SUPPLY OF CLERGY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 278, 17 August 1908, Page 8

SUPPLY OF CLERGY.

——4- —- ; THE CHURCH AND THE WORKING ' CLASSES. : ;; '; 81 TEI.EUK.U'U—I'KESS ASSOCIATION—COPIBIGIIT.) London, August 14. Tho. Archbishop of Canterbury's committee in'it-ho'dearth of curates is obtaining tho jpinion of Labour, leaders and-others on a ■juggestion-to obtain curates from the artisan class. . CHURCH WORK FOR ALL CLASSES. Tj; ' the courso of a remarkable address on "This Church and the. Poor" -tho Bishop of ,Birmingham (Dr.'-Gore):.said the Church .of 12ngiaiii'l must dissociate its clergy,from being identified wealthier classes. . "We ' need," liO said, "and we are,, thank God, realising the need, to lay open the way to Holy Orders' to promising young men of every class. Wo must provide-for their receiving, fully and ■ adequately; mi education, liberal and theological. What we • want to secure is that, while we train their minds and characters, we should not. suffer - thooe :,of.. them who are sons';.of, working parents to lose in-the process the sympathies and' tastes, of -tlie best of those among -whom they , had their origin." -, In a' recent .article in' the "Church- Times'tho' Kev. Paul Bull,, of tho . Community , of the Resurrection, writes—"Since Father Kelly first, proclaimed the duty, of the Church to provide - free access to the'priesthood' for "all who''are" truly called, thousands, of lads from all oyer -.'England, are offering .themselves for God's work-in the-ministry., ll'i the five years since our College of the Rosnri'ection was founded,we'havo dealt 'with .overa.thousund-applicants.'.' And each year this number'might be doubled,: V as'lads of the ■poorer, classes'realise that 'thodoor to Holy Orders in the Church is open to them, and,that it is possible*..for them to acquire' the .necessary, education.; ~We".., 6ur- : selves, at Mirfield, caii only, deal with a small, section of this great; problem, and'have': to', -'refuse-to consider-large numbers.who are beyond our .age limit; But it is evident, that .many of; these would ' make splendid priests, if ;only there were varied -ways, of training'' them. The tlurty millions-whose, sons have . boon practically excluded,, from •; our ■ ministry, will , provide plenty of candidates ' for • the priesthood as soon as our- Church, will: do, : what overy fother religious body in England ■ does,- supply the; necessary: education. The . experiment's at Ivelliam and'Mirjeld have now been' sufficiently .prolonged: to justify .the state-, meat that such candidates will, on the whole, . compare-favonrably ■ with' any who have been •'.trained by. other, methods.",,

\ The question "of the' ministry was discussed at the recent Pan-Anglican Conference. The Archdeacon-of Birmingham asked for agreatly improved attitud? among parents as to ordination; a large development in the means of subsidising public schoolboys who wished to be ordained, but could not go to the; University without help; aiid more institutions for the training of quite poor. boys. The Bishop of Pennsylvania said their own day, differed in many ways 'from earlier times, and they wanted in their clergy men who "could thoroughly .meet the'new needs. He once heard one Irishman,'say to another. "Pat, if-you could, have your choice, what : would you wish to be?" And the other Replied, "Well, for a pood, fat,-aizy job, just give me a Bishop." (Great laughter.) Well, here was, the Bishop of London; a fine illustration'of-"a good, fat, nizy job." (Cheers and laughter.) If. they would give a man a' great conception of his work, they must make the'work large.' V His lordship• went on to speak, of the parson :as pastor,- priest, and preacher. Having'noticed what was required in each of these' capacities,he noticed that the laity sometimes criticised the parson, and added—"Well, the, only source from which we can recruit the clergy is yourselves—(laughter)—if we had other material to haw upon, no doubt we should get better parKins, but we do onr best with the material /on give us." .(Great laughter./ The Bishop pointed- out that no monoy - conld -purchasO' the position which was the parson's in his ministerial , work, • n t;d he called upon thosepresent .to. rejoice when -the. very - best and aoblcst of their sons offered themselves-for lie ministry. ; -