preaching*, little regarding its primary and most important character as a House of Prayer. How far a dull, feeble, inaudible, or hurried mode of reading the Service, may have contributed to produce this erroneous notion, it would be difficult to determine; but that it tends very much to confirm and increase the mischief, cannot be denied. One method to which the young divine will resort for repressing it, will be always to use especial care in his manner of discharging the duties of Reader; thus affording a convincing proof of the great importance which he himself attaches to public worship, and the high estimation in which he holds the Liturgy of our own Church.

III. The present period is also marked by the agreement of various parties in trying every method of vilifying and degrading the Clergy. Some of our enemies appear to be influenced by the desire of overthrowing the Established Church; whilst others have a more

* The word 'preaching' is here used according to its modern acceptation. Formerly it included all the duties of the clerical office, except ministering the Sacraments. See Hooker's Eccles. Polity, B. 5. In this sense it is used in the twenty-third article of our Church. In the Litany it appears to comprehend all the ministerial functions, when we pray that the Clergy" may, by their preaching and living, set forth the word of God, and show it accordingly."

extended object, and aim at the subversion of Christianity itself. But whatever be their motives, all are sharp-sighted in spying out the least appearance of defect in our Clerical body; and they will gladly refer to an unmeaning or careless mode of reading the Service as a proof either of insincerity and hypocrisy, or of indo lence and incapacity, and an inferiority to other classes in the very qualifications which the Cle rical Office requires. Every Clergyman there fore must at the present moment feel himself impelled by more than the usual motives, to exert his especial care as to his manner of ministering in the congregation; so that, on this point at least, "the mouths of gainsayers may be stopped."

IV. Among the peculiarities of the present times it must likewise be mentioned, that the study of Elocution is daily becoming more general. In several large schools, especially in and near the Metropolis, professed teachers of Elocution are regularly employed. Several elementary treatises on this branch of education have been published, some of which have passed rapidly through many editions. The necessary consequence is, that the number of competent judges is every day increasing, and the difference between good and bad reading is more

generally perceived. The Clergyman must therefore strive to keep pace with this improvement in the public taste, unless he be content to incur the blame of being feeble and inefficient in a very important branch of his public duties. That a greater zeal prevails among the Clergy of the present day than existed thirty years ago, seems to be universally admitted; and that this will necessarily show itself in the discharge of every part of their Sacred Office, and therefore naturally produce some improvement in the style of reading the Service, must be readily and joyfully allowed. But zeal alone will not suffice to make a good Reader, without the knowledge of some of the principles of elocution. The most zealous may derive assistance from the rules of art, and be better enabled to redeem the Church from the obloquy under which it still labours, respecting the manner in which our admirable Ritual is generally delivered.

V. The importance of good reading as a clerical qualification is still further evident from the fact, that a deficiency in this accomplishment will often prevent a Clergyman from obtaining any opportunity of labouring in his vocation. At the present period, when the members of the profession are more than

usually numerous, it not unfrequently happens, that if a young man chances to lose the curacy on which he was ordained, though he may be unexceptionable in morals, possessed of much theological learning, and anxious to be useful in his calling, yet being inefficient in his manner of discharging the duties in the Desk as well as in the Pulpit, many years elapse without his being able to obtain any permanent professional employment. In the mean time, others, who are inferior to him in every respect except in the possession of a good delivery; never wait long before their services are sought.

The importance of a good elocution in the discharge of the ministerial duties, has not escaped the notice of our Prelates in modern times. It was felt most deeply by the late excellent Bishop Porteus, who was himself a model of elegant and impressive delivery. Lamenting that no part of Academical education had any tendency to produce it, he instituted prizes for its encouragement, in Christ's College, Cambridge, in which he had been educated. The institution, it is thought, has been productive of some beneficial effect. Similar encouragement to good reading has likewise been held out in a few other Colleges of the same Univer

sity. It is however said, that general propriety of conduct, and regularity in attendance at chapel, go far in influencing the adjudication of the rewards. Be this as it may, prizes will be of little use, unless the students are supplied with instruction as to the means by which they are to deserve the prizes. In all other branches of Academical education, the tutor teaches, the pupil attains excellence, and excellence is rewarded. But the aspirants to the prizes in elocution are left unassisted, it being presumed that they have been sufficiently instructed at school.

In this state of affairs, it will afford heartfelt satisfaction to all who are duly aware of the importance of the subject, to find, that it is attracting an increased share of Episcopal attention. It appears that in the diocese of Salisbury, the candidates for Holy Orders, previously to any inquiry respecting theological attainments, are "examined as to their qualifi cations in the reading of the Liturgy and the delivery of sermons, by commissioners appointed by the Bishop." From so judicious a plan, very great benefit may be justly expected; as it will compel the candidates to study a subject, which has hitherto been greatly neglected. Nor will the hope that the plan may

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