The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-09-15
THE CHURCH, CONGRESS AT
 BRADFORD.

DIstAIf OIlD.
 Fradfird, which last year became entitled to be styled city, has dur ing the queens reign played no mean part in the political history of the country. It is about to add to it's eG- clesiastical record as the place of meeting of the Thirty eighth church congress, which is to assemble, as it did last year, a week before the usual time-the last four days of September instead of the first week in October. This is the first visit of the congress to this great manufacturing center, though industrial Yorkshire has on three previous occasions welcomed the annual gathering of churchmen. They met at Leeds in 1872, at Sheffield in 1878, and at Wakefield in 1886; while Archbishop Longley welcomes the con- gress at York in 1866.
 What is called the intermediate edition" of the official guide to the coming congress has just been publish ed, and it is possible in some measure to forecast the degree of success which the congress Is likely to attain. The framing of programme which shall offer any element of novelty is no en- viable task. The choice of speakers, clerical and lay, is a still more difficult matter. Any annual gathering, ,wheth- CT of men of science or churchmen. is the bore's opportunity. It is too much to hope that none of the class will be heard at Bradford, and the list is ob- viously not yet complete. But one can say that the term is not applicable to any of the readers and speakers whose names appear in the guide It is also refreshing to note an unusually large number of new names. The organizers of the congress have been so fortunate as to secure the assistance of the two lord chancellors and Justice Grantham. Lord Halsbury has a great theme, "The Church and the Nation,' in con- neotion with Imperial Policy,55 and Lord Ashburne Is to address the mems meeting. It is, by the way, satisfac- tory to observe that the meeting is no longer confined to working men" Jus tice Grantham is to speak as one of the simple laity," and is to discuss the mutual relations of the clergy and their flocks No doubt other represen- tative laymen will be found in the lat CT editions of the guide, as the pres ent list comprises only about two- thirds as many as spoke at last years congress. The subjects for discussion, on the whole, apepar to be well cho- en, and there is less of the merely pa- rochial element and more variety than there was at Nottingham last year. As the president Is the Bishop of Ri- pon, the opening address, it may be anticipated, will be of better literary quality than most of the episcopal re- sumes of the years events to which we have been accustomed. Only three sermons-the inevitable number with which the proceedings begin-are an- nounced, and the preachers are the Archbishop of York, the Bishop of Glasgow and the Bishop of Derry The principal meetings are to be held in St. Georges hall, and some of the sec tional meetings in the Mechanics h. stitute of Technical college. A mark ed innovation has been made in the diminution of the number of meetings, and this can hardly fail to be an im- provement, as the multiplication of meetings dissipates interest.-London Times