class (aλ), interpretation of tongues." So long as Christianity has varied expression in the language of art, of poetry, of music, of philosophy; so long as there is excellent exposition of the darkest and deepest utterances of inspired men and heaventaught thinkers; so long the Church will not want a real glossology. To these gifts the Church has never entirely surrendered her claim. To all who will receive it confirmation is offered by the chief pastors of the Church. The earliest confirmations were accompanied by gifts as well as graces. For these we still pray -"daily increase in them Thy manifold gifts of grace." Strip some strong arm-look at the knotted muscles. Are the varied energies of which the arm is capable the work of the muscles? The muscles are but the media of a real but unseen influence. The nerves unlock and stiffen the muscles; and behind them is the will, without which the muscles would be but a lump of gristle. So with the Church's arm-all these workings are the result not of the muscles and nerves of the human organization, but of the inworking, the energy of a Living Will, of an Almighty Personal Force. "All these inworketh the one and the same Spirit, distinguishing to each severally as He willeth." No living Church will want the "reserve of young enthusiasm;" the knight-errantry of the Cross, single or in community.

IV. There is one application of that which has been said which may come naturally from an Irish bishop.

What of disestablishment?

Politically little can come from one who stands in this place. It may, however, be remarked that you in Wales will probably meet with counsellors of two opposite classes. One of these are political fatalists. They hold that in democratic England the party of attack is necessarily stronger than the party of defence, who have nothing to do but yield on the best terms which they can procure. Another class inculcates a manlier lesson. They discover elements of hope that you are much stronger than we were in 1867-69. The Church in Wales has more rational prospect of becoming national in the popular sense than the Irish Church. The language of the leader of the attack is measured and doubtful. These friends urge Welsh Churchmen to be up and doing-to enlist every voter-to press forward every argument, remembering that they are custodians of a great deposit for ages unborn. And we, of the Irish Church, bid you God speed, not only for your own sake, but for that of England, and of the world.

But if that which you wish not, comes to pass; if death comes at last, in her merely human aspect, to her who is "killed all the day long," do not despair. Deign, some of you, as your fathers so often did in the days of Giraldus Cambrensis, to cross the sixty miles of stormy water between the Principality and Ireland. Forget some of our rash words, and inspect some of our wise

works in finance and organization. No doubt we are in peril. The hill up which our little host must march is steep, and the hail beats in our faces. We hear the steady tramp of the serried ranks of Rome round us; the shout of the marauders of Plymouth rises, as they, ever and anon, cut off a few stragglers. We draw close, and grip our muskets harder. Above us is the strong city, crowned with light, and the sweet rest, where the old soldier may lie down with his white head pressed upon the pillow, until the morning wakens him with the storm of triumph sweeping along the streets. Churchmen of Wales! fall back on something above Parliaments and establishments. "Her foundations are upon the holy hills. Very excellent things are spoken of thee, thou city of God." On your high hills and lovely valleys full often the Church's children are but a little flock. Yet fear not; for even so weak a voice as mine sounds in your ears these three great thoughts. The Church's unchanging structure in doctrine, in association, in Eucharist, in Liturgy. The Church's undying life in creed and sacrament. The Church's gifts. "A shower of freenesses wilt thou shake out," as the inspired poet sings, seeing Christ's robe moving like a cloud along the hills, shaking out showers, of which each drop is a baptism of benediction. And, O brethren of the clergy—" covet earnestly the best gifts. Yet show I unto you a more excellent way," the way taught (as S. Bernard says), " not by learning, but by unction; not by science, but by conscience" ("Non scientiâ sed conscientiâ”). The Apostle's great heart is on fire, and borne on to his psalm of love. Ask God for that. Feel and speak with him who said, "I will very gladly spend and be spent for you, though the more abundantly I love you the less I be loved." All true love possesses a microscope and a key. The microscope brings out with a divine delicacy the finest lines of duty; the key opens the stiffest heart by its magic touch. Without these, gifts are vain. With these is the only victory worth having-the victory of the Cross.

33

TWENTY-NINTH ANNUAL MEETING

OF THE

CHURCH CONGRESS,

HELD AT CARDIFF.

PARK HALL,

TUESDAY MORNING, OCTOBER IST, 1889.

At Half-past Two o'clock the Right Rev. RICHARD LEWIS, Lord Bishop of Llandaff, took the Chair as President, and delivered the following

INAUGURAL

ADDRESS.

THE first duty which I have to discharge this afternoon is to me a very pleasant one. It is on behalf of the town of Cardiff, the diocese of Llandaff, and, I feel sure I may add, of the whole Church in Wales, to offer to your Grace and the prelates, clergy, and laity who have come from outside the Borders of the Principality to honour us with your presence on this occasion, a very warm and cordial welcome.

The Church in this portion of your Grace's province appreciates the kindness which has prompted you to come amongst us at this time, all the more because we are fully persuaded that one motive by which you have been actuated is a desire to give us a proof of your sympathy under the peculiar circumstances in which we are placed, and a pledge to assure us that we shall not look in vain to you for more substantial help, if, in order to enable us to resist the assaults of our foes, that help should ever be required.

The pleasure and gratification which your visit has afforded us, great as it is, will have been still further enhanced, if we might venture to cherish the hope, as I trust we may, that it will not only have left in your minds pleasant memories, but also have served to convince you that Cardiff is not an insignificant, out-of-the-way town, where all the

women wear tall hats, and the English traveller is not secure of the necessaries of life without the aid of an interpreter, but one which is easily accessible from all parts of England, and, in respect of the extent of its population and its political and commercial importance, is not unworthy to have claimed the honour which it now enjoys, of having the Church Congress for its guest; above all, if it shall have left you satisfied that the Church in Wales of to-day-the lineal descendant of the ancient British Church-is not so far wanting in vitality and earnestness in doing God's work as to be undeserving of the affection, the sympathy, and the support of the Church in England.

Not less pleasant than the first, is the second duty which it falls to me to discharge tc-day-that of conveying to your Grace my own personal thanks for having consented, at my request, notwithstanding the many weighty and important duties which make such incessant demands upon your time and strength, not only to favour us with your presence, but also to preach one of the sermons with which the proceedings of this Congress have commenced. I can assure your Grace that the favour which you have conferred by this act of kindness upon the Church in this portion of your province, is not unappreciated by those to whom it has been granted; and that the weighty and stirring words to which we have listened this morning will go far to encourage us in the midst of our difficulties, and to quicken our zeal in doing our appointed work.

To the Lord Bishops of Lichfield and Derry, who, with a like readiness, have encouraged and instructed us with their sermons at S. Andrew's and S. Mary's, I desire also to express my heartfelt thanks.

I hope that on this, the occasion of the first visit of the Church Congress to Cardiff, it will not be altogether out of place if I say a few words concerning the guest whom it is our honour and privilege during the present week to entertain. In speaking of the Church Congress, I am well aware that I shall be speaking upon a subject which has been dwelt upon by many former Presidents, far more able and learned than myself, from whom we have learnt what a Church Congress is, and what it is not; the peculiar place which it occupies amongst other gatherings of Churchmen which have come into existence in recent times, and also the class of subjects which it may properly and profitably discuss. It is not my intention to travel over any of this well-trodden ground. My endeavour will rather be to point out the importance of the place which the Church Congress seems to me to occupy in the history of that great Church revival, unprecedented in respect of the rapidity of its growth and development, by which the last half-century has been distinguished;

and to show to how large an extent it has, under God's blessing, contributed to promote and accelerate its progress. It is now just twentynine years since the first Church Congress met. For at least twenty years before that date the condition of the Church was such as to give great cause for uneasiness and alarm to all her loyal sons. The controversies which grew out of what is known as the Oxford or Tractarian movement had been gradually sowing the seeds of dissension amongst the ranks of the clergy, by the majority of whom it was at first regarded as dangerous and reactionary, and who therefore deemed it to be their duty to do all in their power to check its progress. Day by day the controversy increased in bitterness. Hard words on one side produced irritation on the other; and as the new movement grew in force and influence, as new adherents were daily being gathered into the ranks of its supporters, so in like proportion did the hostility of its opponents increase in intensity, until at length a disastrous rupture seemed imminent. Combined action for their common work was no longer possible amongst the great majority of the clergy; and with want of union came want of strength, and God's work languished. The scene which the Church presented at that time filled the hearts of good men on both sides with sorrow, whilst they who longed for the Church's downfall looked on with joy and satisfaction. It was at this critical juncture that the idea was first conceived of inviting Churchmen of all schools of thought, clergy as well as laity, to meet together on a common platform, for the purpose of discussing practical questions calculated to increase the Church's efficiency and to enable her the better to carry on her great work of gathering into her fold the vast multitudes who at home and abroad were lying in the depths of ignorance and sin, and of building up in faith and holiness those who had already been gathered into her communion. At first the proposal failed to meet with universal approval. There were not a few loyal Churchmen who feared that the bringing together of numbers of earnest men, fresh from the heat of controversy, would only result in widening the existing breach, and precipitating a rupture already apparently only too imminent; and that therefore, sad as the present might be, it would be better to endure it than risk the bringing about of a future even more disastrous. And then, to add to the discouragement of the promoters of the new movement, the daily Press, so frequently inspired with the gift of foreseeing events which never come to pass, gave solemn warning that the occurrence of the evils which many good men feared was certain and inevitable. But, notwithstanding the apprehensions of over-timid friends, and the gloomy