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Clergy Past their Work The Church Assembly has once more addressed itself to the problem of aged or infirm incumbents, who outlive their fitness for a cure of souls, but persist in retaining their livings. A Benefice (Ecclesiastical Duties) Measure was passed to deal with them some years ago ; and if it were rigorously enforced they might all be cleared out. But as it applies also to other grounds of unfitness, where personal character is in question, and as, consequently, it provides for displacement but not for compensation, there has been- a natural and reasonable reluctance to use it against such incumbents as we -have described. An amending measure is therefore to be drafted, and it may be hoped that it will meet the need. The retention of livings by clergy who are past work does harm extending far beyond their own parishes. It lowers the whole con- ception of the ministry, _and invites the sneer that the Church herself must think a priest's office of little conse- quence, since she allows it to be discharged by persons whose incompetence would be tolerated in no other field.
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