given expressly for the purpose of bringing together men of mark, holding strong though diverse opinions on Church matters. I will not state who were present on that occasion, or who were not; suffice it to say that I had the honour of a seat between Mr. Miall (the arch agitator of the Liberationists), and a celebrated Nonconformist preacher, who has since joined the Church of England, and who would corroborate, I have no doubt, what I now record.*

In the course of conversation I said to him, "Would you tell me what is the chief reason for your not joining the

Church has recommended the excision of the damnatory clauses strengthens our appeal, and, we cannot but believe, almost enforces a speedy and favourable reply.

The above letter led to the following notice in another of the London newspapers of the day :

THE ATHANASIAN CREED.

It is confessedly difficult amid the heat and rancour of controversy to arrive at just conclusions; and this is especially the case when the odium theologicum is called into play. The matter in dispute just now is the claim of the Creed of St. Athanasius, as it is called, to recital in the public service of the Church as an orthodox and a judiciously framed avowal of the Catholic Faith. Those in favour of the Creed seem unwilling to part with a single fragment of this time-stained formulary, and are prepared to maintain it intact at all cost and at all hazards;—while in the esteem of others the uncompromising tone of anathema embodied in its damnatory clauses renders some change desirable.*

The letters of the Dean of Ripon, Canon Liddon, and others, have served to excite public opinion and to awaken curiosity as to what will be done in Convocation and in Parliament; but if we may judge from a communication which, under the well-known signature of "INGOLDSBY," appeared in the Record of Monday last, some modification is urgently needed, if the door of entrance to the ministry of the Church is not to be hopelessly barred against the many eminent Nonconformists who, but for the stern phraseology of the Athanasian Creed, would present themselves for episcopal ordination.

* This was the Rev. Henry Christopherson, of St. John's Wood, a celebrated Independent preacher of the day (1873), who shortly afterwards joined the Church of England; but is now dead. (1878.)

• Letter CXXXI.

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379

Church of England?"-" There are several reasons," said he ; "but if you ask me for the chief one, I say, without hesitation, the damnatory clauses of the Athanasian Creed, which I could never consent to read aloud." "Well," said I, "I am not surprised at that; but what if I tell you that I (an ordained minister of the Church of England) have not read that Creed in my church for the last fifteen years, and why should not you do likewise?"-"You don't say so!" was his brief reply; and there the subject dropped.

That gentleman subsequently (and, indeed, very shortly after) joined the Church of England as an ordained minister, and has, I have little doubt, brought to its service the same eloquence and ability as a preacher that enabled him to fill to overflowing an Independent chapel for many years. I will only add,-verbum sapienti,-if this argument does not convince the Dean, or any one else, I have no stronger to adduce; And remain, yours obediently,

Feb. 10, 1873.

"INGOLDSBY."

LETTER CXXXIII.

THE SUPPLY OF CANDIDATES FOR HOLY ORDERS.

"None but little men now enter into holy orders."-Charge of the Bishop of Oxford, Nov., 1860.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE CHURCH PORTRAIT JOURNAL."

SIR, The subject you request me to write upon is an extremely important one, and requiring to be handled with great delicacy;—and did I not feel that the experience of forty-five years in the Ministry gave me a kind of title to speak on it with some degree of authority, I should have shrunk from the task. It is also a lengthy question, and cannot possibly be treated (in all its fulness) within the limited space allowed by your journal.

I shall confine myself, therefore, to the three following heads, being perhaps the most material, as bearing on the question before us :—

Ist. As to the notorious fact of the present deficiency and inferior quality of candidates for Holy Orders.

2nd. As to the more prominent or probable causes for that deficiency.

3rd. As to the most simple and feasible remedy for meeting, or lessening, the evil in question.

I. Under the first head, I cannot do better than give the result of my own experience and knowledge, which I have no doubt will be corroborated by the testimony of the greater part of your readers. When, twelve years ago, I was looking out for my first curate, I put my name down on the list of only two London Registries, and in less than a week I had not fewer than nineteen applicants for my curacy, though only able to offer £100 a year, or £80 with a title. Of course, out of such a number, I was able to make a careful selection, and the consequence was that the gentleman, already in Priest's Orders, upon whom I ultimately decided, remained with me seven years, and, though certainly feeble, yet, on the whole, gave considerable satisfaction.

Since that time, during five years, I have had to change my curate repeatedly, and on each occasion have met with still increasing difficulty in finding a successor; and, at the present time, though down on the lists of five London agents, besides advertising in four London newspapers, including the Guardian, Record, and Ecclesiastical Gazette (which is said to circulate amongst 23,000 clergy), I have had but one reply, though offering £110, or £100 with title; the work required being extremely light, as my population is only 400, and I am in constant residence myself, taking (when in health) my full share of the duty. I might enlarge upon this head, from the reported experiences of my neighbours and acquaint

SCARCITY OF EVANGELICAL CURATES.

381

ance, but believing the fact to be universally admitted, I will pass on to the second head, namely:

II. The more prominent or probable causes for this deficiency.

I should, unhesitatingly, put first in rank the "heavy blow and great discouragement" the Church has received from its late disestablishment in Ireland, and the consequent and increasing agitation of the question nearer home. This, of itself, deters multitudes from entering a profession liable to even so remote a contingency as that contemplated by the Liberation Society. The same cause operates notoriously in depreciating the value of all ecclesiastical property.

Secondly, I put the large draft that is made upon our young men for more lucrative employment under the Competitive Examination system, with the certainty of an increased

* In a late No. of the Guardian we find (page 1,521), 77 incumbents advertising for curates, and 36 disengaged clerics advertising for curacies, &c. In the former case, 30-that is, about two-fifths of the whole number of advertisers say nothing as to the views of the men they desire; 11 will be satisfied with "moderate or at least "no extreme views; 6, if they can get" musical" assistance, do not seem to care much for aught beside; 6 others require "good" or "sound Churchmen," and 3 insist upon "Eastward Position;" 13 require "Evangelical" curates, the word "thorough" or “decided" being sometimes added to the specification. These, with two or three whom we scarcely know how to classify (e.g., "sound Church Evangelical"), make up the account! And turning now to those who seek employment we find—four out of 36 describing themselves as "Evangelical" (one of these, however, is only "moderately" so); two are "Prayer-book Churchmen;' "two stipulate for the Eastward Position, or daily services; two are "high" (one "decidedly" so); four are "musical" or "can intone;" and a fifth, though not musical himself, is fortunate in having a "musical family; 8 hold "moderate views," and 13-for anything that appears to the contrary-have no views at all! From the small number of Evangelicals "out of place"if we may be allowed the expression-we infer that clergy of that persuasion are most in request. And we are brought to the same conclusion by the curious fact, that of the 22 (out of 77) incumbents who have the courage to speak out and say what they want, thirteen desire Evangelical curates! The real difficulty is now to find the article required, for your genuine Evangelical curate is becoming scarcer and scarcer every day.-The Rock.

stipend as time advances, and, in many instances, the prospect of a retiring pension at the last; all of which, it is well known, is almost out of the hope, certainly out of the calculation, of very many candidates for Holy Orders.

Thirdly, I must put the nature and difficulty of the examination to which the candidates are subjected, by the bishops and their chaplains, contrasted with what it was some twenty or thirty years ago. I am far from saying that the examination was then all that it should have been; but I am very sure that (respect being had to the present dearth of candidates of any kind), it is unwise to draw the line of exclusion so hard and fast as to deter timid, and only partially informed, students from facing the ordeal, the stigma resting upon them being terrible if they are known to have gone in and failed.*

This, therefore (not to be too prolix,) brings me to my third position, namely:

III. The best mode of meeting or lessening this admitted evil. And here, again, I must subdivide, for simplicity's sake, and say, I would imprimis be satisfied with a really sound and full knowledge of the Old and New Testaments, a good delivery, the power to compose fairly in English, and a satisfactory answer to simple questions on the Liturgy and Articles of our Church.

Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, a knowledge of Patristic Divinity, General Councils, Early Heresies, &c., &c., may be all very well in their way, and should, doubtless, be encouraged where there is an aptitude for them; but they are not essential towards making a good working curate, a country vicar or rector, and, I think I might say without offence (for I mean none), even a tolerable Bishop in our Church.

* I have had two cases of this within my own experience, and therefore speak not without some knowledge of the effects of such rejection.