The Press.
London, England, 1856-09-20 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

these inequalities excite no discontent, rather
than in seeking to lessen them by a change
which would operate very much like a premium
on inability, and a discouragement to talent
and energy?

If our —ecclesiastical revenues were so dis-
tributed to-morrow as to insure every man
2001. a year the moment ho was in orders,
would the Church be a gainer by the measure ?
We cannot think the answer doubtful; for we
believe that to make any profession of any
real value to the public, it must contain
chances of failure as well as chances of
success.

When we speak of making the clerical pro-
fession more lii'e the army or the bar, we
only mean that a clergyman should have an
equally clear understanding with a soldier or
barrister about the means and prospects of
promotion. It is not that 1001. a year is so
little, hut that he has to put up with that little
for so long a time, which is the gist of the clergy-
man's complaint A soldier• knows he can
only rise by purchase, a barrister that he can
only rise high in his profession by merit of
some sort. But the clergyman doesn't exactly
know which he has to look t The law
against simony forbids the open recognition
of the system of purchase, while the practical
working of the profession is not favorable to
the discovery of merit. If it were a distinctly
understood thing that no man could get on in
the Church without money, poor men would
not enter it, or would, at all events, have no
one to blame but themselves for their want of
success. If, on the other hand, merit and
efficiency alone were regarded, every man
would take his chance with perfect fairness,
and none would complain because the able
men got the prizes.
We say, therefore, the true remedy for this
" clerical-destitution " grievance is to demand
increased vigilance and care in the patrons of
Church preferment, and increased facilities
for experienced and able men who are without
interest to make known their claims to ad-
vancement. It has been urged, and with some
show of reason, against the system of appoint-
ments by merit in the army, that the Com-
mander-in-Chief can only choose from those
he knows, and that, except in lime of war, it is
very difficult for a man to make his merits
known. But the Church is in a state of per
petual warfare against sin and ignorance, and
in all parts of this country are to be found
numbers of hard-working and talented men in
the position of curates making themselves
thoroughly acquainted with the modes of
thought, the wants and tastes of the poorer
classes, acquiring their confidence, and exer-
cising great influence over them, who never-
theless are but too often destined to remain in
that position during the whole or greater part
of their lives, and to have no opportunity of
serving the Church and confirming her autho-
rity in any more extended sphere.
Now, with men of this stamp it is not a
question of one hundred a year or two. We
do nut object to their receiving small pay at
first, but we say that some machinery should
exist by which the capabilities of such men
could be brought under the notice of the
Church, and that it should become a recog-
nised part of the duties of a bishop to note
whatever clergy of this kind are to be found in
his diocese, and to give them the precedence
in the distribution of patronage. This at all
events would be a step in the right direction ;
and we are perfectly confident that no robbing
of Peter to pay Paul, which seems to find
favour with some Church reformers, would
ever be half so beneficial to the Church or half
so welcome to the clergy.