The Bishop of Lichfield has done an odd thing in
giving out that he intends not to grant the licence to preach to curates who are only in Deacons' Orders. Usually, we believe, the Deacons' Orders only last for a year; and during that year it is perhaps not very important to the congregations that lads fresh from College should be permitted to preach to them on the Christian life. But the Bishop should remember that this inhibition to preach will often prevent the Deacon from getting his "title," as it is called, at all. An incumbent often looks to the relief from preaching as one of the great reasons for having a curate ; and if he is unable to obtain that relief from curates in Deacons' Orders, he will often consent to employ only curates in Priests' Orders, and then how will the Deacons get their title P Dr. MacLagan is a good Bishop and a thoughtful man ; but we can hardly think that, in the present state of opinion in the Church as to the conventional necessity for sermons, his action is well advised. For our own parts, we believe the Church would do better than it does if three-fifths of the sermons were never preached at all ; or if printed ser- mons of known value, such as Dr. MacLagan is disposed to sanction, were preached instead of them. Nevertheless, congre- gations are Philistine, and hunger after what appears to have been composed expressly for their own advantage.
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