inculcating the grossest false statements concerning her, and, on the other, the almost total neglect on the part of the Church, until comparatively recent times, to expose them by the publication of the truth. I am willing to believe that through the more energetic efforts of the Church in this direction during the last few years, the darkness which then prevailed has been rendered somewhat less dense; but when, in the course of the present year, members of Parliament representing Welsh constituencies can rise in the House of Commons and make, amidst the approving cheers of a considerable section of the members of that House, such statements as I will presently quote, the importance of using every effort to promote the wider circulation of accurate information upon this important subject on the other side of Offa's Dyke can hardly be exaggerated.

The first of the statements to which I have referred runs as follows:"The Church of England was established by the State to promote religious instruction and religious ministrations for the people of the country, and it extended its operations to Wales as well as to England, and created a machinery for carrying out its operations."

The second statement comes from the lips of a member for a North Wales constituency, and, if I mistake not, one who held a place in a Government not now in office: "The Church in Wales in fighting Dissent does not preach practical Christianity." "In Wales it had come to this state of things-no Dissenter need apply." "Churchmen in Wales might be known by the number of servants which they kept and the time at which they dine." A third honourable member, representing a constituency in this diocese, and speaking of a portion of the district which he represents, found it possible to make the following statements:-"They had been told that churches and schools were increasing in the Rhondda Valleys. Well, one church was built by a noblemana landlord, who allowed the use of it to the Protestants on condition that they gave it up when there were sufficient Catholics to fill it!" Another statement with which the same honourable member adorned his speech on the same occasion is the following :-" "The Church in Wales has done nothing for the Welsh working-man but to make him a miserable servant."

Will it be believed that in these two valleys, during the last six years, eight new churches have been erected, providing accommodation for upwards of 3,000 worshippers at a cost of more than £22,000; and that two others are now in course of erection which will seat 1,200 persons, upon which the outlay will exceed £14,000?

It is difficult to believe that that can be a just and righteous cause, or one which is likely to prosper, which requires to be bolstered up by such libels and monstrous false statements as those which I have just quoted. At the same time I cannot but feel thankful that the Church Congress has been the means of bringing so many English Churchmen and Churchwomen amongst us, who will be able to judge by personal observation how far they convey a true and accurate picture of the character and condition of the Church in Wales. I earnestly hope that our English friends will not be content to survey her work within this great town alone, where I do not think it is wholly unworthy of their notice, but that they will endeavour, if possible, to visit other large centres of population within the diocese, such as Aberdare, Dowlais, Mountain Ash, and the Rhondda Valleys, in order to see what she is doing. I shall be much surprised if the result of their visits will not be to prove to them conclusively, that the adherents of the Church in Wales are not limited. to those who keep servants, drive to church in a carriage and pair, and dine at the same hour at which the honourable member who thus described them probably partakes of his principal meal; but that there are to be found amongst them thousands of the hardy sons of toil, whose only income is that which they earn by the labour of their hands and the sweat of their brows; and that when they return to their homes they will be able to assure their friends that the Church in Wales of to-day, whatever may have been her shortcomings in times past, is fully alive to her responsibilities, and that although the difficulties with which she has had to contend have been well-nigh insurmountable-difficulties arising from the poverty of her endowments, sadly diminished from time to time. by successive acts of spoliation-difficulties arising from the prevalence of two distinct languages, and the rapid congestion at numerous centres of vast populations, and not least from the long continuance of the rule of non-resident Bishops, ignorant of the language, out of sympathy with the habits and feelings of the people, and only at rare intervals present within the borders of the dioceses over which they had been called to preside-although she has had to contend with these and many other difficulties which might be named, she has at this moment a larger number of members than any other religious body in Wales, a number which does not fall far, if at all, short of one-third of the aggregate population of the country, and which is at the present time increasing with such marvellous rapidity as to enable us to cherish the confident hope that the day is not very far distant when the well-known prediction of a venerable patriarch of Welsh Methodism will be fulfilled, and "the bees will all have returned to the old hive again."

I much fear that I have already exceeded the limits of the time allotted to me for these opening observations, and as the subject set down for discussion this afternoon is a peculiarly interesting one, I feel that I shall best consult your wishes by at once bringing them to a close. I cannot do so without the expression of my cordial thanks for the patience with which you have listened to them, nor without an earnest prayer that it may please God to bless abundantly the work in which we are now about to engage, as well as all our other efforts for the promotion of His glory and the welfare of His Church.

THE CHURCH'S MODE OF DEALING WITH RAPIDLY GROWING POPULATIONS.

(a) THE DIVISION OF PARISHES.

(b) THE USE OF MISSION ROOMS AND LAY CO-OPERATION.
(c) COMMUNITY LIFE FOR THE CLERGY.

PAPERS.

(6) THE USE OF MISSION ROOMS AND LAY CO-OPERATION. RICHARD FOSTER, Esq., Chislehurst, and a Member of the House of Laymen.

How the Church can best extend her work, so as to meet at all points the spiritual necessities of rapidly growing populations, is, to Churchmen, the problem of the day, and this Congress has done well in giving it the foremost place in its programme. The subject has forced itself on my attention for many years; for, having resided all my life in or near London, I have seen suburban villages become densely peopled parishes, and I have felt constrained to take part in helping to supply the means of grace to the multitudes which have settled around me. Owing to various causes, ever-increasing numbers are being drawn. into the great centres of industry. As an example, let us take the territory called "Greater London." It has within it four millions and a half of souls, i.e., about four or five times as many as it had at the beginning of the century; while in the provinces there are parishes, like those of this town of Cardiff, that can show even a still larger proportionate increase.

Our older towns and villages were well supplied with parish churches and clergy, whereas those of modern growth are usually lamentably deficient in both. How is it that, while trade, and manufactures, and mining industries have so greatly increased, our merchants and bankers, our manufacturers and shipowners, our owners of mines, and others, have not done more for the spiritual welfare of those whose work constitutes the producing power of their enterprises, and contributes to the profit upon their capital? It cannot be pleaded that the country is less wealthy, for that is manifestly not the case. It is not want of means that leaves the Treasury of God without replenishment for the ceaseless claims upon it, but want of the principle that consecrates wealth. Another reason is that in these times, when the work of the

day is over, the well-to-do betake themselves to their pleasant country homes, while the wage-earning classes go off to suburbs of their own; so one class sees very little, and knows very little, about the other classes. Added to this, so many of our great commercial undertakings are now the property of public companies, and when anything is wanted for the spiritual welfare of the people whom they employ, it is said that whatever is to be done must be done by the shareholders as individuals. But in practice it is found quite impossible to get these individuals to interest themselves in a locality where probably very few of them reside; and thus arises a want of sympathy between the different classes, which becomes one of the causes why employers and employed are so often at variance.

The Church is the most likely, if not the only agency that can cure this selfish indifference, and introduce the higher motive of loving selfsacrifice. But how ought she to exert her influence? We must look to the clergy to set things going, and I must ask them kindly to excuse me, a layman, for saying a few words on the line I think they might with advantage take. Let them make the parish church the great centre of work-in fact a great mission room; let its doors be thrown open as much as possible, so that, when public worship is not going on, the people may use it for private prayer and meditation; let them be invited to attend the daily public services as often as they can, as well as those on Sundays; let the services be bright and devotional, the lessons read in a distinct and audible manner, and the sermons carefully prepared and carefully delivered; and let the humbler classes be taught that the parish church is as free to them as to their richer neighbours. In many cases our parish churches might be used more than they usually are, if there were a sufficient staff of clergy. If additional services were offered it might sometimes render unnecessary the erection of another place of worship, and the money saved would provide additional clergy. Frequently, however, an additional place of worship is required in order to accommodate an increasing population, and this is often the case in extensive parishes where populous villages spring up in consequence of some mining or manufacturing industry developing itself at a distance from the parish church; and at times it unfortunately happens that a large proportion of the sittings in the parish church are allotted to the well-to-do parishioners, and the humbler classes are to a great extent excluded. In such cases either another church, or a mission chapel, ought to be erected. If not consecrated, it should be licensed, in order that the sacraments may be duly administered, and the building thus become a centre of work. Wherever Divine worship is performed, whether in consecrated or licensed building, the services ought to be on strictly Church lines. What are sometimes called "fancy services" soon fail to retain congregations. Mission chapels ought to be used for no other purposes than Divine worship and Sunday school.

Where the clergy are doing their work on Church lines, and earnestly, their parishes have no lack of agencies for good, and this results in large congregations. On the other hand, when churches in the midst of large populations are sparsely filled, it is an unmistakable sign that there is something wrong; there is either a lack of earnestness in the work, or the work is desultory, or there is a want of systematic visiting, or the services are

dull and cold, or the sermons are uninteresting and badly delivered; or, as is often the case, the clergyman is over-weighted by the number of souls committed to his charge, and in addition to this has to be constantly begging and scraping money together for parochial needs. We can all call to mind too many cases of this kind. In our overgrown parishes clergymen who have done well for several years ought to be transferred to some less trying sphere of work, for they are liable to lose their health and energy if they labour too long in poor and crowded localities. This is a matter that requires very serious consideration from our Bishops and other patrons.

To those who are about to take a leading part in the erection of a church or mission chapel let me offer this suggestion: Seek the advice of an architect who thoroughly understands his profession, and who is a good Churchman. Church building and church furnishing are arts; and a man whose whole sympathy does not go with Church worship may probably make serious blunders. Take, for example, the important matter of kneeling accommodation. In many of our churches it is almost impossible to kneel; whereas our congregations ought to be taught to do so reverently. On this subject I would refer to a pamphlet entitled "Church Seats and Kneeling Boards," written by my friend Mr. Butterfield, the well-known architect, with a preface by myself, and published by Rivingtons.

In conjunction with each centre of work there ought to be, besides the Church schools, a parish room, where Confirmation classes, mothers' meetings, and other parochial agencies may be held, and where the clergyman may have opportunities of conferring with his people on such matters as bear upon his work and their spiritual interests.

In the erection of churches and other buildings for religious uses, let the people be taught that they are about to undertake a work for God, which ought to be carried out in a spirit of prayer and self-sacrifice.

Let us now consider the subject of lay co-operation. It is most important that the laity, as an essential part of the Church, should take their share in the Church's work. At each centre, whether parish church or mission chapel, the clergyman should try to enlist a number of earnest laymen to help him in his labours. The works that they might undertake are various, such as helping in Sunday schools and night schools, assisting in choirs, and acting as churchwardens or sidesmen, finding sittings in church for the people at the time of Divine service, keeping church and school accounts, acting as managers of the parish schools, reading the Holy Scriptures, visiting the people, and, under proper sanction, holding services. I may add to these, giving occasional entertainments, which are found useful in bringing the people together in a social and friendly manner. There would also be found, in all probability, many Churchwomen able and willing to undertake such duties as district-visiting, holding mothers' meetings, and other works that earnest-minded women know so well how to perform. If the work be in poor localities, probably many of these workers would come from some neighbouring well-to-do parish, and this would have a good effect in binding together various classes of society. These would be voluntary workers: and, in addition to them, there ought to be some paid workers. Where an earnest-minded layman could be paid for his whole time, he might do excellent service in visiting the people