34 THE RURAL PROBLEM. 



To many village laymen the church means so much that the 

 denial of power or responsibility even in the small matters men- 

 tioned above is a grave limitation of the expression of their 

 personalities. The next church of his o^vn sect may be five miles 

 away, and outside his parish, so that the conformity of the church 

 organisation and services to his ideals are important to him. But 

 on graver matters than the time of the service or contributions to 

 foreign missions the layman is in even a worse position. The 

 history and the philosophy of the church is against him. Nor 

 have the clergy used their positions of independence and power 

 for the benefit of the most deserving of their parishioners. The 

 social work of the Catholic priests of some parts of Europe in the 

 organisation of agricultural education and co-operation, or of 

 the American clergyman in his " rural uplift " schemes is outside 

 the comprehension of most of the village clergy of the Established 

 Church. They are good men with bad precedents and training ; and 

 fortunately or unfortunate^ the organisation of their Church 

 denies to the layman any effective initiative or control in its 

 government. 



A large part of the mnnerical strength and more of the moral 

 force of the Nonconformist churches in the village has been due 

 to their call upon the lay element for services of many kinds. 

 Practically without endowment they build and support chapels, 

 schools and ministers. The ]<]stablished Church and its clergyman 

 are always there with at least a minimum of support, but in the 

 NoncoiTiformist bodies the slackening of lay interest has an 

 immediate effect on funds and orga.nisation. Moreover, the social 

 effect of the training in thought, organisation, and leadership, 

 gained by the laymen in church work is almost inestimable. The 

 Nonconformist feels that the weKare of his church depends upon 

 his morale and supx^ort, and the habits of consideration and devotion 

 engendered in the work of the religious body are carried into other 

 forms of associational life. Indeed, the " dissenting chapel " has 

 been the outstanding example of associative life — quite apart 

 from its special religious functions — in many large agricultiu'al 

 parishes. 



There are, however, elements of weakness in Nonconformist 

 churches. In one large agricultural parish, with a population of 

 600 souls, there may be as many as two or three chapels, any one 

 of which would accommodate the whole of the congregations. 

 There are three buildings to maintain, three preachers to provide. 

 If the ministers are of the travelling type and most of the work is 

 done by laymen, there is much unnecessary travelling and work. 

 But, worst of all, there are a number of young people attached to 

 each church. Were all these gathered into one body it would be 

 possible to provide for them suitable religious, intellectual, and 

 social exercises. But, divided as they are, there can be no special 

 provision for them, and the consequence is that they drift, 

 intellectually and morally. Creedal divergencies have been 



