George Henry Sumner

“ It is desirable, wherever practicable, to be careful that the persons chosen “live” in the parish. It sometimes happens, however, that it is difficult to find suitable persons inside, and the parish wish to appoint an outsider. This should never be done if objection is raised even by a single parishioner, because the appointment is technically faulty, and could be set aside on mandamus on the application of even one individual. ”

“ The premium for insurance is now fixed at such a low rate that the expense is really very small, and the Churchwardens should do all in their power to persuade the Vestry, if persuasion is necessary, to sanction the insurance of the Church for a proper sum. I have sometimes found, after making enquiries on the subject and having ascertained either that the Church was not insured, or, if insured, only for a very small sum, that the churchwardens always supposed it was “all right.” Very seldom have any held back from doing their duty when it has been quietly pointed out to them. ”

“ The Churchwarden or Questmen of every parish, and two or three or more discreet persons in every parish, to be chosen for Sidemen or Assistants by the Minister and parishioners, if they can agree (otherwise to be appointed by the Ordinary of the diocese) , shall diligently see that all the parishioners duly resort to their Church upon all Sundays and Holy-days, and there continue the whole time of Divine Service; and none to walk or to stand idle or talking in the Church, or in the Churchyard, or in the Church-porch, during that time. ”

“ If one thing is more absolutely necessary than another for the harmonious working of Clergy and Laity in a parish, or the welfare of the whole, it is that there should be no suspicions the one of the other. Perfect confidence and a generous trust should be the rule of all dealings between Incumbents and Churchwardens. ”

“ The inhabitants therefore of a district parish have no more right to have their banns asked or their marriage solemnised in the mother Church than they have in any other Church in England, so long as they reside in that district. ”

“ The members of the Church in a particular parish and diocese are members of the Holy Catholic Church, which by its very nomenclature abrogates individual isolation. It follows, therefore, that parochial interests must not absorb attention to the exclusion of larger and less personal objects. The Body is one, and the members of the Body should work together p. 57for the good of the whole. Corporate as well as individual life is a reality, and this fact must not be lost sight of in connection with our offertories. ”

“ Others enjoin them to take care that no stranger be admitted to preach in Church without showing his licence; to provide a sure coffer for the safe keeping of the registers, and to see that the proper entries are therein made; to provide for the Church service books, font, Communion table, and pulpit, and a chest for alms; and further, to see that the Church is kept in sufficient reparation, that neither the Church or Churchyard be in any way profaned; that the bells be not rung at any time without good cause to be allowed by the minister of the place and by themselves ”

“ It cannot but be expected that an Incumbent on first coming into a parish should find some things which he would prefer otherwise. The special hobbies, so to speak, of his predecessor may not be his. His energies may not be put forth on exactly the same lines as those of the Incumbent whom he succeeds. ”

“ The advisers of the Church Building Society on the whole recommend that a conveyance should be made to individual Trustees, “which will be good according to the ordinary law of mortmain as a charitable conveyance, the only real objection to this being that if the conveyance be a gift, without price paid, it will fail if the grantor dies within twelve months.” A form of such conveyance has been settled for the parish of Staines. ”

“ If, however, the parish p. 6vestry are unanimous, and the appointment is desirable in other respects, no harm will ensue from the fact that the chosen churchwarden is technically ineligible. Unless and until his position is challenged, as by a mandamus, he will have the same powers and rights as any other Churchwarden. For the election of a disqualified person as Churchwarden is not absolutely ineffective, but the person so elected, when once admitted, can do all lawful acts belonging to the office until he has been displaced. ”

“ Any endowment of a charity other than a building held in part only for some of the purposes aforesaid, will be dealt with by the Charity Commissioners on the application of any person interested.
The expression, Ecclesiastical Charity, includes any building which in the opinion of the Charity Commissioners has been erected or provided within forty years before the passing of this Act, mainly by or at the cost of members of any particular church or denomination.
The expression, affairs of the church, includes the distribution of offertories or other collections made in any church (sec. 75) . ”

“ This being done, and space being still required for the accommodation of the parishioners in their attendance upon Divine Service, I would propose to consider the mode of enlarging the Church, or if that could not be effected, of building another Church or Chapel. It must never be forgotten that another Church or Chapel would require the attendance of another Clergyman, who must live and must be remunerated. He can be remunerated only by the sale or hire of the pews and places in the new place of Divine worship ”

“ True charity thinketh no evil. It is far better to be over sanguine in our charitable estimate of other men’s motives, even if we do sometimes ultimately find that our estimate was wrong, than to be constantly living in an atmosphere of suspicion. ”

“ Churchwardens must work with the Clergy and the Clergy with the Churchwardens if they are to be a blessing in the parish in which they are elected to serve. They have not been brought by chance into connection with the Incumbent of their parish, for chance is not a word to be found in the Christian’s dictionary. ”

“ Sometimes it meant where a man could be found during the day; sometimes it meant where he slept or lived; and for some purposes perhaps this gentleman might be deemed a resident, but for this purpose it was necessary that he should live in the parish, be acquainted with the parishioners, and thus be able to exercise the duties of his office, which were to be personally exercised. The rule for a mandamus to the vicar, therefore, must be made absolute. ”

“ Incumbents are thankful when the Churchwardens help them with their advice as to what objects shall be brought before the congregation. In the case of all collections, for whatsoever purpose they be made, it is most desirable for the avoiding of any possible difficulty that a written statement should be put upon the Church door on the Sunday after, stating the amount of the collections made on the previous Sunday. If the collection be made for any charitable or missionary society the official receipt for the money collected and sent should also be affixed to the church door. ”

“ And then sometimes the staunch friends of the former ministry may look coldly and askant upon the new Rector’s labours and think that his very efforts in fresh and p. 25hitherto untried fields are reflections upon the past. It should not be so. All men are not cast in the same mould. One branch of ministerial work may be more congenial to one parish priest than another, and it is only natural that he should be more devoted to that particular portion of work in which he seems to be most successful. ”

“ A man should not be made an offender for a word. A Churchwarden should be prepared in all good faith to transfer his allegiance, if called upon so to do, from one Incumbent to another. It is no disloyalty to do so. ”

“ The creation therefore of a district for ecclesiastical purposes does not deprive the inhabitants of the new district of the right which they had before of voting for Churchwardens in the old p. 42civil parish of which they continue to be ratepayers. The ratepayers of the whole of the old parish have consequently a right to vote in vestry at the election of the Churchwardens in the old parish. ”

“ The Churchwardens have the custody of the bells, and the bell ropes are in most cases Church property placed under their charge, but the law with reference to the ringing of the bells is undoubted; that for any occasion except that of Divine Service the permission of the Incumbent is absolutely necessary for the ringing of the bells. Without that permission they cannot be rung. [54]
There is one further point on which a question sometimes arises in connection with offertories and collections in church. ”

“ If lethargic or antagonistic he may greatly hinder the Church’s work; but if in a friendly spirit and with words of wisdom he is always p. 23ready to meet the Rector and consult as to the advisability of this or that particular course of action, the office becomes neither a surplusage nor a sinecure. There is nothing worse in a parish than either clerical or lay clan-ship. Isolation is good neither for the one nor the other. ”

“ From and after the passing of this Act no select Vestry shall be formed under the provisions of the Church Building Act, and every such select Vestry already formed under such provisions shall be and is hereby declared to be abolished, and all the powers and provisions therein enacted relative to such select Vestries shall henceforth cease and determine, provided that all matters and things done by any such select Vestry in pursuance of any powers given them by such Acts, or any of them, shall be and remain as valid as if such select Vestry had not been abolished. ”

“ It does, indeed, seem p. 49sad that parochial difficulties should so often arise in respect of Church sittings. There is no part of the parochial machinery which more requires the free application of the oil of common sense—Christian charity and a true spirit of forbearing courtesy in order to avoid friction. Blessed are the peacemakers.
Difficulties not unfrequently arise in connection with the conveyance of buildings or of land to be used not only for public worship, but also for meetings, classes, etc. ”

“ We are none of us infallible in our judgment, and many matters after consultation with others assume a very different aspect to that which at first sight they seemed to present. If difficulties arise he must not threaten. It does more harm than good. ”

“ Offertories and subscriptions can be made to supplement one another, and if what is necessary in the way of repair is really honestly done year by year, it will be much easier to raise the funds wanted than if by neglect and postponement a large outlay is suddenly found to be absolutely necessary in order to avoid some dreadful catastrophe. ”

“ No faculty can be legally granted entitling a non-parishioner to a seat in the body of the Church. [46b] Any faculty so worded as to allow this is void as far as that particular point is concerned.
4. No faculty gives power either to the owners and occupiers of the house in respect of which the faculty has been issued to let such seats apart from the houses, or to appropriate them to other persons.
No Churchwarden should ever allow a parishioner to repair the pew which he may p. ”

“ Some persons I know are so constituted that they suspect the existence of a snake under every blade of grass. It is not a happy disposition either for the person who is possessed with this idiosyncrasy, or in its reflex action upon others. ”

“ The form of conveyance is given in the Act; the powers given in the School Sites’ Act “to persons being seised in fee simple, fee tail, or for life of and in any manor or lands of freehold, copyhold or customary tenure, and having the beneficial interest therein, to grant, convey, or enfranchise by way of gift, sale or exchange in fee simple, or for term of years, any quantity not exceeding one acre of such land as a site for a school” are “deemed to apply p. ”

“ Sec. 2.—For the more orderly conduct of Vestries be it further enacted that in case the Rector, or Vicar, or perpetual Curate, shall not be present the persons so assembled in pursuance of such notice shall forthwith nominate and appoint, by plurality of votes to be ascertained as hereinafter is directed, one of the inhabitants of such parish to be the Chairman of and preside in every such Vestry ”

“ Churchwardens ought to be elected in new parishes twenty-one days after the consecration of the Church thereof.
Females, although there has been no legal decision authorising their appointment, are occasionally, if otherwise eligible, appointed to serve the office, but it is not likely that the Courts, if called upon, would be so p. 5ungallant as to compel a female householder, if elected, to serve against her will. ”

“ And there is often a temptation not always successfully resisted—when the Churchyard is large—that the crop of grass during the summer months should be allowed to grow without interference by scythe or machine, until fit to be cut for hay. ”

“ It is a Manual which ought to be in the possession of every holder of the important office of Churchwarden, and which other Churchmen also would do well to familiarise themselves with, as a better understanding of the subject would be greatly to the advantage of many parishes ”