Sm,—Unlike your correspondent, the Rev. K. C. 'Stuart, the Rev.
Mervyn Stockwood did not cause me any distress by his article, although I deplore with your correspondent the suggestion that legislation should be introduced making a compulsory levy necessary in order to obtain the rights of the Church, including baptisms, Marriages and funerals.
It appears to me that Mr. Stockwood has really posed two problems ; the first is the want of money, the second the want of men. I happen to have been brought up among Plymouth Brethren, and sometimes it is poSsible to learn even from such a small denomination: It is _difficult to estimate their numbers in this country, but my; own guess is about 40,000 ; yet Plymouth Brethren somehow manage to support over 700 missionaries and about 300 full-time evangelists. How is it done? A great deal is made in their teaching of St. Paul's instruction in 1 Corinthians xvi.2: "Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by in store as God hath prospered him." This means that each Christian should look upon part of his income as not belonging to himself but to God. The minimum would not be lower than the tenth which was expected of Jews in the Old Testament, and many I know give as much as a fifth of their income, and not a few even more than that.
Mr. Stockwood's second problem is the shortage of men. Since joining the Church of England I have been surprised at how little use is made of the laity in the service and worship of the Church. There must be many professional and business men with a profound experience of life supplemented by wide reading who, although active members, would only be too willing to do more if given the necessary encouragement Could not Mr. Stockwood's problem be -solved', hy making the_office of deacon open on a part-time basis to suitable members of the laity who would work in each parish under the direction of the vicar? I am sure that there are many members of the laity who would bring to. by pulpit a freshness and incisiveness in message and exposition by tlieir very close contact with the workaday world.—
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