THE CHURCH

The Established Church is Protestant Episco pal, and its doctrines are defined in "The Thirtynine Articles" agreed upon by Convocation in 1562 and revised in 1571. The head of the Church is the reigning Sovereign, who, when a vacancy occurs, nominates an archbishop or bishop, and the nominee is afterwards elected by the dean and chapter of the vacant see.

There are 2 archbishops and 33 bishops, and of these 26 sit in the House of Lords as spiritual peers. There are also 17 suffragan and 5 assistant bishops, these being appointed by the bishops. For ecclesiastical purposes England and Wales are divided into about 14,000 parishes, the head of which is a rector, vicar, or perpetual curate, as the case may be. A group of parishes forms a rural deanery (of which there are 810); a number of these are combined to form an archdeaconry (91 in all), and two or more archdeaconries make up a diocese, which is presided over by a bishop, the dioceses being grouped into two provinces under the supervision of the archbishops. The principal church of the diocese is the cathedral, governed by a dean and chapter. This is the seat of the bishop.

The spiritual affairs of the Church at large are dealt with by two Houses of Convocation (Canterbury and York). The Upper House is made up of archbishops and bishops; the Lower of archdeacons, deans, and a certain number of proctors, or representatives of the clergy. Decisions of Convocation require the approval of the Crown before they can become binding. Parochial matters are administered by churchwardens appointed annually at Easter, one being usually nominated by the incumbent of the parish, the other elected by the parishioners.

The laity have, at present, very little power in regard to the management of Church affairs; their representatives meet for discussion in ruridecanal and diocesan conferences and the two Houses of Laymen. The Canterbury House is composed of representatives from the various diocesan conferences, with a limited number of members nominated by the archbishop. York House is similarly constituted.

The

The Ecclesiastical Commissioners for England, who were incorporated in the year 1836, administer very extensive estates and large revenues for the benefit of the Church.

These estates were transferred to them as part of a large measure of redistribution of ancient Church endowments in the interests of the Church, effected towards the end of the first half c last century by various Acts of Parliament readjusting cathedral and episcopal incomes, suppressing sinecure preferments, and making similar reforms.

The resources so placed at the disposal of the Commissioners have been largely augmented by the increase in the value of the estates and in the income which they produce under the management of a body having necessarily greater experience, and especially much greater legal powers for dealing with the properties than were possessed by the ecclesiastical corporations by whom the estates were formerly held. Apart, however, from private gifts and bequests received by the Commissioners (very considerable in the aggregate, but almost entirely for the benefit of particular livings), it is to be observed that the whole of the estates and funds belonging to the

OF ENGLAND.

Commissioners are ancient property of the Church or represent the proceeds of sales or other dealings with such property.

The revenues of the Commissioners (after defraying charges upon them) are, speaking generally, to be applied to the augmentation of livings, and to making provision in other ways for the cure of souls in necessitous parishes. The surplus revenues so applicable have, in recent years, been about £200,000 per annum. The operations of the Commissioners have now extended over some sixty years, in which time they have augmented or endowed about 5,800 benefices (a large number being newly-created benefices), partly by the provision of parsonage houses, partly by annexation of glebe lands, tithe rentcharges, &c., and partly by grants of income charged upon the Commissioners' funds, or by supplying or assisting in supplying stipends of curates. The value of the endowments so secured by the Commissioners, and of the increased provision for the cure of souls in other ways so made by them in these 5,800 parishes, amounts to about £829,000 per annum. In addition, there have been secured to the same or other livings, through the instrumentality of the Commissioners, benefactions from private sources of the value of about £220,000 per annum.

Much has also been done in the way of the improvement of the permanent endowments of benefices by incumbents taking advantage of the facilities given to them by the Ecclesiastical Leasing, &c., Acts to develop and deal with glebe lands and properties of their benefices (with the sanction of their patrons and under the control of the Commissioners). Last year 216 sales, leases, &c., under these statutes were effected of property belonging to 139 benefices.

The Commissioners also administer the large body of statutes known as the Church Building Acts, and also the New Parishes and other Acts under which parishes are rearranged, new ecclesiastical districts and parishes formed, and sites for churches, burial grounds, and parsonage houses are secured.

Under these statutes, since 1818 (when the first Church Building Act was passed), the number of new ecclesiastical districts and benefices created has been 3760. Last year 35 such new districts were formed, apart from alterations of boundaries and other arrangements in respect of existing districts.

In the same year 128 sites were conveyed to the Commissioners under the Church Building Acts46 for new churches or additions to churches, 31 for parsonage houses or additions thereto, and 51 for churchyards or burial grounds or additions thereto.

The revenue of the Church of England is derived from the following sources :

LONDON-continued.

Chancellor, Wors. T. H. Tristram, D.C.L., 1872, 12, King's Bench Walk.

Regis. & Sec. to the Bp., H. W. Lee, 1, The Sanctuary, Westminster.

Dioc. Surveyor, H. P. Day, 18, Bloomsbury Sq. Dio. Conf.: Clerical Sec, Preb. Glendinning Nash, M.A., Chapter House, St. Paul's; Lay Sec., J. H. Adams, 61, Lincoln's Inn Fields, W.C. Diocesan Inspector, Rev. Preb. Reynolds, 5, Amen Court, E.C.

St. Paul's Cathedral Services--Sundays: Holy Communion 8 a m. and after Matins; Matins 10.30 a.m., Evensong 3.15 and 7 p.m. Weekdays: Holy Communion 8 a.m., Matins (ch.) 10 a.m., Evensong (ch.) 4 p.m.

BISHOP (86th), Rt. Rev. RANDALL T. DAVIDSON, D.D. ...£6,500 1891 tr. 1895 [Farnham Castle, Surrey; Athenæum Club, S.W.1 Bishop of Guildford, Rt. Rev. G. H. Sumner, D.D.

1888

Bishop of Southampton, Rt. Rev. A. T.
Lyttelton, D.D.

1898

Dean, Very Rev. W. R. Wood Stephens,
B.D.

I 95

Canons Residentiary.-The Bishop of Guildford; Ven. J. H. Sapte, M.A., 1888; Ven. H. Haigh, M.A., 1890; A. S. Valpy, M.A., 1895; P. R. P. Braithwaite, 1901.

Archdeacons.-Bishop of Southampton, Winchester; 1884; Ven. H. Haigh, M.A., Isle of Wight, 1886; Ven. J. H. Sapte, M.A., Surrey, 1888.

Bangor. A.D. 516.

PATRONAGE

IN BISHOP,

All the Dignities of the Cathedral,

Benefices 70.

Do. alt. 2.

Bath and Wells.

DIOCESE.

Anglesey, and Carnarvonshire, parts of Mont gomery, and Merionethshire.

Rt.

BISHOP (71st), Rev. WATKIN HERBERT WILLIAMS, D.D. •£4,200 1899 [The Palace, Glyngarth, Menai Bridge, N.W.j Dean, Very Rev. Evan Lewis, M.A... 1884

Canons Residentiary.-Ven. Thos. Williams, M.A., 1882; Ven. J. Pryce, M.A., 1884; Eleazar Williams, B.A., 1888; D.W. Thomas, M.A., 1891.

Archdeacons.-Bangor and Anglesey, Ven. John Pryce, M.A., 1887; Merioneth, Ven. Thos. Williams, M.A., 1891.

Chanc. of the Droc., James E. Vincent, M.A.,'91. Regis., Sec., and Chabter Clerk.-R. Hughes Pritchard, M.A., Bangor.

Chief Clerk, J. Hughes Roberts.

Sec. of Diocesan Conterence, Rev. J. E. Williams, B.A., The Vicarage, Caerdeon, Merioneth. Diocesan Surveyors, P. S. Gregory; H. Hughes. Editor Diocesan Kalendar, Rev. A. O. Evans, B.A., Bangor,

PATRONAGE
IN BISHOP,
Canonries,
Archdeaconries,
Chancellorships,
Precentorship,
Treasurership,
Benefices 57.
Do,, alt, 1.
Do., jointly 1.

Population 226,040.

Cathedral Services-Sundays: Holy Communion 8 a.m.; Matins 11.30 with Holy Communion cn 1st Sunday; Evensong 4 p.m. Week-days: Matins 10 a.m.; Evensong 3 p.m., except July to September, when at 5 p.m.

IN DEAN AND CHAPTER, Priest Vicars, Benefices 19.

Benefices 143. Clergy 224.

A.D. 909.

BISHOP (70th).

Right Rev. GEORGE W. KENNION, D.D...... £5,000 1891

[Palace, Wells.] Dean, Very Rev. T. W. Jex-Blake, D.D., 1891 Canons Residentiary.--Chas. M. Church, M.A., 1879; Ven. A. C. Ainslie, LL.D., 1896; T. Scott Holmes, M.A., 1900; Rt. Rev. W. HockinStirling, D.D.. 1901.

Archdeacons. Wells, Ven. F. A. Brymer, M.A., 1899; Bath, Ven. H. Bothamley, M.A., 1896; Taunton, Ven. A. C. Ainslie, LL.D., 1896.

Chanc. of the Diocese, Worshipful T. E. Rogers, M.A., 1884, Yarlington House, Wincanton.

Registrar and Sec. to the Bishop, R. Harris, Wells.

Diocesan Surveyors, E. M. Hippisley, Wells; C. R. Wainwright, Shepton Mallet; C. H. Samson,

Taunton.

Sec. of Diocesan Conference, Rev. E. M. Lance, M.A., Pill Vicarage, Bristol.

Editor Diocesan Kalendar, Rev. G. Metford, 24, Berkeley Square, Bristol

PATRONAGE.

Archdeaconry, Chancellorship.

Bristol. A.D. 1542.

IN DEAN AND CHAPTER,

Minor Canonrie Benefices

BISHOP (44th),

£3,000 1897

Rt. Rev. G. F. BROWNE, D.C.L.,
[Bristol.]
Dean, Very Rev. F. Pigou, D.D...
...1891
Canons Residentiary.-Ven.
H. Robeson,
M.A., 1885; A. Ainger, M.A., 1887; J. G. Tetley,
M.A., 1892; S. A. Barnett, 1893.

Archdeacon.-Ven. H. Robeson, M.A., 1892 Chanc. of the Diocese.-A. B. Ellicott, M.A. Secs. to the Bishop.-W. H. Clarke, Bristol; H, W. Lee, London.

IN DEAN AND CHAPTER, Prebends 2,

DIOCESE.

United to Gloucester, 1836; separated, 1897.

Registrar, W. H. Clarke, Bristol.
Diocesan Surveyor, C. E. Ponting, Marlborough.

Priest Vicarships 4. Benefices 22,

Population

Benefices 178.

Clergy 305
(Approx.)

Holy Trinity Cathedral Services-Sundays: Holy Communion 8 a.m. and 12 noon, Matins 10.30 a.m., Evensong 3.30 p.m., and (October to July) 7 p.m Week-days: Holy Communion (Thursday) 8 a.m., Matins (ch.) 10 a.m., Evensong (ch.) 4 p.m.

Benefices 369. Clergy 624.

BISHOP (94th),

Rt. Rev. ERNEST R. WILBERFORCE, D.D..... £4,200 c. 1882, tr. 1896 [Palace, Chichester.] Dean, Very Rev. R. W. Randall, D.D., 1892 Canons Residentiary.-J. S. Teulon, M.A., 1888; R. E. Sanderson, D.D., 1889; A. M. Deane, 1896; H. D. Jones, 1900.

Archdeacons.-Ven. F. J. Mount, M.A. Chichester, 1887: Ven. Robert Sutton, Lewes, 1888. Chancellor of the Diocese, Right Worshipful T. H. Tristram, D.C.L., Q.C., 1892.

Secretary, W. B. B. Freeland, Chichester. Diocesan Surv., L. W. Ridge, 5, Verulam Buildings, W.C.

Secs. of Diocesan Conf-Prebendary Webb, Chichester; Canon Deane, Ferring, Worthing; R. B. Dodson, Esq., Brighton.

Inspectors of Schools, Rev. G. Heath, Rev. W. Walsh, Rev. J. P. Davies.

Editor Dioc. Kal. and Gazette, Canon Deane, Ferring, Worthing.

BISHOP (59th), Rt. Rev. Lord ALWYNE COMPTON, D.D. £5,500 1886 [Ely Palace; Ely House, Dover St., Piccadilly.] Dean, Very Rev. Chas. W. Stubbs, D.D. 1894 Canons Residentiary. Wm. Emery, B.D., 1870; E. C. Lowe, D.D., 1873; F. R. Chapman, M.A., 1879; A. F. Kirkpatrick D.D.,* 1882; V. H. Stanton, D.D.,† 1889; Rt. Rev. W. K. Macrorie, D.D., 1892.

Annexed to Professorship of Hebrew. and † Divinity (Ely), Cambridge. Archdeacons.-Ven. Wm. Emery, B.D., Ely, 1864; Ven. Fred. Bathurst, M.A., Bedford, 1873; Ven. F. G. Vesey, LL.D., Huntingdon, 1874; Ven. A. G. Livingstone, M.A., Sudbury, 1901. Chancellor of the Diocese, G. J. Talbot, M.A., 1898, 4, Paper Buildings, Temple, E.C. Registrar, W. J. Evans, Esq., Ely.

Secretaries, H. W. Lee, Westminster; W. J. Evans, Ely.

Benefices 566. Clergy 730.

Diocesan Surveyors, W. M. Fawcett, Cambridge; E. Borissow, Huntingdon; J. Flatman, Newmarket; C. E. Mallows, Bedford.

Editor of Diocesan Kalendar, Rev. G. R. Bullock-Webster, The Palace, Ely.

Sec. of Diocesan Conf., Ven. Archd. Emery, The College, Ely.