Page:The conscience clause (Bickersteth, 1867).djvu/10

 inasmuch as such elasticity must greatly increase her efficiency, and strengthen her hold upon the affections of the people. We have, of course, a definite system of doctrine and discipline to maintain: but in maintaining it, we should not forget the fact that our Church has a mission which is co-extensive with the whole population. This is the theory of a National Church. And we cannot be said to have adequately fulfilled that mission, until our ministrations have been brought within the reach of all; leaving it, of course, to the individual conscience whether to receive or reject them.

We should remember also, that while large numbers of our population are still unhappily beyond the reach of any religious teaching, there is another large proportion of this population which has become alienated from the Church, and has attached itself to other religious bodies, because the Church has not adequately discharged her duty as the National Church of the country.

It is not, I trust, an unreasonable hope, that the great efforts which the Church is now making to fill up past deficiencies, and to overtake the rapid increase of population, will result not only in the gathering within her fold of large numbers of those who have hitherto been altogether uncared for, but also in the winning back of many of those who have left her communion.

In this great work which lies before our