the case may be, who have far less work than they can do: whose cures do not, nor probably could, by any possible means, be made to furnish them with constant active employment; for, in the majority of cases, the smallness of the cures is incapable of any remedy, unless we abandon local divisions altogether. Plainly, then, as regards this large class of Clergy, it is not sufficient that they should be inspired with an active spirit of work at their entrance upon their ministry. Many a one who has relied upon this as insuring his maintaining the clerical vow and character has found it fail him, simply from the lack of objects to exercise it upon. In this respect, his brethren, who have charge of larger cures, have the advantage of him. Their work,-the sufficiency