SOLDIERS AND THEIR RELIGION.
ITO TEl EDITOR ON TR& " SPECTATOR1
SIE,—I trust that you can spare space for the observations of a country vicar who has been serving as an Army chaplain and desires to lay his views before laymen. Surely, now if ever, it is of the utmost im- portance to mobilize the goodness of the nation in a living, active organization ; and where shall we look for this if not to the national branch of the Church of Christ ? Our men in the Army are good. Faith, hope, charity, longsuffering, patience, forbearance—these are only some of their virtues. The great majority describe themselves on their identity discs as " C. of E." But they are passive, not active, members of the Church. Why are these good men. out of touch with the Church ? The clergy, going, as so many of them do, from school to college, and thence, rid a Theological College, straight into the ministry, are not in sympathy with ordinary men, either educated or uneducated. They have their own little vices and virtues, and look at things from a " clergy-house point of view." The Book of Common Prayer, again, is a clergyman's book unsuited to a man with no ecclesi- astical training. The ordinary man does not like to look a fool, but he does look a fool when he cannot find his way about a little book. Small blame to him that he cannot find his way about the Prayer Book !
I suggest : (1) That the laity take a larger share in the conduct of Divine worship. There is no reason why all services, except the Sacraments, should not usually be conducted by laymen. Fewer clergy would then be needed. (2) That all candidates for Holy Orders should earn their living as laymen for a couple of years after leaving their Theological College. (3) That vicars' wives should no longer be expected to act as unpaid curates. (4) That a simplified edition of the Prayer Book be printed. (5) That a revised Lectionary be pre- pared. The lessons should be shorter and no attempt should be made to " get through the Bible in a year." (6) That Mattins be said " at the beginning of the .day," and that the 10 o'clock Sunday service bo a meeting of the brethren round their Father's table. For most parishes I would suggest : 7.30, Mattins, followed by Holy Communion at 8; at 10 a very simple celebration of the Holy Communion with hymns and sermon, preceded by the Litany; 3 p.m., fall evensong and Baptism ; 7 p.m., evensong to the end of the Third Collect, followed by Bidding Prayer and sermon.—I am, Sir, &c.,
COITNTRY VICAR.
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