The statement of the voluntary offerings of the Church of
England for the year ending Easter, 1905, just published by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge is a very interesting document. The total amount exceeds eight million pounds, of which 22,290,247 has been col- lected for general purposes—i.e., funds contributed to and administered by Central and Diocesan Societies-25,546,028 for parochial purposes, and 2193,437 for the extension of the Home Episcopate. Under the head of general purposes, the largest item is 2772,995 for foreign missions, 2654,192 goes to home missions, £504,612 to philanthropic work (indus- • trial schools, orphanages, cottage hospitals, &c.), 2230,711 to educational and charitable assistance to clergy, widows, and orphans, and 2127,736 to educational work (diocesan inspection, Training Colleges, &c.) Of the funds locally raised and retained, and administered by the clergy for parochial purposes alone, 2713,076 goes to the maintenance of assistant clergy, 2165,403 to church collections and Easter offerings, 2341,496 to the general maintenance of elementary schools, 2198,800 to school buildings, and 2187,933 to Sunday-schools. Under the heading "General Parochial Purposes" we find 21,724,724 for church, building, &c., 21,412,309 for the maintenance of church services, and 2538,668 for the support of the poor. This is a splendiii record, and should not be forgotten by party politicians, who talk as if the whole of the work done by the Church of England was accomplished out of public funds.
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