nothing of its writer, and who, if they had known, would not have used it. With regard to the trade of the country and the temperance movement, there was not long ago a remark made by a Cabinet Minister in the House of Commons, which word for word might have been found written in the pages of the Temperance Chronicle. So if we want to disseminate true knowledge relating to the movements of the Church, and the renewing of our national life, or if we want to attack or expose the attacks of those who are her enemies, we need to follow their example in using the printing press for the promulgation of the truth in opposition to falsehood. There can be no doubt that the spread of religious truth has been influenced by penny journals, such as the Church Bells and such as the Christian. To speak of another branch of Christ's work, the various magazines, periodicals and others-these find an entrance into the servants' hall, and into the cottages of the poor. They may thus fall into the hands of those who, in our great cities, from time to time find an opportunity for reading, and who would read a small leaflet of paper when they would not pay atten tion to a large book. I believe we live more by the fleeting literature of the hour than by the sounder works of the day. I know all this involves expense. I have found it to be so with subjects which, perhaps, are not of general interest, and which we cannot expect to be attractive to the general body of readers; but surely all that relates to the Church and her teachings in this world is worth being distributed much more largely than at present. There are some of the periodicals which report sermons of the leading divines, but generally confine themselves to giving reproductions of those who are popular, and whose names will help to sell their papers, rather than to the many excellent and beautiful sermons or writings which emanate from those not so well known to the public, when the more solid writings of those less known would have made more practical effect. I feel that the experience of all our societies shows that expenditure of money in printing is absolutely necessary. It is said in the present day that no trade can succeed that does not advertise largely. Take, for instance, an advertisement of which we may be sick and tired; we are told that it has been the means of establishing a most lucrative trade, which depends upon this for its continuance, and it is a shame that mere matters of trade should be thus made prominent, be thus advertised, when those of the highest interest concerning our homes, our morals, our social relationship, and the condition of our spiritual life, should be so sparsely disseminated by this means. Take the Temperance Society. It has its Chronicle, and I have found that journal to heve been a medium by which the knowledge of the truth, and the facts which support the temperance movement, are constantly being conveyed. Let me beg that those who are interested in this movement, and other movements concerning the real welfare of the country, will take courage, for, by spending more money in printing that which is suitable for reading, I believe their efforts will be made successful to a much greater extent.

The Rev. A. R. M. FINLAYSON, Association Secretary, Colonial and Continental Church Society.

66

WHEN I sent in my card, I ventured to hope that I might contribute something fresh to this important discussion, but since the speeches of Archdeacon Emery and Mr. Hobson, I feel very much in the position described by the fabulist Esop. He was in the market-place with other slaves waiting to be sold. A gentleman coming in and looking at a man immediately on the right of Æsop said, Well, my man, if I purchase you, what can you do? "O, sir," replied the man, who was anxious to obtain a good master, "if you purchase me I can do everything." Turning to a man to the left of Æsop the gentleman asked, "If I buy you what can you do?" The man replied, "Sir, I can do anything." Then turning to sop, the gentleman said, And what can you do?" Whereupon sop replied, "Sir, if this man can do everything, and that man can do anything, what is there left for me to do?" Similarly I feel that coming just after the speech of Archdeacon Emery, who has, in few and weighty words, wrapt up everything that need be said on this subject, and after the speech of Mr. Hobson, who has said anything which, through lack of time. had been omitted by previous readers or speakers, "What is there left for me to do?" In discussing the "Church and the Printing Press," I feel strongly that we should place in the forefront our deep obligations to the press of the United Kingdom. The secular press deserves largely the thanks of this Church Congress, and of churchmen

generally. And because I thought that sufficient prominence was not given to this in the early part of this meeting, I was anxious to remedy the omission which Archdeacon Emery had just so happily supplied. Complaints have been made as to the meagre ecclesiastical information supplied by the secular press. I cannot speak for the London press, but I can say from some experience, that the secular press in the provinces is not indifferent to Church work. The Manchester and Liverpool papers will give column after column of reports of the Church Congress, and in Birmingham, the stronghold of Radicalism, the work of the Church is not ignored by the Radical newspapers. In the consideration of this question we ought to feel grateful to those nonconformist editors who, with a large-hearted liberality, give us so much space in their papers, many of which are, though we may disagree with them, doing a most valuable and important work. Dr. Arnold used to say, "I rule England, because I rule the boys, who rule the mothers, who rule the men, who rule in the Houses of Parliament," and the same influence may fairly be claimed by the gentlemen of the press. Many recognise this solemn responsibility. And if the London papers do not give as much ecclesiastical information as we would wish, may it not be owing to the fact that such information can always be found at length in the special class papers which are published in London. I overheard a gentleman who was qualified to speak on this subject, say that the only London daily paper which published sermon reports was the Pall Mall Gazette. Those who have read the reports of Canon Liddon's sermons in that paper will bear out this assertion. In America the press is more domesticated, and the Monday papers generally contain a sermon. I am speaking subject to correction, but I oppose entirely the project for the formation of a special church daily paper. Such a scheme will be a distinct failure. It has been tried and failed. Nor is it desirable. If you have a special paper your outlook will be small, your horizon limited. Such a journal could never influence those we most wish to reach. It would lose its raison d'être if it did not look at certain questions through the distorted rays of ecclesiastical lenses, and we should find such a journal advocating class interests or party questions. When the Church is disestablished and sinks to the level of a sect, such a paper may be useful. But while she remains the National Church, let us utilise the papers of the nation. They are in touch with the masses, have a grip on their constituency, and instead of seeking to dislodge it, what we ought to do is to co-operate with these papers and utilise their influence for good. Please do not start a new church paper! I make it part of my duty to go down to the club one afternoon every week and look at more than a dozen Church papers, and sometimes it is very hard work. There are many others in the same position. We skim all and read none. We have a sufficient number of class periodicals to meet the wants of all without establishing any more. Is a man a clergyman? Then he will find in the Clergyman's Magazine much that will be useful in his work, both spiritually, mentally, and professionally. Where can you find a better magazine for Sunday School teachers than the Church Sunday School Magazine? The Church is alive to the power of the printing press. There is not a subject of any importance which is not represented by some periodical. Take the question of Church Defence. For years the National Church has done valuable work in this direction, often amid opposition from those who might have supported it. And here let me say that churchmen of all schools of thought owe a debt of gratitude to the Record for the very able manner in which it has brought the question of disestablishment before the country. Mr. Hallam Murray suggests the establishment of a Sunday Church newspaper for the working classes. But is not Mr. Murray's suggestion anticipated by the Fireside News, which has already obtained a large circulation amongst this class. It is not, I understand, a working man's paper. But it contains precisely what we would wish to put into the hands of working men-sound Church teaching and interesting social information. In its pages you may read how to peel a potato-and the late Dean of Manchester, speaking at the Social Science Congress, said, "there was a great art in peeling a potato," and you will find social questions discussed by men of thought, and sermons by eminent divines, and I maintain that by circulating a paper which, bearing on its face no narrow title, finds an entrance into many a cultured circle as well as many a poor man's home, you are best advocating the principles of our National Church, and befriending the working classes. While speaking on this question let me add a word on the power of books. Let us circulate good books. All honour to those London publishers who at first have often taken up books at a loss or under difficulties largely because they believed in the principles set forth in these works. These are days when, thank God, men are seeking for a "higher life." Often are we indebted to Nonconformists for works of piety. But there is a little book, "Thoughts on Christian Sanctity," by Handley Moule, which I know is being largely circulated and read by

Nonconformists who, as they draw nearer to the "Sun of Righteousness," are drawn nearer to ourselves, just as the spokes of a wheel meet in the centre. The Bishop of Liverpool knows well the power of the printing press. Dr. Ryle wrote a tract entitled, "Are you forgiven?" It was translated into Spanish, and fell into the hands of a Roman Catholic priest. He began to study his bible. A brother priest joined him, and thus two souls were brought out of darkness to light. They began amid great persecution to preach the Gospel, and now there are in Mexico some forty thousand professing Protestants, as the result, under God, of the Bishop's use of the printing press in the issue of this tract. These are days of prayer meetings. In every parish let there be definite prayer for the editors and writers of the press, and, if in this way we send up a cloud of prayer, the answers will return in showers of blessing.

WILLIAM STORR, Esq., Parliamentary Reporter.

THE papers and the speeches appear to indicate aims and objects which, although they may be of a kindred character, may yet admit of judicious separation in considering the means by which they are to be attained. There is first the attainment of local publicity. It is, of course, impossible that a newspaper, however local its character may be, can open its columns to the details of parochial or congregational work, for the record of which special provision must be made according to the character of the communication required. But when events take the character of news of local interest, it is most impolitic to rely upon any restricted or exclusive publication. Professional knowledge accords with the experience of some of the clergymen who have spoken, that their desire for the dissemination of news is surpassed by the desire of the newspaper proprietor and the editor to obtain it. There cannot be a greater mistake than to suppose that the politics of a paper interfere with the insertion of news, communicated early in a proper form; and the commercial instinct alone is sufficient to prompt an editor to insert anything that can be fairly regarded as local news. If a paper identifies itself with the Church, or with dissent, it may please the majority of its readers by giving longer reports to one party than another; but even such a bias rarely operates to exclude the news of the minority of its readers. There is, therefore, true worldly wisdom in the advice which has been given to cultivate friendly relations with local papers, regardless of their politics, by giving early notice of events, and by voluntarily communicating paragraphs of information, as early as possible, in a reasonable form; and embodying statements of fact as to what has occurred untinged by opinions on the part of the contributor. Many contributors are unreasonable in expecting to commit a paper to their individual opinions. It is the object of a paper to state facts, and record events as free from individual opinion as possible. Ventilation of opinion on controverted subjects must take the form of signed letters, or sometimes of articles "communicated." But letters should be short, and should be sent very early in a newspaper week; and a local newspaper should hardly be expected to discuss a large national question in letters, unless they are made locally interesting by local illustrations of the arguments used. A second use of the press is indicated by class journalism, and class journals may be either select or popular. A journal must be more or less select, and limited in its circulation, which puts on record everything that leaders of thought may require to read. But many documents and speeches need to be dealt with quite differently in a cheap and popular journal; and it must omit many items that cannot be ignored by one of a higher class. It is difficult to combine these two objects-the aptitude required by the few, and the brevity desired by the many, in one journal. Private enterprise is doing much to meet varying requirements; and the opinions expressed as to the existing papers, seem to show that it would be impossible, by any kind of co-operative effort, to produce a class paper that should give anything like general satisfaction to all sections of Churchmen. The difficulties of a class-daily would be greater still. There is in the minds of Englishmen an invincible prejudice against a paper that seeks to serve class purposes in supplying the news of the day. An effort was made some years ago to establish a daily paper of a distinctly religious character, to be called the Dial. Meetings were held all over the country. At one of these, the chief founder of the Daily Telegraph made this comment upon the speeches of the promoters of the movement :-"It is all bosh: it is not principles that sell a paper; is news." The weekly Dial, instead of being a daily, was merged in the Morning

it

Star. That paper was supposed to be subsidised by the Manchester party to support the views of Mr. Cobden and Mr. Bright. That supposition diminished its influence. It never commanded the confidence that has been won by papers that were believed to be independent of party support. The collapse of this paper was made the subject of the bitterest satire in newspaper comments which, in many cases, were headed with the opprobrious words "Kept papers." Whether the attempt to establish the Hour failed in part from similar causes, others present may know better than I do; but certain it is that general newspaper readers do not take kindly to enterprises of the kind; while those which are independent, and are managed in the interests of private or co-operate owners on business principles, gain that commercial foundation on which alone permanence can be secured. Many possess that foundation already, and furnish collectively the means of reaching a circle of readers far larger than could be reached by the most successful Church paper that could be launched. If it were conceivable that the success of such a paper could diminish the attention paid to Church matters by the existing dailies, the loss would be greater than the gain. The conclusion is that, with important dailies, as with local weeklies, it is the true policy to make the fullest use of the journals that are established, and which are conducted on the principle of supplying the news which they believe to be required by their readers. It is obviously for the public good that secular news should be accompanied by a leaven of Church intelligence; and the advantage of churchmen accepting secular news from secular organs, is that they can absolve their class journals from secular details. There is economy in the concentration of energy and attention. Secular work is best done by secular papers, and church work by church papers; and, whatever combination may be possible in a high-priced weekly, in a daily it would be misdirected effort, because it would disparage the help afforded by all other dailies, which it could never supersede; while a daily class paper would over-tax the time and the pockets of those expected to support it, seeing that it must be an addition to the dailies or weeklies they now read. The tendency of the time is towards dealing separately and specially with matters not delivered by the ordinary daily papers, to accept their help as far as it goes; to regard the daily paper as an index, rather than a record; and to rely upon special publications for the fuller record required for the purposes of exhaustive discussion and propagandism.

The Rev. HENRY ROE, Poyntington, Somerset.

CHURCH papers are excellent, but for whom are they written? The very people whom we do not want to reach. They are already attached members of the Church, and we want to reach those who are not. Let us go straight for the open press. I say we can, if we will exercise the very greatest possible influence, if we only ourselves wrote for the general press. Why don't we? Because we are over modest. I am a very modest man myself. We fancy everybody will look down upon us if we say a simple word for ourselves, and we say "mum." Then, again, we are too indolent. I am perfectly certain there are scores of clergymen scattered throughout our various dioceses, who could write brief, capital papers that would find their way into our local press, and would work wonders in correcting the errors gone into. I go further, we are all too high-flown. We do not speak down to the level of the people, who have to read what we have got to write. Our sentences ought to be thoroughly to the point, carrying conviction to the hearts of those who read. That is what we want. I say we are too high-flown; and I think we lose, because we have not faith in our work, and more faith in ourselves. There are a good many people who require to put their foot down firmly and say, "thus far and no further," and mean it. Why should we not get rid of our excessive modesty? I was told the other day that the Church Congress was going to be paid out of the rates in Portsmouth. That is only akin to the story that the clergy are supposed to be supported out of the rates and taxes. What have we got to do? We have got to remedy this error, and through newspapers, write in such a manner as the public may understand. On Monday there was a gentleman in the carriage in which I was, and I chanced to say to one who was by my side, "We are going to hear some capital preachers," and this man looked up and said, "Christ was a great preacher.' I said "Yes." "Paul," he said "was a great preacher." I said "Certainly." He said, "Did ever Paul preach for

money?" I said "No, but I think there is one thing he said, that they who preach the Gospel should live by the Gospel." "Oh," he said, "but that doesn't mean he is to have money for preaching it." But you and I have to get some earnest thoughtful support; let us write for the press.

Mr. J. CLISHAM, Quarter-master, Royal Scots Fusiliers.

WHEN I entered the hall I had not the least intention of coming on the platform, but the question of the distribution of tracts being mentioned, I thought I would say one or two words on that subject. One of the speakers remarked that a lady distributed 20,000 tracts, but I would ask how many out of that large number gave any infor mation as to the teaching of the Church's doctrine. Men are joining the army day after day, and I assure you when spoken to (I mean churchmen) on that subject of the Church's service, they are quite ignorant on the matter. What we require are leaflets or small books to put into the hands of men, giving them some idea of the Prayer Book, and the rest will follow. All honour to our friends the Dissenters, who are always holding out the right hand of fellowship in that way to the men in the army. At my present station (Portland) the tracts which I receive are from our Dissenting friends, to distribute among the men in hospital. My reasons for speak ing was to bring this to your notice as churchmen, so that if at any time you can spare a few tracts, on the teaching of the Church and her services, you will remember that she has children in the army, who require instruction and guidance in the Church's doctrine.

The Rev. G. N. GODWIN, Chaplain to the Forces.

I was very glad to hear the remarks of the last speaker. I wish to speak of the great importance of Church literature in the Army. I must say that we are doing something in this matter. We are very much indebted to the press-I am personally-for literature sent to the largest military hospital in England-Netley Hospital : but there is more wanted. And I am sure I am endorsing the sentiments of my brother chaplains when I say that we do love our men; that we do not keep them at the distance which some say that we do; that we do love them, and that they love us in return; and if you will only send us any quantity of literature it shall go direct into the hospitals, and sick men will be grateful for it. There is no man more grateful in this world than the British soldier for what is done for him. If any of you have any literature which you think good for yourselves, send it off to the nearest military station, and I am sure that it will come into good hands. In these days of short service soldiers must, on their return home, greatly alter parishes either for good or for evil. If duly cared for, they will be missionaries for good, and splendid missionaries too. Anything which you do for the Army will be repaid to you a thousand-yes, far more than a thousand-fold.

The Rev. J. WYCLIFFE GEDGE, Winchester Diocesan
Inspector of Schools.

One word as to newspapers. I do not think the time has come again when we may venture to start a daily church paper. May I say one good word for the Evening News, and that is that it generally takes the right side on Church matters. Some time I hope we shall get a perfect weekly paper. The Guardian is too political, and the Church Times too one-sided. The Rock, since its new departure a few months ago, has become a really good paper, free from party strife, and I thank God for it. But the perfect Church paper is still a dream of the future. We have been told to write for the local papers. May I caution my friends that they do not offend the political