Untitled - Electric Scotland

1863-67] OX CLERICAL SUBSCRIPTION 487
Another subject on which he laid great stress was the
need of helping the younger clergy to attain a better style
of preaching. He used frequently to say that young men.
in their first years in Holy Orders, were almost forced into
acquiring a dull and unimpressive style, which never left
them.
"
One thing I would specially deprecate," he said in his Charge
of 1862, "namely, the setting of a young curate to preach every
Sunday at some ill-frequented afternoon service, the very sight of
the congregation at which is enough to chill him into awkward
ness. It is cruelty to him to undertake, as his chief duty, what
is either the most useless or the most difficult part of our parochial
work ; . . . and certainly if we set our curates to learn how to
preach by addressing empty benches, they will probably learn
their work so badly as to be likely to preach to empty benches
as long as they live." l
One question dealt with in his London Charges de
mands a somewhat fuller notice. It used to be said, both
by friends and foes, and probably with truth, that it was
due to the words of Bishop Tait in charging his clergy
from the pulpit of St. Paul s that a change was peaceably
effected in the form and manner of clerical subscription to
the Church s formularies ; and the story, now almost for
gotten, ought therefore to be told.
It will be remembered ho\v keenly he had contended
in his earlier days for perfect honesty and straightforward
ness in the matter of subscription, of whatever kind.
First as a candidate for the Greek Professorship at Glas
gow, secondly as one of the four tutors who protested
against Tract XC., and thirdly as a member of the Oxford
University Commission, he had given proof of his strong
opinion upon this subject. The subscription difficulty
now reappeared in another form. An earnest appeal was
made for some relaxation of the law requiring from all
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