Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-06-09

abundantly that the service CAR be rer
dered in an edlfying manner by l4y read
ers. There are instances in the Dioees
where parishes are supplied by cl-rgymel
only portion of the time, and where il
the intervals Of such supply the WORSHIP
is regularly maintained, the congregation
are kept together and the interest sus
tanned by the efforts of lay readers. Their
is one instance where congregations wer
kept in existence for many years, by tina
!, agency almost alone. This ought then t
be done in every place where the peopl
wish the Church to be established. A
mission stations which the clergy Cal
visit only a part of the time, the serv
ice should be supplemented by such read
ing.
And besides such cases we should hav
lay readers in all our parishes howeve
well established. The rector may some
times be prevented from officiating b.
sickness, or he may be 50 unweli as to b
able to do part only OF the work CT Sun
day. In such cases he ought to have SOM
suitable persons who can take the who'll
or part Of the service. Then the recto
of every parish ought to have vacation
each year. He ought to have four or tiv
weeks for rest and recreation. L know
by experience and observation that it i
best, not only for the clergy, that the
should have such relief from duty, but
is best for the parishes also. | know tina
after such vacation the rector goes bacl
to his work with new strength and zeal
and that his labor for the parish Is worth
| far more than if he had gone on, contlnu
ously in his round Of duty. But that oui
clergy NAV have such needful relief WI
must be supplied with lay readers. A
conscientious Clergyman will hardly ven
ture to go away, if as a consequence hi
Church must be shut up, and his CON
qregation be unsupplied in his absence.
Many laymen hesitate about undertake
ing this duty from the fear that they may
seem to be putting themselves forward IL
the Church. But no Christian who hal
the ability ought to shrink from this o.
any other service which he can do the
Church, when his rector asks it OF him.
shall be glad to give my official license tt
any laymen recommended by his rector
as a lay reader; not that such icenoe ii
required by the canons, but that those
who do this work may be encouraged anc
strengthened, by the sanction of the
authority of the Church, parochial and
Diocesan.
Another of the ways in which laymer
may help the clergy in the Church's
work, is by cordial assistance in the Sun
day School. 1t must be acknoW lodged
that our devout women have been rs &
general thing willing enough to do theii
part in this work. But our Christian mer
have too often claimed to be exempted
In consequence there are few of oul
parishes where the Sunday School Is exert
ing all the influence for good which ii
might if it had the hearty cooperation Of
the men as we'll as the women. The de-
feet is seen in the difficulty of keeping
the elder boys in the classes. Long before
it can be thought that their religious in
struction is complete, they are feelin g
that they are too old for the Sunday
School. Boys are always anticipating
their maturer age, and striving after what
to them seems manly. But when they
see men, as a usual thing avoiding the
Sunday School, and leaving its teaching
to the rector, and his helpers of the other
sex, can it be thought strange if they
esteem it unmanly to remain if they are
impatient to be exempted also How
different it would be, if the boys could
see the men of the congregation taking a
warm interest in the school, if those
whom they most respect, as the most able
and the most many were seen giving
their time and talent as teachers Here
then my brethren of the laity,, is a means
of doing much to help the.growth of our
parishes I can hardly imagine a -four
ishing parish without strong Sunday
School. At any rate such parish ii
there be one, whatever its present strength
has little prospect for the future.
Then, besides the school in the parish
church, mission schools i'll outlying dis
trioto o-ound tho parishes might be III tin-
tanned with very great advantage, If the
clergy had the cordial cooperation of the
laity. Such schools must be mostly car
ried on by laymen, under TIE ,eneral II.
rection of the rector. Such mission
schools, in our lameAtaole want of clergy
men and the means to maintain missiona-
ries, may be employed to extend the in
fuence and blessings of the Church. And
| am sure that all such effort on the part
of our laymen will he visioly blessed IN
strong thgn1ng of their own parishes. Let
it but be felt in all our congregations that
we are members of a missionary church,
and we must do what we can to extend
its bounds. What we can: If we can plant
parish, that is well and if we can not
do that, let us establish a mission Sunday
School Let us bring as many of the ris-
ing generation as possible nnder the
wholesome and salutary influence of the
Church. [ have seen neighborhoods
where religion was almost entirely neg
lected and the Lords day little regarded,
quite reclaimed from such state; where
young and old had become used to meet
together on Sunday afternoons to join de-
voutiy in the evening service of the
Church, then being formed into classes to
engage in the ordinary exercises of the
Sunday School. I have seen the knowl-
edge of the Church and her doctrines, and
the use of her prayer book, extended in
this manner far beyond the ordinary in
fuence of the parish, Il ';,7~ through the
efforts Of devout laymen. L am happy to
be able to say that such enterprises have,
in one or two instances, been already be-
gun in this Diocese with good prospects.
I trust they may be very largely multi
piled, until every parish shall be sur
rounded by such missions, which may ex-
tend it's influence and cause its light to
shine to the glory of God and the good of
men.
Then the help of our laity is much
needed to make our noble service az in
teresting effective as it ought to be. Ours
is rightly described as Common Prayer"
the united worship of the whole con-
gregation. But to realize thu title the
part which is assigned to the people
should be rendered by each as spiritedly
and plainly as the part which belongs to
the minister. Bnt our people have fallen
into the bad custom of speaking in the
public service much below the ordinary
strength of their voices. We make our
responses too often with bated breath, re-
straining the tones which should have
full force and volume. And the effect OF
the service so read, il rather chilling and
enieebling than otherwise. Each should
speak in the responses with full, strong
voice, as he does in any other matter where
his feelings are enkindled. If this were
done, the whole effect of the service
would be hearty and inspiring. 1t is true
that the main thing in all wor hip Is the