The Central Fund justifies its creation by being able to
deal with such important matters as these. But for the existence of the Central Fund the Archbishops would have to make sectional appeals, which are always a slow and ineffective method. The Constitution of the Church is rather like that of the British Empire. It is traditional ; it is not written ; and it hangs together largely by sentiment. The Church as a body is legally unable to receive money, as Mr. Cecil Rhodes discovered. Such a Constitution has many points of advantage, but in the hard matter of finance it is nob wholly beneficial. It is unfortunately true that the total church offerings are declining. They now amount to about six millions a year, whereas a few years ago they were about seven millions. Here is a subject which sincere members of the Church must grapple with as an essential part of national reconstruction on its spiritual side. They should develop some consistent theory of the amount that should be regularly subscribed on principle to the Church. Persistent begging and a mere hand-to-mouth polioy will not do.
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