The Church of England Year Book. (S.P.C.R. 8s.)—The figures furnished
by this year's issue are not wholly satisfactory. The number of ordinations to the office of Deacon was -five hundred and eighty-seven, being thirty-seven below that of the previous year, and one hundred and silty below that of the first year given in the table, 1893. It can scarcely be doubted that the unrest produced by critical activities, and the growing difficulty presented by subscription to formularies, have much to do with this result. The table of Confirmations shows a slight decrease, but there is no reason to suppose that this is significant. The movement for the increase of the Episcopate proceeds, though it must be set back by the attitude of a very large section of the clergy towards their Bishops. What is the profit in multiplying rulers by whom the clergy are unwilling to be ruled? The voluntary contributions, though considerably above seven millions, are lower than they were in 1901-2 by nearly half-a-million (41,768,410 as against X6,217,816). Statistics are given for the Episcopal Church -of Scotland, Colonial Churches, and the 1' Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America." This, we see, is the title used in the "Official Statement."
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