278 Cathedral Life and Work at Sarim in Olden Times. 



to was made. And their words in doing so are worth repeating. 

 By reviving the Pentecostal Chapter, the non-residentiary mem- 

 bers of the cathedral body, they say, " would have a more inti- 

 mate connection with the mother church, and having, so to speak, 

 no possible interest in any abuse connected with it, would naturally 

 be very jealous of any falling off from the great ends the cathedral 

 was intended to reach, and might every year, by the enactment of 

 new statutes with the consent of the visitor, arrest the progress of 

 any evils, and meet, as far as the means at their disposal would 

 allow them, any new demand which the wants of their times might 

 make upon a great church institution like the cathedral.'"' 1 



II. As regards the work in the diocese generally, which was to 

 be carried out by various members of the cathedral body — what has 

 been well called its centrifugal force, or the radiation from it, as a 

 centre, of spiritual influences — this was manifold in its character. 



{a) It was the duty of the canons as assistants of the Bishop to 

 help forward all diocesan objects as far as possible. The theological 

 training which is always provided for, and for which the Chancellor 

 of the church was especially responsible, had in view of course the 

 providing a sufficient number of clergy for the service of the church . 

 Moreover without doubt some of the canons were themselves em- 

 ployed in what may be called " evangelistic " work. In other 

 cathedrals this appears more distinctly perhaps than at Sarum; as 

 at Lincoln, where two itinerant canons were always " on circuit/'' 

 or at St. David's, where the name " cursal canon " still remains ; 

 but no doubt the duty was acknowledged. 



(b) Under this general work of canons must also be mentioned 

 the duty of acting as the special counsellors of the Bishop. When 

 summoned by the Dean, in obedience to the Bishop's mandate, the 

 members of the chapter were bound to assemble from time to time 

 to consider any matter concerning the diocese in its relation to the 

 Bishop. A certain number of canons, either selected by the Bishop, 

 or delegated by the chapter itself, was, as has been said, the recognised 

 council of the diocesan — "concilium episcopi contra haBreses et 



1 Cathed. Corn. Kep. (1852), Append., p. 611. 



