repudiation. It is an historical absurdity. Men have always, since the beginning, sought to connect religious life with either doctrinal or ritual form. It would be ridiculous to ignore this fact.

Moreover, as freedom can only be developed within the circle of law, so dogma and form are necessary for the development of a truly free Christian life. But-and here is the difference-as the law of a nation should be reduced to its least multiplied and simplest expression, and freed from a multitude of minor laws which irritate obstinate men and exclude subtle-minded men from civil rights, so the liberal party think that the doctrinal symbol of the Church should be as simple and as elastic and as wide as possible. Within the Apostles' Creed, for example, there is room, and, at the same time, limits for the free expansion of individual opinion. But within that, those who ask for freedom from all dogma, ask, in my mind, for the despotism of an intellectual oligarchy-ask for freedom to dissipate spiritual strength. Those who want to free us from all forms, know nothing of human nature. A few may be able to live without forms-the generality cannot. Both demands are dangerous; and I deny that they are made by any wise men among them who are called liberal theologians. The roving creepers of the wood are graceful, but you may break them at any point. You cannot snap the pine, which, rooted in one spot, and obeying strict conditions of growth, springs upwards to the light of the upper air.

I rejoice in belonging to a Church which, owing to this principle of freedom of thought, limited, but by the largest limits possible, can embrace within itself men of - almost every shade of religious opinion.

CAPTAIN MONTAGU BURROWS, R.N. (Professor of History, Oxford):-I am much more inclined to agree with the Archdeacon of Dublin than with Mr. Brooke, as to the great prevalence of an unsound and mischievous periodical literature circulating in our highest and most educated society. I would mention one of the causes, out of many. Churchmen have been themselves in fault, they have deserted the field of the higher periodical literature, and left it in the hands of those who had not been slow to occupy the ground. How much it is a mere fashion of the day, which may, therefore, be expected to pass away, I cannot say; but, as a matter of fact, the principles which are now bearing such bitter fruit had been propagated, for some twenty years back, by a band of enthusiasts, going forth into this field as the highest object of their life, armed with all the resources of the highest education their times could afford. To influence their age has been to them a sufficient ambition; and they have influenced it. Why had earnest Churchmen left it to them? It was certainly not from want of power. No one can look round, even on this Congress, and not perceive that there is no dearth of talent of the highest order consecrated to the service of the Church. No doubt it may be said that the men who could have been most useful have naturally become clergymen, and are guiding the age from the pulpit. True; but the pulpit can do but little against the influences of which I am speaking. Is it from a very natural dislike to the partisan spirit which too much of our periodical literature assumes? No doubt this deters many noble minds. Nothing can be more distasteful than the narrow uncharitable party spirit of too many of our papers and journals. But we must take things as we find them. Parties in a free country there must be; parties in Church and State. The very life of Church and State is evidenced and fostered by party. But the abler and better men they are, the more largely and gently and charitably they advocate the views of their party, and it is such able and good men that the Church now wants. Is it from

a scarcely avowed contempt for writing in newspapers and periodicals? If so, it is an unworthy feeling. The press of this country is by far the greatest agency for good or evil now existing. Will large-minded, far-seeing men throw it aside? For our middle and lower classes, thank God, there are men who see the need. There was a reader of a paper this afternoon, Mr. Erskine Clarke, whose name will go down to posterity as one of the greatest benefactors of his kind, and he does not stand alone. Time was when the greatest minds did not think it beneath them to use their influence in this way. Not to speak of those mentioned by the Archdeacon of Dublin, Bishop Burnet, who, though not strictly a periodical writer, poured forth a pamphlet nearly every month, gained his influence by the press, and procured Queen Anne's bounty for the Church of England; and one, who, with all his faults, could never be mentioned in Ireland without reverence—for he first taught England to respect his country-Dean Swift-gained the same boon for Ireland. And so it is now. If the Church is to be preserved at the present crisis of thought and action, if the Established Church of England and Ireland is to be preserved― and I hope and believe it will yet be preserved in both islands-it can only be by imitating the example of those who have thrown themselves into the opposite scale. The best trained, the most gifted sons of the Church must rush to the breach, and devote themselves to the elevation of the periodical press. They will not succeed if they think of nothing but coining their brains into money-though the labourer is worthy of his hire, and the law of supply and demand can only be satisfied by means of regular payment; but they will succeed, if they devote themselves to this service from a desire to glorify God, and advance the cause of His Church. The Church has lost the vantage ground it held thirty years ago: that ground must be recovered It must be recovered by a band of volunteers, banded on the highest principles, making sacrifices of time and money, satisfied with seeing no immediate results, and making little noise in the world, but assured that their labours will not be judged valueless in the Day of Judgment.

The LORD BISHOP OF DERRY:-Perhaps you will allow me to speak a few words this evening, which may be said to throw light upon an angle of the subject rather than upon the subject itself; that is, upon the duties of Christian Churchmen so far as they enter into the field of periodical literature. I am happy not to have to make any lengthened reference to a subject already referred to. I mean the so-called religious party papers, in which the "party" is generally very pronounced, and the "religion" exceedingly subdued. But I will glance at the matter from a somewhat episcopal point of view, and I must say that there seems to me to be a certain class of so-called High Church papers, which treat the Bishops in very much the same way that Herodotus tells us the Egyptians treated those whom they called in for the purpose of embalming their dead. For, after those persons had fulfilled their sacred office and left the house, their employers followed them, uttering the most hideous execrations and flinging stones at them. I forgive Canon Trevor and Dr. Reichel for what they have said to-day, on account of their wit. But it is, I think, tolerably evident that whenever blows are going, the Bishops of the Church get their full share of them.

I wish, however, to speak on the subject of those papers which are in the habit of trying to stab a man's "life of lives"-his ministerial character-with a consecrated knife. It seems to me that these Churchmen who throw themselves into the arena of writers for the periodical literature of the day, can only successfully do so on certain conditions. Many very able writers in the field of periodical litera

ture fail to secure a due measure of success at the hands of the public, because they seem to think too much that they can convert that public by insulting it. But I would say to them, "Do not insult the spirit of the age." And let me urge here that the spirit of the "world" is one thing, and the spirit of the "age" is quite another thing. The same details of sin and aversion to sound thoughts and holy desires; the same sins, however differing in name, the same in character and substancethese seem to me to make up the spirit of the "world:" and of that spirit of the world the Church of Christ must be the enemy till the end of time. But the ideas and thoughts, the yearnings, the longings and aspirations, the institutions of any particular period-these are the result of the "spirit of the age." And if there be much to deplore at times in the spirit of the age, is there not something for us to treasure up and preserve, to bless and sympathise with? The love of truth as truth; the instinct-if instinct we are to call it-which makes men long for a purer and holier, a grander and more expressive worship; the tender instinct which sends forth women day after day from their homes on missions of love, to cross the dark threshold of the poorhouse, over whose portals there seems to hundreds who pass within them to be written the sad words of Dante, "They leave hope behind who enter here;" the instinct which sends forth women to smooth the paupers' dying bed, for the dear love of Him who died for our redemption. These also are among the expressions of the spirit of the age; and he who can sympathise with these, and to whom God has given the power of writing, will surely find meet audience for his utterances.

Then, again, if Churchmen-young Churchmen-will devote themselves, with that high sanction of which my friend Professor Burrows spoke, to make any impress upon the periodical literature of the day, in the spirit of the Church,—they must acquire real, profound, and accurate knowledge, if they would encounter with any success the master-evils of the day. There are three great enemies of the Church of Christ at the present time. There is Natural Science: and, from my own profound ignorance of that subject I appeal to the great masters of Natural Science whom we have heard to-day, whether that enemy be not rather Natural Science narrowly understood? There is Metaphysical Science; and to the Masters of that Science I also appeal, and ask, have we not often here enormous superstructures scaffolded upon the needle point of an assumption? Lastly, there is Criticism; and I would ask really great and sober critics, what they think of that kind of criticism that has culminated in the empty Romance which calls itself "The Life of Christ?”— These are the things with which we have to contend; and surely, though not a son of the great and noble University of Dublin, yet as an Irishman who respects and reveres her, may I not express my perfect confidence that though the connexion of that University with our Church may be severed-and God grant it may be spared for ever-she will still send forth, generation after generation, men like those of old, and like those men whom we have heard to-day, to show us that the Almighty Creator has not placed at the root of our being a contradiction and a lie; that what in man thinks, and feels, and prays, cannot really contradict Christianity, but that Christianity and deep thought may co-exist in the same mind, the Christianity nobler for the thought, and the thought holier for the Christianity.

But let me briefly refer to the other condition I suggested. In order that men shall be able to Christianize the literature of the day—and this it unquestionably needs—such writers must really know Christianity. They must know what it is.

An eloquent speaker, at one of our previous sessions, referred to the mournful

phenomenon-for so it is; and one hitherto unknown in our land—of young men of the highest culture, year after year, going forth from our great English schools and Universities and presenting the saddest spectacle under heaven-that of a youthful in.. tellect with the blasé spirit of a worn out worldling. One cannot not help suspecting that all this temptation to doubt, does not spring naturally from the minds of these young men themselves. We cannot help fearing that some of these doubts have come to them from some other quarter. I confess I am at times pained by hearing able and eloquent men who have appeared to me more anxious to preach a gospel according to Bacon, than that gospel which is according to St. John. Men forget the great and most important distinction between Theology and Science. In Science the last proposition you arrive at is true only so far as it agrees with the last discovery. But in Theology it is only true in so far as it agrees with the first discovery of the will of God, given to His people in "the faith once delivered to the saints." I do not think our writers need fear that Christianity will not supply them with fresh themes of thought and interest when it is rightly interpreted. There will ever be the same substance in it, ever the same outlines, the same forms-forms and outlines as delicate as the everlasting hills, permanent like those hills, in substance always the same, but with an ever-varying beauty-one beauty of the morning, another of the noon, another of the sunset, and another when the stars are out in the everlasting heavens. The REV. EDWARD JACKSON:-If for the five minutes yet remaining before the Congress breaks up, I may be allowed to say a few words, especially to my reverend brethren who are present, on the subject which has been so eloquently dwelt upon by the Right Rev. Prelate, I would gladly avail myself of the opportunity to bring forward a practical view of the question."

Mr. Erskine Clarke, in his startling facts, has showed the character of the periodical literature which is circulated among the working classes. In Leeds I have seen literally loads of such publications hawked from door to door. Now, is not this sufficiently important to awaken the enquiry-What can be done to meet the evil? We have been rightly told, that the Church should throw herself into the task of raising the tone of the periodical literature; but then, when this is done, there remains the question, how are the improved publications to be got into the hands of the mass of the people? I would therefore presume to show how, in a locality in Leeds, we have endeavoured to do this.

It is now some years ago, that an association was formed of young people, who in their respective neighbourhoods, and in the workshops and factories in which they were employed, should solicit orders for the supply of Periodicals of a sound and religious character. This association has since gone steadily forward in its work, so that the sales last year alone amounted to upwards of fifteen thousand publications, the larger part of which would certainly never have been sold but by such an agency. I may add, that the profit between the wholesale price at which they were purchased, and that at which they were sold, was last year £18,-and that this sum, at the request of the members of association, was applied for the use of the poor.

Why should not the clergy generally undertake the organising of such efforts, which, if successful in this instance for the circulation of fifteen thousand copies of sound religious periodicals, would, when extended throughout the country, result in that of millions?

FRIDAY EVENING, 2nd OCTOBER.

HIS GRACE THE PRESIDENT TOOK THE CHAIR AT 7 O'CLOCK.

The PRESIDENT:-There is so much to get through this evening, that I think we had better at once begin; and I will first mention that, following the precedent set at previous Congresses, we shall now take some matters of business before we come to the subject on the programme. This has been thought expedient, because it was found that when these matters were not taken up till the close of the meeting, the Congress had been broken up, and a great number of the members had taken their departure. It has been thought better, therefore, to submit these Resolutions now, in order that they may be received before the full strength of the present Congress. The first of these Resolutions is

"That the most cordial thanks of the members of the Congress of 1868 be presented to the writers and speakers who have taken a part in the discussions."

The BISHOP OF MEATH:-We have to commence the business of this evening with the most agreeable of all duties, that of returning thanks. I feel grateful to the Committee for having entrusted me with this most agreeable duty, and for giving me the easy task of proposing to you a resolution which needs no speech to commend it, and which will at once receive your cordial approbation. You have already declared your approval of it by the marks of your approbation which you have from day to day accorded to the speakers and writers who have appeared on this platform, and you now offer to them your formal thanks for the pleasure they have afforded you. We have now arrived at the close of an experiment, to which, I confess, some of us looked forward with a greater or less degree of apprehension. We are most thankful that those apprehensions have been dispelled, and that our highest hopes have been more than realized. The success of the Congress has exceeded our utmost expectations. This is due of course to the writers and speakers on the various subjects which have been brought before us; and to the wise discretion of the Executive Committee in their selection. It would be impossible for me, even if it were desirable, to comment in detail upon the papers which have called for your approbation. I shall not go beyond the proceedings of this day, the recollection of which, I trust, will remain in the memories of all of us as long as we live. The vote of thanks which you are about to offer to the gentlemen who have read papers and spoken before you, will be their high and great reward; but I feel sure that they will all feel a deeper satisfaction in having by their labours and exertions brought to a satisfactory conclusion, that which has done much to cement the union between this and the sister Church in Eugland: which has shown to our English brethren that we are moderate, and can state with moderation our views upon those important subjects which have been