244 STUDIES, SCIENTIFIC AND SOCIAL chap. 



occupants, liable to be ejected by the votes of a majority 

 of parochial schismatics. 



How the New System may he Introduced. 



If no hasty and irretrievable step is taken, there seems 

 no reason why the change from the existing state of 

 things to something like that here sketched out, might 

 not be gradually effected without any interference with 

 vested interests. The new rectors would take their places 

 wherever vacancies occurred, after the expiration of the 

 time allowed for the disestablished Church to reorganize 

 itself; and there need be no interference with the right 

 of presentation to livings, the desirability of which as 

 positions of social importance would be increased by the 

 new arrangements. Some official recognition of the ap- 

 pointment would be required, and the stringency of the 

 qualifications, both as to education and character, would 

 render any abuse of this kind of patronage impossible. 

 It seems highly probable that many clergymen who feel 

 their present position more or less irksome, owing to their 

 being obliged to read and teach much that they cannot 

 accept as truth would gladly resign their positions as 

 ministers of a disestablished Church in exchange for that 

 of rector in the National Church. Such men would be 

 quite at home in their new position, for the wider duties of 

 which many of them would be admirably qualified. Of 

 course there would have to be some high officers fulfilling 

 the duties of bishops, or inspectors over the rectors ; and 

 over the whole a Supreme Board, or a Minister of Public 

 Instruction ; but these are matters which would offer no 

 difficulty in an institution of which the main features 

 are so well marked out. 



It has now, I trust, been shown that it would be 

 possible to remodel the framework and machinery of the 

 Church of England as by law established, so that it should 

 become, in connection with the various voluntary religious 

 bodies — which, while retaining their perfect freedom of 

 action would be to some extent associated with it— a real 

 and highly efficient National Church ; and further, that this 



