DOCSLIB.ORG

Chester Diocesan News #Everydayfaith Across the Diocese of Chester | August 2020 Diocese of Chester

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Chester Diocesan News #Everydayfaith Across the Diocese of Chester | August 2020 Diocese of Chester Chester Diocesan News #EverydayFaith across the Diocese of Chester | August 2020 Diocese of Chester Mark is now Bishop of Chester Pg 4 Archdeacon of Chester Pg 2 Back to Better Pg 6 A changing Church in a changed world In the Company of Jesus And Jesus said: The Archdeacon of Chester, the Venerable Mike Gilbertson looks at the “Come to me, all you importance of rest and letting-go of fear and anxiety. that are weary and ow’s it going to me, all you that are weary for you? What and are carrying heavy burdens, are carrying heavy a few months it and I will give you rest.’ The kind has been. None of rest Jesus means here is not “ of us will have like putting the towel down on seen it coming the beach – assuming we could burdens, and I will thisH time last year. Yet we have get there! It’s a different, deeper lived through four extraordinary quality of rest and refreshment months, and life will continue to which we all need. It’s about the give you rest.” be extraordinary for some time sense of peace, contentment yet. You might have been adjust- and fulfilment of living in the ing to working from home, or on love of Jesus. Out of that loving furlough. You might have been relationship, knowing the for- suddenly thrown into the chal- giveness and acceptance of God, lenge of home-schooling. You comes refreshment and assur- denly become more difficult again. might be a local church leader ance, and a letting-go of fear But Jesus still offers us the rest and who has rapidly up-skilled to be- and anxiety. refreshment that comes from being come adept at online ministry. It A story Christians often re- closer to him. I certainly feel called to might have been a time of real member when thinking about find out more of what that means for struggle and loss, perhaps look- rest is that lovely account in me just at the moment, and maybe ing ahead to an uncertain future. Luke 10 of when Jesus visited God is calling you to do the same. However it has been for you, the home of his friends, the sis- Drawing breath this summer could one thing I am hearing lots of ters Martha and Mary. Martha mean spending some time in prayer people say is that they are re- is very busy around the house and quietness in the company of the ally tired. All this adjustment and complains that Mary is just Jesus who offers us rest. And the and disorientation has taken its sitting listening to Jesus. Jesus rightness and reassurance of being toll. And somehow, from some- responds gently to Martha but in his company brings renewal and where, we need a rest. I’d really commends Mary for choosing refreshment. You might quite rightly encourage you to get a break to spend time quietly in his com- still be wanting a holiday as well! But this summer, whatever form pany. this summer, why not look as well for that takes. We might or might not get the company of Jesus and the rest he Yet there is another dimen- away for a holiday this summer. offers your soul? Archdeacon of Chester, Mike Gilbertson sion to rest. Jesus said, ‘Come As I write, foreign travel has sud- 2 3 During the pandemic, a number of clergy have turned to poetry to record their thoughts and reflections. Speaking in May as part of a short interview thinking about poetry and the pandemic, the Revd Alec Brown, Rural Dean of Great Budworth and poet, said poetry is able to capture and communicate a sense of what people are experiencing because of its immediacy and accessibility. Here he reflects on the current situation and the anticipation of better times to come in a sonnet titled, “Nearly there!” Nearly there! Slowly but surely, and carefully, we’re getting there, though I know that for some it’s taking too long while over the road at the Pub they’re worried the punters might break into song; It’s official, Mark is now and for us with no singing or choir it won’t be the same, but once through the door you’ll be glad you came, the Bishop of Chester after carefully cleansing your hands and following the directions and signs In May, Downing Street announced that Mark Tanner had been you’re back in the place where you’ve spent so much time, nominated as the person to be the next Bishop of Chester. On which for so many people means so very much Wednesday 15 July, he legally became the Bishop of Chester in a and where for almost a thousand years ceremony broadcast entirely online. prayer has been offered in good times and bad, in happiness and sorrow, in laughter and tears; The service was a mix of an- cese during the vacancy. and yes, it will be different cient legality adapted for the Bishop Keith said: “To know but God remains constant and will banish our fears. internet, and songs of praise. that Mark’s coming and to The Revd Isaac Lawrence, know that God has got all of © The Revd Alec Brown, Great Budworth Church, 12 July, 2020. a Pakistani-born British vicar the future in hand, as well as in the Diocese of Carlisle who the past, is a wonderful thing.” was curate when Mark was a Bishop Mark will move to The Diocese of Chester has parish priest, gave the Gospel the diocese over the summer launched its own podcast. Called reading and said of Bishop and take up his public duties in Chester Box. It is currently available Mark: “He’s my teacher and will September. on Spotify, Google podcasts, Radio always be my teacher because public, and will be made available on he taught me how to find my other platforms soon. way through church life. It’s a You can hear occasional reflections great delight to see him taking and interviews with a range of people this role as bishop.” from across the diocese. Bishop Mark and the Dean If you are a Spotify user, simply of Chester, Tim Stratford, also search Chester Box, and “follow” the gave thanks for Bishop Keith podcast. New episodes will appear Sinclair, who has led the dio- there as they’re published. Watch again 4 5 The ‘Back to Better’ webinars covered a range of topics, which you can watch again by following the links below. Wellbeing This webinar helps people consider the impact the current situation is having on us all as individuals in the diocese and to provide some suggestions to aid our mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing. Watch again Trauma This webinar is a discussion exploring the nature of the Covid-19 pandemic as trauma, the impact it may be having on us and on our communities, and strategies for healing and building resilience. Watch again s the country emerges July: “We hope you have all under- from a national lock- stood that the invitation to re-open down, and churches is, at least for now, permissive and Blended economy begin to open their not prescriptive. Take your time, do This webinar brings together pastors and doors for public wor- it carefully and properly, following all people with technical tools, for a discussion ship, there is a reali- the guidelines…” about mission and ministry and how we can sationA that what we are returning to If you need to refer to any of the make use of technology to fit our priorities is not the same as it was before the Church guidance, it can be found on and improve our connections with others. pandemic began. the diocesan website along with pas- Watch again Worship is different, work is differ- toral notes from senior clergy. ent, we are different. As part of its response and support Ministry online Over the past few months, we have for parishes, throughout July the Dio- This webinar works from the premise that all experienced the pandemic differ- cese of Chester, led by officers based the quality of our online material can be ently. For some it has been an enjoy- at Church House, offered a series of crucial to missional engagement. It includes able time; for others its been nothing webinars. They are available to watch recent and effective online missional material short of torrid. on the diocesan website and offer produced by parishes in our diocese. Since 04 July, church buildings have resources and ideas to help church Watch again been able to open for public worship leaders in our diocese to reflect and once again. But rather than simply respond to the new context in which throw open the doors and welcome we find ourselves. Everyday faith in a pandemic This webinar explores the ways in which everyone in, many parishes have re- people have responded in faith to the quired a period of adjustment to en- pandemic through their everyday lives and sure they are confident they can open how they have become the Body of Christ in to the public safely. the world at a time of trauma and change. As Bishop Keith and the Archdea- Watch again cons said in a letter to the diocese in 6 7 Events For more events visit our website: www.chester.anglican.org/events The need to make a change 06 August 2020 - Online This ‘Let’s talk about’ event is facilitated by Peter Mackriell, our Head of Counselling Services and is for those who want to explore options as lockdown eases.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • A Celebration of Ministry with the Enthronement of the Rt Revd Mark Tanner As the 41St Bishop of Chester
    A Celebration of Ministry with the Enthronement of The Rt Revd Mark Tanner as the 41st Bishop of Chester Saturday 26th June at 2.00pm 1 Welcome from Tim Stratford, Dean of Chester A very warm welcome to Chester Cathedral on this significant day in the life of the Church of God and Diocese of Chester. It seems to have taken a long time coming. There has been a long process of discernment and selection which led up to the announcement that Bishop Mark Tanner, then Bishop of Berwick, was to be the forty-first and next Bishop of Chester. This included consultations in communities across the diocese and meetings of the Crown Nominations Commission in which the diocese was represented. Following an announcement made by 10 Downing Street, the College of Canons of this Cathedral met and unanimously elected him. Bishop Mark was confirmed as the Bishop of Chester during online proceedings presided over by the Archbishop of York on Wednesday 15th July last year. At the time we were still in the midst of the first coronavirus lockdown. Archbishop Stephen’s own confirmation had only been completed the week before, and he was still unable to move to York from Chelmsford Diocese. During these proceedings Archbishop Stephen laid a charge on Bishop Mark which is included in these pages. Bishop Mark picked up the reins here in Chester following an innovative “Crozier Service” on 20th September that was created to mark the beginning of his ministry in these unusual times. He was unable formally to occupy the Bishop’s Seat, known as the Cathedra, in the Cathedral Quire until paying homage to Her Majesty the Queen.
    [Show full text]
  • Porvoo Prayer Diary 2021
    PORVOO PRAYER DIARY 2021 The Porvoo Declaration commits the churches which have signed it ‘to share a common life’ and ‘to pray for and with one another’. An important way of doing this is to pray through the year for the Porvoo churches and their Dioceses. The Prayer Diary is a list of Porvoo Communion Dioceses or churches covering each Sunday of the year, mindful of the many calls upon compilers of intercessions, and the environmental and production costs of printing a more elaborate list. Those using the calendar are invited to choose one day each week on which they will pray for the Porvoo churches. It is hoped that individuals and parishes, cathedrals and religious orders will make use of the Calendar in their own cycle of prayer week by week. In addition to the churches which have approved the Porvoo Declaration, we continue to pray for churches with observer status. Observers attend all the meetings held under the Agreement. The Calendar may be freely copied or emailed for wider circulation. The Prayer Diary is updated once a year. For corrections and updates, please contact Ecumenical Officer, Maria Bergstrand, Ms., Stockholm Diocese, Church of Sweden, E-mail: [email protected] JANUARY 3/1 Church of England: Diocese of London, Bishop Sarah Mullally, Bishop Graham Tomlin, Bishop Pete Broadbent, Bishop Rob Wickham, Bishop Jonathan Baker, Bishop Ric Thorpe, Bishop Joanne Grenfell. Church of Norway: Diocese of Nidaros/ New see and Trondheim, Presiding Bishop Olav Fykse Tveit, Bishop Herborg Oline Finnset 10/1 Evangelical Lutheran Church in Finland: Diocese of Oulu, Bishop Jukka Keskitalo Church of Norway: Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland (Bodø), Bishop Ann-Helen Fjeldstad Jusnes Church of England: Diocese of Coventry, Bishop Christopher Cocksworth, Bishop John Stroyan.
    [Show full text]
  • The Bishop of Chester the Rt Revd Mark Tanner Bishop’S House, Abbey Square Chester CH1 2JD
    The Bishop of Chester The Rt Revd Mark Tanner Bishop’s House, Abbey Square Chester CH1 2JD T: 01244 350864 E: [email protected] An open letter to Steve Long October 2020 Dear Steve I am deeply grateful to you for accepting my invitation to serve as independent lead advising on our response to the Pearl Review into the activities of Victor Whitsey, formerly Bishop of this Diocese. I am writing to you personally, both as Bishop and as one of the three co-commissioners of your work. I cannot begin to capture my revulsion, horror, and shame at what I read in the pages of this review. The behaviour endured by victims and survivors was evil and inhuman; realising that it was perpetrated by someone who claimed to have dedicated their life to the service of others and the Lordship of Christ corrodes the very fabric of the institution we have been called into. Along with my heartfelt prayers for survivors and all affected by this abuse, it seems that grief, humility, and deep re-learning are the only possible responses to this, for us, and for me personally. Alongside this, though, I find both a gut-level determination and a considered rational commitment that we will do all that we can, that I will do all I can, to make Chester Diocese safe for everyone, especially the most vulnerable. In saying this, we know that we cannot stop perpetrators with an episcopal edict, but there is much we can do, many parts of which we have made a start on.
    [Show full text]
  • Bishop J C Ryle
    Bishop J C Ryle Eric Russell Liverpool became a diocese in 1880. For over 300 years south-west Lancashire had been part of the diocese of Chester, but with the rapid growth in population due to the industrial revolution, the building of the railways and the development of the vast docks system on the banks of the Mersey, voices were raised advocating a further division of the ancient diocese of Chester and the creation of a new diocese centred on Liverpool. Earlier in the century the diocese of Ripon had been reconstituted and Chester lost its Yorkshire territory. Another sub-division was made in 1847 when the diocese of Manchester was created to meet the religious needs of south Lancashire. Chester was again reduced in size when the counties of Cumberland and Westmoreland were transferred in 1856 to Carlisle. The diocese of Chester over the years had been considerably reduced in area, but due to the movement of workers to south-west Lancashire to meet the demands of industry, the population was constantly increasing and making it more and more difficult for the Church to fulfil her ministry. Victorian Liverpool Liverpool in the closing decades of the nineteenth century was fast becoming the hub of trade and commerce in the north-west of England. Manufacturers in the great industrial centres of Lancashire and Yorkshire exported their goods through the port. Iron and steel, machinery, textiles, manufactured goods and pottery were among the numerous items exported, and grain, raw cotton, sugar-cane, tobacco, timber and meat were some of the imported goods unloaded at the docks.
    [Show full text]
  • Statement of Needs
    Diocese of Chester Statement of Needs Our diocese today 3 Who we are seeking 6 Our region 8 Cultural and social landscape 14 Ministry and mission 17 Finance and resources 30 Who’s who 31 Prayer 33 Contents 2 STATEMENT OF NEEDS 3 The Diocese of Chester The next Bishop of Chester will be joining a diocese in good heart, in a place where would like to express its Our there is much for which to treasure and thanks to Bishop Peter be thankful. diocese Forster who led and served The Diocese of Chester contains a rich this diocese for over 22 years. diversity of places, cultures and church traditions. Whilst there is an evangelical today centre of gravity to the diocese, there is a wide variety of traditions and a strong sense of family identity. Whoever is appointed must come with their eyes open and be able and willing to honour and embrace our distinctiveness and differences in tradition, theological conviction and opinion, for it is here that our greatest strength lies. STATEMENT OF NEEDS 4 The Diocese of Chester has retained a parish- Latest church statistics show an overall The next Bishop of Chester will focused approach, one that is well supported acceleration in previous trends towards and welcomed by clergy and laity alike. The decline and we are not neglectful or wilfully be joining the diocese at a time parish system is still believed in, and relatively blind to the reality we face. We seek a of great opportunity as we seek strong and healthy across the diocese.
    [Show full text]
  • Bishop J C Ryle Churchman 113/3 1999
    Bishop J C Ryle Churchman 113/3 1999 Eric Russell Liverpool became a diocese in 1880. For over 300 years south-west Lancashire had been part of the diocese of Chester, but with the rapid growth in population due to the industrial revolution, the building of the railways and the development of the vast docks system on the banks of the Mersey, voices were raised advocating a further division of the ancient diocese of Chester and the creation of a new diocese centred on Liverpool. Earlier in the century the diocese of Ripon had been reconstituted and Chester lost its Yorkshire territory. Another sub- division was made in 1847 when the diocese of Manchester was created to meet the religious needs of south Lancashire. Chester was again reduced in size when the counties of Cumberland and Westmoreland were transferred in 1856 to Carlisle. The diocese of Chester over the years had been considerably reduced in area, but due to the movement of workers to south-west Lancashire to meet the demands of industry, the population was constantly increasing and making it more and more difficult for the Church to fulfil her ministry. Victorian Liverpool Liverpool in the closing decades of the nineteenth century was fast becoming the hub of trade and commerce in the north-west of England. Manufacturers in the great industrial centres of Lancashire and Yorkshire exported their goods through the port. Iron and steel, machinery, textiles, manufactured goods and pottery were among the numerous items exported, and grain, raw cotton, sugar-cane, tobacco, timber and meat were some of the imported goods unloaded at the docks.
    [Show full text]
  • The Anglican Church
    The Anglican Church Investigation Report October 2020 2020 The Anglican Church Safeguarding in the Church of England and the Church in Wales Investigation Report October 2020 A report of the Inquiry Panel Professor Alexis Jay OBE Professor Sir Malcolm Evans KCMG OBE Ivor Frank Drusilla Sharpling CBE © Crown copyright 2020 The text of this document (this excludes, where present, the Royal Arms and all departmental or agency logos) may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium provided that it is reproduced accurately and not in a misleading context. The material must be acknowledged as Crown copyright and the document title specified. Where third‑party material has been identified, permission from the respective copyright holder must be sought. Any enquiries related to this publication should be sent to us at [email protected] or Freepost IICSA INDEPENDENT INQUIRY. This publication is available at https://www.iicsa.org.uk/publications CCS0620778888 10/20 Printed on paper containing 75% recycled‑fibre content minimum. Printed in the UK by the APS Group on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. Contents Executive Summary v Pen portraits ix Part A: Introduction 1 A.1: Background to the investigation 2 A.2: The Church of England 2 A.3: The Church in Wales 6 A.4: Methodology 7 A.5: Terminology 10 A.6: References 11 Part B: The Church of England 13 B.1: Safeguarding in the Church of England 14 B.1.1: Introduction 14 B.1.2: Safeguarding structures 15 B.1.3: Safeguarding policies 25 B.1.4: Safeguarding in recruitment
    [Show full text]
  • 408 the Ltf Onth. the MONTH. the Court at Lambeth(" Read V. The
    408 The ltfonth. THE MONTH. HE Court at Lambeth(" Read v. the Bishop of Lincoln") re-assembled on the 12th. After prayer and the formal open­ Ting of the Court, his Grace said : •.• After due consideration of the various circumstances of the case as presented to me, I issued to my Lord and Right Rev. Brother the Bishop of Lincoln a formal cita­ tion, drawn according to precedent. And I summoned to my assistance, in the manner which historians have described as the custom of the Church of England, and of which examples, both ancient and since our Reformation, are recorded, certain of my episcopal brethren as assessors, to give me the great advantage of their counsel and advice when we come to hear the case upon its merits. I understand from the extended protest which you have put in on the part of the Bishop it is desired to show me that this coursewhich I have taken in preparing to hear this very unusual case is, in some way of which I am at present unaware, irregular. r am ready, then, before we enter into the merits of the case to hear the grounds on which this allegation is made. This, I think, is a plain stat~ment of the case so far, and of the position in which it now stands, I am prepared to hear two counsel on each side. The proceedings in the Lower House of the Convocation of Can­ terbury and the House of Laymen were of peculiar interest. In the Northern Convocation, goodwill between the two Houses prevailed throughout.
    [Show full text]
  • Friends Acquisitions 1964-2018
    Acquired with the Aid of the Friends Manuscripts 1964: Letter from John Dury (1596-1660) to the Evangelical Assembly at Frankfurt-am- Main, 6 August 1633. The letter proposes a general assembly of the evangelical churches. 1966: Two letters from Thomas Arundel, Archbishop of Canterbury, to Nicholas of Lucca, 1413. Letter from Robert Hallum, Bishop of Salisbury concerning Nicholas of Lucca, n.d. 1966: Narrative by Leonardo Frescobaldi of a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1384. 1966: Survey of church goods in 33 parishes in the hundreds of Blofield and Walsham, Norfolk, 1549. 1966: Report of a debate in the House of Commons, 27 February 1593. From the Fairhurst Papers. 1967: Petition to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners by Miles Coverdale and others, 1565. From the Fairhurst Papers. 1967: Correspondence and papers of Christopher Wordsworth (1807-1885), Bishop of Lincoln. 1968: Letter from John Whitgift, Archbishop of Canterbury, to John Boys, 1599. 1968: Correspondence and papers of William Howley (1766-1848), Archbishop of Canterbury. 1969: Papers concerning the divorce of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. 1970: Papers of Richard Bertie, Marian exile in Wesel, 1555-56. 1970: Notebook of the Nonjuror John Leake, 1700-35. Including testimony concerning the birth of the Old Pretender. 1971: Papers of Laurence Chaderton (1536?-1640), puritan divine. 1971: Heinrich Bullinger, History of the Reformation. Sixteenth century copy. 1971: Letter from John Davenant, Bishop of Salisbury, to a minister of his diocese [1640]. 1971: Letter from John Dury to Mr. Ball, Preacher of the Gospel, 1639. 1972: ‘The examination of Valentine Symmes and Arthur Tamlin, stationers, … the Xth of December 1589’.
    [Show full text]
  • The Residences and Revenues of the Bishops of Chester in the Restoration Era, 1660—16891
    The residences and revenues of the bishops of Chester in the Restoration era, 1660—16891 M. C. Freeman By summer 1661, more than twelve months since the return of the king, the government of Charles II felt sufficiently secure to allow the bishops of the restored Church of England to go down to their dioceses. Bryan Walton, who had been nominated to the vacant see of Chester on 5 October 1660 and consecrated on 2 December, was fully aware of some of the practical problems he would face and set these out in three petitions to the king in July and August 1661 before setting off for the North West.2 The first requested the removal of prisoners being held in the bishop’s palace to the castle so that repairs to the palace could begin; the second asked for the vicarage of Croston to be given to the bishop and his successors on the demise of its elderly incumbent, James Hyatt To justify this request, he gave further details about his needs as bishop. Officially, the income was reckoned by the Exchequer to be £420 Is 8d, though Walton admitted that there had been ‘some Improvement’ on this. Nevertheless, unavoidable annual expenditure was around £430, so it had always been the custom to allow the bishop to hold some other living in commendam. His own position was made worse by the ruinous 1 This paper derives from part of my recent doctoral thesis on ‘The Restoration episcopate: The example of the bishops of Chester’. I should acknowledge the support and advice of my supervisors, Dr J.
    [Show full text]
  • Jane Addams Kichard Clements 41';' ,}
    This F LY REC . Vol. 66 No. 3 MARCH 1961 Sixpence Editorial Notes by Custos Is there a Scientific Ethi0 Dr. W. E. Swhiton Jane Addams kichard Clements 41';' ,} Ethics of Endowment—I F. H. A. Micklewright Book Reviews Corregpondence South Place News Society's Other Activities Published by SOUTH PLACE ETHCAL SOCRETY Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, London WCi Chancery 8032 SOUTH PLACE ETHICAL SOCIETY SUNDAY MORNING MEETINGS AT ELEVEN O'CLOCK March 5—E. ROYSTON PEKE, J.P. The Mind of Eden Phillpott - Flute Solos by OLIVIA LEWIS Hymn: No. 136 March 11—RICHARD CLEMENTS, 32., 0.B.E. The Bible: Why a New Translation? Bass Solos by G. C. DOWMAN Though I Speak with the Tongues of Men Brahms Onc Thing Befalleth. Brahms Hymn: No. 226 March 19—Dr. W. E. SWINTON, F.R.G.S. (Palaeontologist) Livingstone's Africa Piano Solos by JOYCE LANGLEY Hymn : No. 45 March 26-0. IL MaeGREGOR, B.Sc. Sexual Morality Soprano Solos byVALERIE KITCHEN Hymn: No. 120 SOUTH PLACE SUNDAY CONCERTS,10th Sehimn Concerts 6.30 p.m. (Doom open 6 p.m.) Admission 26. March 5—MACGIBBON STRING QUARTET. JEAN STEWART Haydn in D minor, Op. 9, No. 4; Schoenberg No. 4, Op. 37; String Quartets. Dvorak in E flat, Op. 97; String Quintet. •.. •- March 124.0NDoN STRING QUARTET Haydn in C, Op. 20, No. 2; Shostakovitch No. 5; Beethoven in F minor, Op. 95. March 19--WANG STRING QUARTET Haydn in F, Op. 77, No. 2; Brahms in B flat, Op. 67; Beethoven in F, Op 135. ' March 26—AM1CI STRING QUARTET Haydn in E.
    [Show full text]
  • "Bred up in the Study of That Faculty": Licensed Physicians in North-West England, 1660-1760
    Medical Histon, 1994, 38: 398-420. "BRED UP IN THE STUDY OF THAT FACULTY": LICENSED PHYSICIANS IN NORTH-WEST ENGLAND, 1660-1760 by DAVID HARLEY * The structure of medical practice in early modern England has been the subject of considerable historiographical attention in recent years. There has been discussion of the declining authority of learned physicians, the increasing supply and diverse character of practitioners, and the role of medicine as a market commodity in the nascent consumer society. ' The shift of focus away from corporate institutions and a handful of "great men" towards ordinary patients and practitioners is clearly leading to a far more sophisticated understanding of the history of medicine, but the ubiquitous metaphor of the "medical marketplace" also has its potential pitfalls. Among them are the implicit tendencies to treat practitioners as if they were social equals, supplying an undifferentiated commodity, and to ignore restrictions on the freedom of trade. The collapse of the medical hierarchy and the growth of a free market need to be balanced against social stratification and the factors that shaped both demand and supply. Without such an account, many of the tensions and conflicts in early modern medicine must remain incomprehensible. Any effective system of medical licensing limits competition between practitioners by restricting entry into the market and punishing interlopers. It divides practitioners both by inclusion within a hierarchy and by exclusion, on such grounds as sex, education, and religion.2 In assessing the medical services available in the past, it is necessary to discover * David N. Harley, 17 Arlington Drive, Old Marston, Oxford OX3 OSH.
    [Show full text]