for ever; and the English
Church has in her commissioned service a band of men whose devotion and
self-sacrifice would be a glory to any Church in Christendom.

An active politician, as I was thirty years ago, has not much leisure;
but all through my parliamentary work I sought to bear in mind that Life
is Service. I helped to found the White Cross League, and worked hard
for the cause which it represents. I bore a hand in Missions and
Bible-classes. I was a member of a Diocesan Conference. I had ten years
of happy visiting in Hospitals, receiving infinitely more than I could
ever give. And I should think that no man of my age has spoken on so
many platforms, or at so many Drawing Room meetings. But all this was
desultory business, and I always desired a more definite obligation.

On St. Luke's Day, 1895, my loved and honoured friend, Edward Talbot,
formerly Warden of Keble, was consecrated 100th Bishop of Rochester; and
the diocese at that time included all South London. As soon as he
established himself there, the new Bishop, so I have already stated,
asked me to come across the Thames, and do some definite work in South
London. At first, that work consisted of service on a Public Morals
Committee, and of lecturing on ecclesiastical topics; but gradually the
field contracted in one direction and expanded in another.

It was in 1891 that Dr. Temple, then Bishop of London, and afterwards
Archbishop of Canterbury, being anxious to lighten the burden of
preaching which lies so heavily on hardworked clergy, determined to
license lay-readers to speak in consecrated buildings. It was a bold
step, and of doubtful legality; but the Bishop characteristically
declared that he would chance the illegality, feeling sure that, when
the Vicar and Churchwardens invited a lay-reader to speak, no one would
be churlish enough to raise legal objections. The result proved that the
Bishop was perfectly right, and the Diocese of London has now a band of
licensed lay-preachers who render the clergy a great deal of valuable
aid. I was from the first a good deal attracted by the prospect of
joining this band, but Parliament and Office left me no available
leisure. When Dr. Talbot became Bishop of Rochester, he at once took in
hand the work of reorganizing the body of Lay-Readers in his Diocese;
and before long had determined to follow the example set by Bishop
Temple, and to license some of his readers to speak at extra services in
consecrat