The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-10-10 00:00:00

ealesiassticat Entelligence.

IT has been decided that the Church Congress for
next year iball be held at York.

DR. NEWNAN, Bap; a local paper, has been staying on
a visit at the residenee of Sir J. Simeon, M.P. Dr.
Piney had been asked to meet Lim, and, after a separa-
tion of twenty years, the two divines have been
reconciled to one another.

Slit ROUNDISLL Paulus has been making a miasionary
speech in Yorkshire. The little village of Atwick is not
a very well-known spot. It is within a mile or two of
Hornsea, • most delightful watering-place, recently dis-
covered, and connected with Hull by railway. At
Atwick, in a barn, whitewashed and decorated for the
occasion, tiro Attornoy•General made an interesting
speech on behalf of the Society for the Propagation of
the Gospel in Foreign Parts, being a very simple and
comprehensive defence and justification of Christian
missions.

THE CHURCH CONGHEBB.—The principal questions
discussed have been the subject of education in its rela-
tion to Church and State, and the composition of the
Court of Final Appeal. The "court" and "the con-
science clause" were- both gnnerally condemned by the
Congress. A conference in connection with the congress
has been held of the friends of the free church move-
ment—that is, the movement for abolishing pews in
churches. Archdeacon Denison presided, and some in-
teresting statements were made. On Thursday papers
aere read " On the Relations of the Church to the
Rome Population," " On the Increase of Episcopate in
Communion with Foreign Protestants," and "On the
Relations between Scripture and Science in the Present
Day."

PREFERMENTS AND APPOIN'TMSNTS. —Rev. ii. Bennett,
M. A., Vicar of Elmley, Ca,tle ; Rural Dean of Pershore.
Rev. Francis Goddard, M. A., Vicar of Hilmartou ;
Rural Dean of Avebury, Wilt., First Portion. Rev. G.
E. Hignett, B.A. ; Curate of St. Luke's, Liverpool.
Rev. John Kenyon; Incumbent of Brenekburne, Mor-
peth ; patrons, the Trustees. Rev. Francis Charles de
Lone Lane, Domestic Chaplain to the Duke of Leeds;
Rector of Whissonsett-cum-Horningtoft, Norfolk. Rev.
H. Monk; Curate of FR. Peter's, Newton-in-Maker6eld.
her. T. H. Thompson, 8.A., Perpetual Curate of
Cesium, near Durham ; patron, the Crown. Rev. E.
Venables, MA.; Prebendary of Carlton-with-Thurby,
in Linsoln Cathedral.

THZ SZHVIOI OF LAYMEN IN THE CHOBOH.—Lient.
Pocock hu addressed a circular to very many of the
friends of the English Church, asking them whether
they are inclined to support his plans for what we may
call the "utilization of laymen' in the Church. He
points out that the amount of spiritual destitution in
this country—in London especially—is almost too great
tw clergymen alone, however their number may be in-
creased, to be able to cure; and he ie of opinion that
laymen should be associated with the clergy in a portion
of their work. He remarks that from the time of the
Apostles there have been in all branches of the Apostolio
Church various lay ordere. And with regard to the
Prayer-book sanctioning the services of laymen, he
says :—" Turning to the rubrics of the Form of Prayer
to be used at sea, we find—' The morning and evening
rervice to be used daily at sea shall he the same which
is appointed in the Book of Common Prayer;' and
'Then shall the priest, if there be any in the ship, pro-
nounce the absolution.' Hence, not only does the
Church recognise the ministrations of laymen, but the
State makes it a crime for those ministrations to be
omitted. If at sea, why not on shore? If a whole class
of men, irrespective of their spiritual attainments, are
ex officio authorised to perform Divine service, why
should not those do so who are 'called' by the Spirit of
God, and are only waiting to be 'sent' r Lieutenant
Pocock goes on to say that the subject has been dis-
cussed in Convocation, that it will be revived there, and
that to strengthen the hands of those members who
support it, a petition should be very nuirerowly signed.
Anybody who approves of his plan is invited to commu-
nicate with him. He dates from Tenby, South Wales.