CHURCH OF ENGLAND ORDINATIONS.
[To TEE EDITOR OF THE " Sescm-roa.-]
Sin,—A further stage has now been reached and another annual survey can be made. The ordinations on October 2nd at St. Paul's Cathedral and elsewhere complete the list for the year, and enable us to see how we stand. In the present ecclesiastical year the number of Deacons admitted in the dioceses of England and Wales has been six hundred and sixty- six, a welcome advance on the average of the preceding three years, which was six hundred and thirty-six. This statement will be received with thankfulness by a large number of Church-people who in recent years have watched the Church's recruiting efforts with the keenest interest, and have in some cases helped by providing bursaries of £50 a year towards College expenses.
Looking ahead also, there is good ground for hope. In a speech at Cheshunt at the end of July the Bishop of London expressed his belief that things would still further improve. "A new enthusiasm for the ministry," he said, "is awakening, and there are signs that young men are willing to enter that service." Many workers can echo the words of the Bishop as a result of experience in recruiting efforts. Not only are in good numbers offering themselves, but in increasing x: portion they come well prepared both intellectually and spiritually. As a result of the recruiting effort at the office of the Additional Curates Society (which is, of course, only one of the many efforts now being made) no less than thirty-three men, recruited during the past year, will go to College this month ; twenty-eight of them will go to Oxford or Cambridge with Smalls or Little-go already passed, and fifteen of them will read for Honour degrees. A total sum of over £5,000 has been given or guaranteed to help them to meet their expenses. Several other men equally well qualified could have been added to this group if bursaries had been available for them.
The progress which is being made recalls the discussions which took place some ten years ago. At that time much distress was felt that the yearly admissions to the ministry had decreased from eight hundred and fourteen in 1886 to five hundred and sixty-nine in 1901. On the one hand, it was argued that the diminution need not cause grave alarm ; it was suggested that the work of the Church might be provided for by a redistribution of the clergy. On the other hand, it was felt by some that the spiritual needs of the nation, increasing as it was by more than three hundred thousand souls a year, could not be met by any scheme of redistribution; more clergy must be obtained ; and some who felt this strongly were ready even to hear of a relaxation of the educational standard. A third line in the debate—and probably the soundest line—was taken by those who were feeling the need of more clergy, but also held that the educa- tional standard ought not to be lowered, and felt convinced that men of good ability and culture could be had in large numbers if the Church could in some way show its readiness to receive them, and enable them to overcome any pecuniary difficulty which might exist in connexion with the expense of a Uni- versity career. The results mentioned in the earlier part of this letter show that we have now raised the annual number of ordinands well above the low figure of five hundred and sixty-nine to which it had fallen in 1901; and the educational details given show the soundness of the conviction of those who some years ago expressed their belief that men of good qualifications could be found if the Church could make arrangements to receive information about likely candidates and provide money assistance so far as it might be needed. There certainly seems good promise that before long we may see still larger numbers of men, well qualified both intellec- tually and spiritually, added year by year to the ranks of the Hon. Canon of Canterbury.
14 Great Smith Street, S. W.
[Members of the Church of England have every right to'
feeLprond of the facts here set forth. Can any other Church show such a record ? .Can we doubt that the comprehensive spirit which still inspires the National Church is a powerful factor in-recruiting men of light and leading to her ministry.. —En. Spectator.]
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