WHY NOT VICTORIA CLERGY PENSION FUND AND CHURCH HOUSE P
[To MK EDITO1 OF IBM "BpscTATos.."]
Sia,—The Bishop of Carlisle is of practical prelates most practical, and without doubt his imprimatur to the scheme, through good report or evil report, continues to carry weight in
favour of the Church House. If it falls through, such urgency seems to have been proved for it that we shall doubtless hear of some great joint-stock company or universal provider promoting a scheme that shall satisfy the Church's need in this defective part of her machinery. It is not adverse criticism, but the absence of the poetical idea, that seems to be against the Church House. A solid block of masonry for office use, committee- rooms, and the like, even if an Exeter Hall be added thereto, does not appeal to the imagination. The words over the portals, "Admittance only on business," are not inspiring ; but the need remains, and I trust it will be met.
Side by side with the Church House scheme, we hear from all parts of the poverty of the clergy ; and though the poverty is hard prose enough, the idea of our benevolent Queen's memory going down to far generations as a helper of the infirmity and need of men who have worked hard in the ministry on such small incomes as to be unable to make any provision for old age, has in it something that can touch the imagination. The Bishop of Oxford objects to such a fund on the ground that "it can have no outward and visible existence," and that no one of any influence has come forward with a proposal. But once a Clergy Pension Fund were established which should help all clergy who would help themselves by a beneficiary endowment on life assurances, for pensions obtainable at sixty.five, or on retirement from service, the whole of England that is church- going would have the very visible sign of a Jubilee memorial in more hopeful parish clergyman's work, and in the possibility of a ministry no longer compelled, for bread's sake, to keep at its post till it drops in harness. Take the Carlisle diocese; out of 308 incumbencies, 131 are of the annual value of 2:100 and under. Now, in each of these cases the present Incumbents Resignation Act breaks down. How can a man do anything but hope the day is near when a National Clergy Pensions Scheme shall be realised The Bishop of Oxford stated that no tangible plan was before the country for raising such a Jubilee Fund. Let me ask if he does not think that a letter from the Primate, with the sanction of her Majesty, advising that an offertory should be given in every church throughout England and Wales for this object would be successful. Let me further ask if the Archbishop of Canter- bury, nineteen Bishops, three Deans, eleven Archdeacons, cannot fairly be called influential. These have approved the Clergy Pensions Institution which has just been established, and the Jubilee year has now to hand machinery for a Victorian Bounty of any magnitude. Let us have a Church House, and concur- rently a Clergy Pension Fund.—I am, Sir, &a.,
H. D. ILLWNSLEY. [We cordially agree with the latter part of this letter ; but to aim at both objects would be to wreck both.—En. Spectator.]
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