St. Kyran's College at Kilkenny, and St. Jarlath's at Tuam, and St. Patrick's at Carlow, and other colleges of smaller note, are to elect members to the Council, and Trinity and Belfast only to have the power of sending two members each? If the original Council is equally composed of Catholics and Protestants, the balance will easily be turned, and the true friends of liberal education will find their influence swamped, and will retire from their humiliating position, as Whately and his friends did from the National School Board.

The end of it would probably be, that Protestants and liberal Catholics, despising the degrees of the mediæval university-" a university without morals and without history,"-will seek the restoration to Trinity of the power of granting degrees, and the Ultramontane Papists would then be left in possession of the endowments which the Government are afraid now to ask openly.

Existing conditions, it is said, must be considered, three-fourths of the population being Catholic. But the evil is, that the existing conditions will be perpetuated by this scheme, which will retard the advancement of sound learning and liberal feeling in Ireland. Only one thing could be more disastrous, the endowment of Popish intermediate schools, which will probably be the next crafty scheme urged on the Government.

CHAPTER XXVI.

EVANGELICAL AND PROTESTANT AGENCIES.

The Irish Church—The Presbyterian Church-Archbishop Usher's Scheme for Protestant Union - Missions to Roman CatholicsColportage-Bible Circulation.

I

REFRAIN from saying anything about the disestablishment of the Irish Church, except this, that never had it displayed more spiritual life and active usefulness than at the time of its forced separation from the State. How it will succeed in fully adapting itself to its altered circumstances remains to be seen. As far as the reorganization has proceeded, it has met the hopes of its friends and disappointed the wishes of its foes. Its action as a free church has been hitherto chiefly seen in the progress of reconstruction. It is to be hoped that it will now become more than ever an evangelistic and missionary church, and so out of what seemed evil there will good be educed, both for the advantage of the State and for the advancement of true religion.

To a certain extent the Irish Church has been

disendowed as well as disestablished, for the annuities granted to the present clergy are to be regarded as compensation for loss of civil personal rights, and not as payment for spiritual services. Provision must be

made by voluntary efforts for maintaining the trust fund, as the annuitants pass away, and for extending the church for wider usefulness. To remain stationary, far less to contract its sphere of operation, would be an unworthy position for a church which includes most of the Protestant aristocracy of Ireland. In view of the future it would be well if the leaders of the church would take more counsel from the experience of the other free churches, both in England and Scotland. In regard to financial affairs, for example, there seems to be too much dependence put upon the large donations of wealthy patrons, instead of seeking a broad and permanent strength in the small but regular contributions of the mass of the people adhering to it. The experience of the Wesleyan Methodist body might be usefully considered in this respect. The experience of the Free Church of Scotland might also be usefully imitated, in the formation and distribution of a central sustentation fund. The great argument against a purely voluntary church is, that while rich districts or parishes are sure to have ample support, there is no provision secured for the commencement and maintenance of

Christian worship and ordinances in poor districts, except by missionary agency. A central sustentation fund secures a sufficient maintenance for every station, by an equal dividend to each minister, which may be supplemented to any amount by local contributions in wealthier or more populous parishes.

These and other matters of government and administration will be matured and rectified in time. But there is one subject which forces itself on the consideration of any thoughtful observer of the present ecclesiastical condition of Ireland.

The

There are practically only three great divisions of religious creed in Ireland—the Roman Catholic Church, the Episcopal Church, and the Presbyterian Church. The whole of the other Protestant denominations form an insignificant element in the census. The Independents and Baptists have some influential churches in the large towns; but they count little in evangelistic work on the mass of the people. Society of Friends occupy a useful position, exercising a peaceful and persuasive power among Roman Catholics, who seem to regard them with less hostility than other Protestant denominations. The Methodist bodies also are zealous and useful, but not strong in numbers; and practically the Protestantism of Ireland, and that almost equally, is divided between the Episcopalians and Presbyterians.

To Episcopalians and Presbyterians in different parts of Ireland I have said, what a pity at the time of the disestablishment there could not have been some attempt to form a closer union among Protestants! What a waste of power there is in maintaining everywhere two Protestant organizations, when in spirit, in creed, in preaching-in all but the non-essentials of government, discipline, and worship-the churches are one! Why not attempt some plan of union such as Archbishop Usher proposed, and nearly carried, with consent of both churches? The separation of the Irish Church from the State, and the surrender of the Regium Donum by the Presbyterians, have cleared away difficulties which could not have been surmounted at any previous time. Might not some attempt be made to form a strong and united Protestant Evangelical Church?

The history of the attempts to promote Christian union in the seventeenth century are deeply interesting, and have attracted too little attention. I found few people in Ireland knew anything of Archbishop Usher's "Irenicon." I can only briefly refer to it here.

Archbishop Usher laid his scheme of "Modified Episcopacy" before the House of Lords in 1637. He proceeded on the principle that bishops and presbyters differed, not in order, but in degree only