Chapter 7 Summary

Mr. Slope's sermon has divided the community of Barchester. The church leadership is offended by Mr. Slope's comments and decides to ban him from ever preaching again at the cathedral. They feel that the ban will express their opinion to the Bishop. The Archdeacon, in considering how to keep Slope from preaching, reviews the common practices of the established clergy and finds problems. In particular, he is disturbed by the number of area churches in which the appointed preacher has neglected his duties for months, or sometimes years, at a time.

Despite the Archdeacon's belief that all of Barchester is angered by Mr. Slope's sermon, many of the lower clergy and common people of Barchester are quite interested in the ideas expressed in it. Many are bored with the established church routines and eager for something new and different. The pro-Slope elements in...