PREFACE. HAVE the honour of editing, for the eighth time, the Official Report of the Church Congress, this year held in the Principality, at Cardiff. It is a great satisfaction to me that we have been able to produce the volume as early as November 9th. The publication of the Official Report of the last seven Congresses at the end of November has been considered a good piece of work, very much in advance of earlier years. Thanks, however, to the enterprise of the Publishers, Messrs. Bemrose & Sons, and to the skill and energy of their staff, as well as to experience gained, every previous effort in this direction has been surpassed this year. The result obtained will prove a boon to members of Congress, who will be able to revive the memory of the discussions within a very easy distance of time. I am under many obligations to the Readers and Speakers who have kindly submitted to the editorial pressure, and almost without an exception have promptly returned transcripts and proofs after correction. I am also, again, much indebted to Mr. C. Basil Cooke, the Official Reporter, for the services he has rendered me in the work of revision. A specialitè of this year's Report is a sermon in the Welsh language, preached by the Lord Bishop of S. Asaph, at a Special Service in Llandaff Cathedral, on Tuesday in Congress week. It is printed at the end of Report (page 571), together with the Welsh hymn (p. 574) sung at this service, and again at Wednesday morning's service in the Park Hall. Mrs. Henry Kingsley's address on "The Church's Care of Children" is not a verbatim report. Mrs. Kingsley was announced as the reader of a paper she spoke from notes. When the MS. came into the Official Reporter's hands it 334109 was found to contain incomplete notes only of the paper. These are given in the Report, as the author has not been able to supply us with her paper in full. There are three appendices. Appendix A is a speech by the Dean of S. Asaph on Home Reunion. Appendix B is a speech by Rev. V. S. S. Coles on the same subject. Both corrected proofs were received too late to insert in their right place. Appendix C (page 578) is an addendum to Mr. De Winton's paper on the "Increase of the Episcopate," published at his request. I observe, now and again, comparisons instituted (not always accurate) between one Congress and another, in respect of the number of members attending, and other details.* I subjoin a list of Congresses with the number of members, so far as they can be ascertained, and an occasional remark, which older Congress hands than myself could supplement. Corrections and additional information are invited, and may be sent to the Editor. The town of Cardiff distinguished itself by the unstinted hospitality offered to visitors, on a scale unknown at previous Congresses. The Congress itself was chiefly remarkable for (1) the eminently practical character of the discussions: (2) the very numerous attendance of Welsh clergy and laity. It may be permitted to me to express the earnest hope that many good and enduring results may flow to the Church in Wales from this very successful Congress. S. Mary's Vicarage, Wolverhampton, C. DUNKLEY, EDITOR. Nov. 4th, 1889. |