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CONDITION OF PARISH CHURCHES. 215
year,—certainly no unreasonable request,—whilst the
dwellers in another complain that "Mr. Vicar abydes
not emange us, as a curette awght to do."
In another
case the vicar is presented as having been absent from
his benefice a year and more. Complaints are
made of young people being permitted to carry on
their sports and games, such as hand-ball and football,
in the churchyards of certain places, and of
pedlars being allowed to bring out and sell their
wares in the church porch. The presentments are
multifarious, and give a remarkable insight into the
state of the church during the period they cover.
Carelessness, irreverence, and apathy, it is obvious, on
the part of the priesthood, prevailed to a very great
extenl, and graver accusations as regards morals,
on which we desire not to dwell more particularly,
are not unfrequently made.
The Church was undoubtedly losing ground, to a
great extent, in the affections of the more religiousminded
amongst the people, especially in that great
middle class which was day by day rising into greater
importance. A revival of spiritual life was urgently
needed, be)-ond all question.
In days gone by the want would have been met, or
attempted to be met, by the foundation of some new
religious order, which, by the strictness of its rule,
and the holy lives of its members, would seek to
impress upon men's hearts the lessons of a pure
morality and the paramount obligation of religion.
But the time had gone by for the foundation of new
monastic institutions. The liberality of pious churchmen
and devout laymen found another channel for