on the business of the Congress in the intervals between the annual meetings. In compliance with this feeling, and at the suggestion of the Right Rev. President and his predecessor in office, the Lord Bishop of Oxford, the Secretaries of Church Congress at Manchester were formally requested to put themselves in communication with the Secretaries of Oxford, Cambridge, and Bristol, and to prepare a scheme of regulations to be submitted to the Congress of 1864.

SUMMARY OF PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS.

(THE FIGURES REFER TO THE PAGES OF THE REPORT.)

SERMON BY THE VERY REV. THE DEAN OF CHICHESTER. (1—9.) INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS BY THE RIGHT REV. THE PRESIDENT

(the Lord Bishop of the Diocese). (pp. 10-12.) Thankfulness in being able to preside. Welfare of the Church depends on the clergy and laity conferring together. Testimony to the liberality of the laity of this diocese. Gratifying facts in reference to candidates for Holy orders in this diocese. The object for which Congress is held, and the spirit in which the discussion should be carried on.

CHURCH EXTENSION. (12-48.)

(1.) Mr. HUGH BIRLEY.

(12-17.) Definitions. Two impediments. The clergy, as a body, better qualified, and more acceptable than other men, to the working class. System required. Unwieldly parishes must be subdivided. Specimen of sudden growth of a town: Middlesborough. Schoolchapels. Division of services. Parish should seldom exceed 5,000 in population. Two popular fallacies. Test for general appeals for aid, Rural deaneries working with laymen would do all that is wanting,

(2.) REV. G. VENABLES. (17-29.) Importance of subject. Definition. Double series of services. Residences for clergy in dense popu lations. Endowment for curates. Subsidiary aid. Modification of services. Additional services. Short daily services. Importance of preaching, Difficulty of finding the required sections of the Prayer Book. New parishes. General scheme for bringing the subject home to all. Increase of Episcopate. Conclusion.

(3.) MR. JAMES MURRAY DALÉ. (29-40.) Present legal facilities. Legal impediments. Needful alterations in the law. First important Act, 58 Geo. III. c. 45. Act of next year very valuable. Yet both very defective. Present ignorance of the law a great hindrance. Wisdom displayed in the Manchester Division Act. New era in 1843. Law of seat rents. Seat rents have worked better than some appear to think. Sentiment versus common-sense. Pews very objectionable. Open, but appropriated seats very desirable. Seat rents actually needful in some places. Commissioners should lend money on mortgage of pew rents. Ugly churches check Church Extension. Seat rents require good regulations. Facilities for acquiring patronage.

DISCUSSION.

(40-48.) THE VENERABLE ARCHDEACON BICKERSTETH. (40, 41.) Valuable information derived from the papers. Mr. Birley an example of promoting Church Extension. Educate the people up to the Liturgy. Strongly opposed to seat rents. Multiply the Clergy before multiplying churches.-Mr. WILLIAM COTTON. (41, 42.) Pew rents impossible where churches most wanted. What a penny a week will do.THE VENERABLE ARCHDEACON UTTERTON. (42, 43.) The Church system adapted to all, and always succeeds where developed. Church Extension in the diocese of Winchester very great, and yet more needed than ever.

More clergymen required Divine call to the ministry.-REV. W. J. BEAMONT. (43, 44.) Congress desires a comprehensive scheme of Church Extension. Submitted a petition concerning combined action of all the clergy, churchwardens, sidesmen, and other laymen of the respective rural deaneries.-Mr. J. M. KNOTT. (44, 45.) Delight at witnessing such a Congress. Distinction between religious and political dissent. All union must be founded on holiness and truth alone. Parochial system needs developing. Clergy and laity should co-operate to do it.-ŘEV. CANON HULL. (45, 46.) General approval of the remarks of former speakers. Efficiency of the church should be promoted in every way. Exasperation of Churchmen at the last alteration of the Prayer Book caused by the treatment they had previously received. Desire that all good men should work in and for the Church.-Mr. J. ALLEN. (46.) Clergy and laity must act together. An extension of the Church system the only way. Increase of working bishops. Revival of minor orders desirable; also of Church discipline. Churches must be free and open all day. Sound cheap church literature much needed. Female agency. THE VENERABLE ARCHDEACON SANDFORD. (46, 47.) True mission of the Church of England. Cheap temporary fabrics needed. Good mission chapels at £1. per sitting. Not only a million for churches wanted, but churches for the million.-REV. W. EMERY (47.) Much depends on co-operation of clergy and laity. Ruridecanal meetings and associations connected with them would secure all that is required, Allusion acting on the principle of working local resources for local wants. to the petition. (Vide: Rev. W. Beamont, 43.)-REV. H. MACKENZIE. (47.) Sub-division of large parishes often disastrous. Mission houses pre ferable.

CHURCH ARCHITECTURE. (48-60.)

(1.) MR. A. J. B. BERESFORD HOPE. (48-54.) Church Architecture, a practical subject. Importance of externals generally, and so of architecture. Structure of the church should be in consonance with the Prayer Book. Requisites and seating. Pulpit. Litany stool. Chancel. Lectern. Lord's table. Sedilia. Ornamentation. Rules of Church arrangement applicable to churches of all classes. Art should be claimed for the service of religion,

(2.) Mr. E. B. DENISON, LL.D., Q.C. (54-58.) Abuse of ornamentation and neglect of proportion. Gothic architecture subject to rules of proportion often transgressed. Commonest fault. Most glaring faults often in most costly churches. Excessive height. St. George's, Doncaster. Towers usually too small. Small churches too much cut up. Stone painting, gilding, and carving. 'Marble mania.' Proportion first and ornamentation last. Cost, Central towers and transepts.

DISCUSSION.

(58-60.) REV. H. A. WATSON. (58.) Religious importance of art. Abuse of music. Church architecture should be in consonance with the Prayer Book. Position of minister. Pictorial decoration, Middle ages. REV. JOSEPH BARDSLEY. (59.) Place of celebration of Holy Communion. Directions of rubric.-Mr. A. J. B. BERESFORD HOPE. (59.) Terms: 'Lord's table,' 'communion table,' and 'altar.' Dissent from Mr. Judgment of Judicial Committee of Council, 1857.

Denison's condemnation of height and marble decoration.-THE CHAIRMAN. (60.) Thanks to Mr. Hope and Mr. Denison. Regret at the absence of Mr. Street.

SUPPLY AND TRAINING OF MINISTERS. (60-84.)

(1.) REV. CANON STOWELL. (60-67.) Importance of the subject. Inadequacy of supply of candidates. Causes of this. Remedies suggested. Licensed lay helpers. Repeal of the Act of Uniformity suggested. Modification of the burial service. Specific professional training, how best secured.

(2.) REV. T. E. ESPIN. (67-79.) Need of more clergy. Gradual decline in the numbers ordained. Importance of educated men. Inadequate incomes of the clergy. Mischief of the multiplication of pauper benefices. Unwillingness of parents to sanction their sons taking holy orders. Remedies suggested. Conscientious exercise of patronage. Establishment of societies for the augmentation of poor benefices. Improvement in the training of literates needed. Undesirability of so many small theological colleges. Affiliation of theological colleges to the universities. University of Durham. The Ember seasons.

(79, 80.)

DISCUSSION. (79-84.) THE LORD BISHOP OF MELBOURNE. Necessity of large increase in the numbers of the clergy. Two objects at which the Church ought to aim,—(1) increase in the numbers of the bishops,—(2) increase in the incomes of the clergy. Local councils under the presidency of the Bishops suggested.-REV. A. J.D. D'ORSEY. (80-82.) Necessity of a sound professional training.-REV. W. POLLOCK. (82, 83.) Objections to relaxing subscription. Miserable incomes of the clergy. Important that the clergy should be taken from men of education and of good social position. The clergy ought to know how to read, speak, and preach in public.-VEN. ARCHDEACON DENISON. (83, 84.) Necessity of a great increase in the number of the bishops. The present limited number an intolerable abuse.

LAY CO-OPERATION. (84-98.)

(1.) MR. EDWARD AKROYD. (84-90.) Recognised in the constitution of the Church of England. Churchwardens. Parish vestries. Present signs of growing earnestness of purpose to work with the clergy. Committee of Laymen. Church Institutions. Church Congress. Increase of churches, new parishes, and parochial organisations. Diocese of Ripon instanced. Candidates for Holy Orders from the Universities fall short of the needs of the church. Causes of such deficiency. Remediable in part by help of the laity. Contrast between rural and town or manufacturing parishes. Toils and burdens of the latter. Mutual want of understanding between clergy and people in such districts: not necessary nor reasonable. Slenderness of endowments. Stipends disproportionate to the work required. Should be augmented by the laity: (1) by permanent endowments; (2) by annual donations, until the endowment is secured. Measure of almsgiving. One tenth of income recommended by Mr. Hubbard. Instance where this measure was observed and blessed. Modern standard of almsgiving far below that of our ancestors, although our means are larger. No cathedrals now built. Men are given up to ease and money-making: need to be roused. Necessity for earnest preaching to this end.

(2.) REV. T. J. ROWSELL. Lay Co-Operation in Ministerial Work. (91-97.) Activity of the lay element in the Primitive Church. Shown in the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles, and generally in the earlier centuries. Not undervalued by our Church, yet not drawn forth. Isolation of the parish priest, though kindly treated. Body of the laity hold back from assisting him in ministerial work, from indolence or reserve, natural to the English character. Whether the clergy may not be in fault. Might be useful to ascertain the system of the "Christian Brothers" in France and the Wesleyan body at home. Lay Co-Operation in large parishes chiefly confined to Sunday-school teachers and district visitors. Scripture readers and Bible teachers not considered, because both paid. Objections to both. Suggestions as to the direction of district visitors by their pastor. Great gulf between the richer and poorer quarters of London. Endeavours to remedy this evil. Letter of the late Earl of Ellesmere thereupon. The poor should be instructed in homely and secular matters. Such instruction too much neglected by the clergy in sermons and otherwise. The clergy ought to mix with their people in social meetings and amusements. Might learn much in this way. Might influence laymen of character to act as vestrymen or guardians, or treasurers and managers of Church Institutions. Laymen apt to think that the clergy want nothing of them but their money. Clergy not men of business. Great treasures locked up in the body of the Church, which it is the duty of the clergy to bring forth.

DISCUSSION. (97-98.) MR.HENRY HOARE. (97.) Facts corroborative of the desire of the laity to co-operate with the clergy. Meetings in Sussex. Of united churchwardens. Invitation to himself to attend a conference of bishops and clergy in Ireland. Lay Co-operation to be kept distinct from the synodal action of the clergy in convocation. The clergy should enact canons when called on by the laity, not otherwise. A reformation of the exist. ing canons needed. Suggested that a standing committee should be appointed to manage the business of the Church Congress.-MR. R. A. CROSS. (98.) Impatience a characteristic of the times. Plans for the co-operation of laity with the clergy failed because hasty and ill-considered. Work of clergy and laity distinct. Province of the laity defined. Plan for supplying the deficiency of clergy in large towns. Confirmed by experience of a colonial bishop. Now in action at Warrington Applicable to the whole diocese of Manchester.

PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH IN IRELAND (99-132.)

(1.) REV. W. C. PLUNKET. (99-122.) Grateful acknowledgment of the good feeling shown to Ireland by English Churchmen. Thorough examination of subjects which may have caused misgivings in the minds of persons in England; including the census, the Church population, revenues, and emigration. Decided Church progress. Restoration of cathedrals. Desire for revival of synodal action. Efforts amongst Roman Catholics. Successes amongst them. Remarkable indirect influences. Conclusion.

(2.) REV. A. T. LEE. (122-126.) Testimony of an English clergyman working in Ireland. Important facts and documents proving the early union of the Churches of England and Ireland. Statistics of revenue. Tables, showing the relative decrease of Roman Catholic, Church, and other popula tions. Hopeful aspect of the Church in Ireland.

DISCUSSION. (126-132) REV. CANON M'NEILE, D.D.

(126, 127.) Combined assault by Romanists and Voluntaryists against the Church. Abuses and inefficiency charged against the Church in Ireland. Abuses should be removed wherever they existed. The charge of inefficiency untrue, but the Church had not been allowed to try to convert the Roman Catholics. The grounds on which he would uphold the Church in Ireland. The question whether Romanism could be regarded as "saving Christianity."-Mr. H. HOARE. (127, 128.) The necessity of the episcopate. The apostolical succession. The lapse of eighteen centuries had not altered the value or need of them.-The VENERABLE ARCHDEACON STOPFORD. (128.) Gratitude to the committee in arranging to have this subject discussed. Causes which had restrained the usefulness of the Church in Ireland. Great improvements in the working of the Church.-EARL OF HARROWBY. (128, 129.) Sympathy with the Irish Church. The English and Irish Churches one, and must stand or fall together. Personal testimony to the reality of the work.-BISHOP OF OXFORD. (129, 130.) Conviction that the imputations cast upon the work were absolutely without foundation. Gratification at much which he saw in Ireland. Abuses must be removed. The Church should be missionary in its character. A point wherein he differed from Canon M'Neile.-CANON MC. NEILE (130.) Upon a supposed difference in their opinions. MR. A. J. B. BERESFORD HOPE. (130.) The Church of Ireland doing a great work. The rise of co-operative energy and of the cathedral movement began in the Irish Church. The Church of England was fully determined to stand by the Church of Ireland.-REV. CHARLES RICE. (130, 131.) Visitors did not judge Ireland fairly. Superiority of the clergy in Ireland. Some of the clergy did not approve of the movement regarded by Mr. Plunket as a church movement.-REV. J. Mc. GUIRE. (131.) Irish should be taught in the Irish language. Missionary bishops wanted.-REV. CANON TREVOR (131.) A general synod of the United Church unknown. Irish Convocation unmitigated Erastianism. The Primates of Ireland can convene ecclesiastical synods whenever they please. The "Act of Submission," which restrains the Church in England, does not extend to Ireland. Churchmen in England