anything but arguments ad hominem? They do not hide sufficiently what is at the back of their minds on this point; they seem to say, 'as for us, we have long ago known how we stand in regard to these antiquated traditions; but do you, who still believe, listen to their witness in favour of our doctrine.'" But there is another party of whose religious convictions there can be no question, who are also taking a prominent part in the discussion of these questions, but whose attitude is somewhat ambiguous. I refer to the Christian Socialists, of whom I hope some may be present to-day to take part in the discussion. The early Christian Socialists—Maurice, Kingsley, and others—were, so far as I know, not State Socialists at all. Their contention, as I understand it, was that it is the duty of Christians to concern themselves with the material welfare of the masses, a contention with which all will agree; but they give no hint of action by the State. There can be no doubt, however, that a large section of the Christian Socialists of the present day look mainly to the State for the accomplishment of their objects, and especially for this great object of the relief of poverty. I read the other day in the "Times" a pastoral letter addressed by two eminent bishops, one of them the President of the C.S.U., to their clergy upon the subject of Churchmen's duty towards social questions, a pastoral admirable in tone and sentiment, and one with which everyone must be in substantial agreement. But towards the end there was a sentence which made me pause to think whether it did not lend a tone to the whole of the document. It was to this effect: The clergy are invited to exhort their flocks "to pay their rates cheerfully." Now, cheerfulness is unfortunately a thing that we cannot command, and I am doubtful whether the "gentle exhortations" of bishops and clergy would in that respect be more efficacious in 1908 than they were in the reign of Edward VI. I have never yet met anyone who paid his rates cheerfully. But I will go further, and say that if I lived in certain parts of London, and possibly even else-
