BISHOPS IN KHAKI

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1651, 18 January 1913, Page 9

BISHOPS IN KHAKI

1 A PLEA for the simple life. 1 . '■ In a University sermon at Oxford recently, ■ the rice-principal of Brasenoso College (Dr. Hussell) urged a powerful plea for "tho.simple life in .the case of bishops. Army ollicers in the field discard their lesplendeut uniforms of scarlet and gold for serviceable khaki. AVSmt is wanted is nn order of bishops in khaki— for tho bishop is always in tho field; iris warfare' never ceases. By feudal tradition bishops livo in palaces and abserve a certain amount of pomp. This not only means a great deal of expense—winch many bishops nowadays would liko to avoid if they could—but it separates too much ihe bishop from tlin working clergy. From the practical point of view of tho work of tho Church all this costliness of episcopal state is mere waste. And,-"?ii spilo of his handsome stipend,, an archbishop has Buch demands on him that, if ho dies too soon, KB may lcavo liis family actually, impoverished. Dr. Russell Vants to change- all this. He says: "Tho Church would bo far happier and nioro useful if it agreed to pay a living wago to tho average incumbent, and enabled him to retiro on a. modest pension, than if it held tightly to a few well-paid posts for exceptional men.- Tho money given to n rich deanery could in many cases support another working bishop. Tho Church must no longer attach a sentimental value to sinecures; This bold pleo is as Christian as it is sensible (says a London paper}. If requires somo courage for the mshops.ns a body to resolve to rcduco their ownincomos and livo in apostolio simpJfcfty. But that is. what somo of tho best spirits in tho Church aro looking for: And it would make it much easier to provide additional bishops, with smaller dioceses and close practical oversight of tho work in them. .