One of these points is the subject of revelation. The way in which passages from the Psalms are introduced as if of a parallel character to the sacred books of Persia and to Greek and Roman poets tends, we think, to confusion of thought. It is true that Mr. Illingworth speaks of the 'still purer religious atmosphere' of Palestine and the clear monotheism and high morality of the later Hebrews' (p. 30), but we have failed to find any indication of a belief that the inspiration given by God to the writers of the Psalms was itself of a different character from any action in the minds of the writers of the Vedas or the Avesta or such poets as Eschylus and Virgil. It is a parallel instance that the ordinary immanence of God in human nature is described as 'inspiration' (p. 76); and we notice that in the reference to 'sunmyths, star-myths, storm-myths, myths of the mountains, and the rivers, and the trees' as lying at the root' 'of all early religion' (p. 22) and to the 'partaking in the tribal communion, the offering of sacrifice with its prescribed ritual, the due performance of epochal ceremonies, the observance of taboo' as 'the necessary means by which spiritual life first came to recognize itself (p. 129), no allowance is made for a primitive revelation to the first man or for the closeness of spiritual communion which there was between unfallen man and his Creator.

We observe a similar way of writing with regard to the Incarnation. We welcome indeed with great gratitude the description of the Incarnation as an 'intervention' (p. 94), and the argument used about the Virgin Birth of our Lord (pp. 95-7); but when the Incarnation is spoken of as 'the climax of God's immanence in the world' and as made easy to belief by the recognition of the 'progressive manifestation of God in matter' (p. 77), we doubt whether the essential differences between the Incarnation and the immanence or indwelling of God in men are sufficiently kept in view.

So also with regard to the sacraments, it is certainly of value that the parallel between the Christian use of art and the Christian use of the sacraments should be pointed out and that reference should be made to the customs of various times and places which possess analogy to what is sacramental. The writer seems to us to obscure real differences when he says that the sacraments

'have a history behind them as old as humanity, and a context around them as wide as the world; and point us back to sacramental customs of immemorial age. And if these earlier rites derived

reality and value from God's immanence in the world, and found Him at particular times and places because He is everywhere present and ready to be found, the Christian sacraments must possess this reality in its highest degree' (p. 150).

And while we recognize the immense difficulty of all questions connected with the Presence of God, we cannot but think the following passage altogether too subjective in its view of special manifestations and gifts of the Divine Pre

sence:

'If . . . a particular person realizes the divine presence, which we believe to be latent everywhere, with exceptional vividness in a particular place, does not this constitute an actual manifestation of God to that person in that place? For in what sense can it be said that God is not really present, when we apprehend His presence to such good purpose that the whole of our subsequent conduct is coloured by the fact?' (p. 131).

It is one thing to say the 'universal immanence' of God is 'the natural and necessary presupposition' of His ' particular presence' (p. 132) and another thing to identify the realization by a 'particular person' of the divine presence' 'with exceptional vividness in a particular place' with the 'actual manifestation of God' (p. 131).

To mention a different matter, we doubt whether a passage about the miracles of Christ (pp. 118-21), valuable as it is, leaves sufficient room for the miracles of the Old Testament and for those worked by Christians in fulfilment of the promise of our Lord.

We cannot, then, say that we are happy about every part of the book under review. Mr. Illingsworth's chief danger appears to us to be his tendency to be too hasty in establishing the harmonies of the universe and to forget that the recognition of the ultimate harmony will only be hindered by minimizing the real differences of method which are to be discerned in God's dealing with the world and mankind. Such a tendency is to be deprecated both because it obscures parts of the truth and because it is likely to produce temporary gain for the Christian religion at the cost of future loss.

There are thus a few pages in the book which we would gladly see rewritten. Yet it must not be supposed that the points which we have criticized are prominent. The space it has been necessary for us to give to them is due to the office of criticism to single out weaknesses rather than proportionate to the place which they fill in the work. We have laid some emphasis on them because they involve questions

of very great importance, and because, in our judgment, they form blots in a very valuable book. For Divine Immanence is likely to prove of great service to Christian truth. It combines, to a remarkable extent, profound thought and clear expression. It is throughout written in an interesting style. It is marked by a deep sense of the value of truth and the power of Christianity. Many features in it betoken spiritual force as well as intellectual gifts.

ART. V. WANTED, A LONGER CATECHISM. 1. The Church Catechism Explained. By the Rev. ARTHUR W. ROBINSON, M.A., Examining Chaplain to the Bishop of Wakefield. (Cambridge, 1896.)

2. The Way of Life: a Manual of Instructions on Holy Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Communion. By the Rev. WALKER GWYNNE. Parts I. and II. (New York, 1897.)

3. A Necessary Doctrine and Erudition for any Christian Man (1543). With Introduction by the Rev. T. A. LACEY. (London, 1895.)

4. The Catholic Religion: a Manual of Instruction for Members of the Anglican Church. By the Rev. VERNON STALEY. Third Edition. (Oxford, 1894.) · 5. The Missionary's Foundation of Doctrine. By EDWARD T. CHURTON, D.D., Bishop of Nassau. (London, 1890.) 6. Rudiments of Theology: a First Book for Students. By JOHN PILKINGTON NORRIS, B.D., Canon of Bristol. Second Edition. (London, 1878.)

7. Outlines of Church Teaching. By C. C. G. With Preface by the Rev. FRANCIS PAGET, D.D. Second Edition. (London, 1887.)

8. The Church Teacher's Manual of Christian Instruction. By the Rev. M. F. SADLER, Prebendary of Wells. Twenty-Eighth Thousand. (London, 1882.)

9. The Catechism of the Orthodox Eastern Church. By IGNATIUS MOSCHAKE. (London, 1894.)

10. Catechismus Concilii Tridentini, &c. (Paris, 1873.) II. The Faith of the Gospel: a Manual of Christian Doctrine. By ARTHUR JAMES MASON, B.D. (London, 1888.)

THE title of this paper has been suggested by the everincreasing number of handbooks treating of the Church Catechism and attempting to expand its contents so as to

meet the growing desire on the part of Churchmen to have a body of sound divinity to put into the hands of clergy and teachers for the instruction of children and others who seek a fuller knowledge of Christian doctrine. The time has come when the Church can be no longer satisfied with the very meagre fare which the 'short Catechism' contained in the Book of Common Prayer can supply. So far as it goes the instruction provided is sound and good, but it is intended for young children in view of their Confirmation, and a child of ten or twelve years old, possessed of ordinary intelligence, is capable of knowing by rote and understanding the whole Catechism; and it would appear that until 1604, when the last section, dealing with the two Sacraments, was added, the Catechism was intended to be learned and understood by quite young children,' whose Confirmation would not be delayed to an age to which a later generation of English Churchmen grew accustomed. It can scarcely be thought enough to require of those who are going to be confirmed such a small modicum of religious knowledge as is to be gained in a few questions on the Baptismal Covenant, the recital of the Apostles' Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord's Prayer, with their respective summaries, and a few questions and answers upon the two Sacraments ordained by Christ Himself. It is obvious that a great deal more is to be demanded of an intelligent boy or girl of the age of fourteen or sixteen, and yet that is all which the Church provides without such expansion and development of these portions of the Catechism by the aid of unauthorized manuals-often insufficient and defective, if not extravagant, in their doctrineas to make the pupil imagine that the teaching of the Church of England is a matter of private judgment, not of authority. I. The Difficulties experienced. The result is that the parochial clergy and other teachers of Christian doctrine are continually sensible of difficulties arising from this lack of an authorized compendium of the teaching of the Church. The parish priests of England are at a great disadvantage in comparison with their Roman Catholic brethren, because these have the Catechism of the Council of Trent for their guidance upon nearly every point which could arise in ordinary con

1 Mr. Gwynne remarks in a note prefixed to Part II., 'It is plain, moreover, from her use of the word "brought," as well as from the smallness of her demand concerning religious knowledge, that the Church has here in mind a very tender age. There is to be no delay, but 66 so soon," &c.' There are many good points in this manual, rendering it thoroughly useful to young clergymen who are beginning to prepare children for Confirmation.

tact with their people; for this Catechism was intended for the use of the clergy, not for the lay-people; whereas the English clergy have to search far and wide, and to quote this book and that, before they can say what their Church really teaches, and that causes many an inquirer to hesitate before joining the Anglican Communion. The Church Catechism serves as an admirable basis of definite Christian teaching, but the clergy need more of the same kind, and upon the same lines-that is to say, positive but not controversial teaching; full and complete, but not too minute and detailed; theological, but not overloaded with technical terms. In short, a book which would at once serve as a guide to the clergy and a text-book for the scholar would meet what is felt to be a great want at the present time. The want arises chiefly in these three directions, viz. (i) in classes for Confirmation, (ii) in Church schools of a higher grade, (iii) in dealing with those who would come over to the Church from Protestant Dissent or from Romanism. It may be well to say a word about each of these groups: (i) The parish priest often finds among his candidates for Confirmation some boy or girl who has been well grounded in the elements of Christian teaching, who knows and understands the Church Catechism, and who, if compelled to remain among those who are stammering through the text of the Catechism, or who cannot readily find the places in the Bible, experiences a sense of dullness and dissatisfaction in the Confirmation class, and while longing to learn is compelled (so to speak) to mark time and lose interest in what is being taught. Such a child needs separate treatment, something extra to learn, something that will exercise the memory and the reason, and make him or her an intelligent member of the Church. A short manual in advance of the Church Catechism would exactly meet such a case. As it is, the clergy are obliged to employ books which contain many things not according to the standard of the Book of Common Prayer, and quite unauthorized by the Bishops; and many of these books, as the clergy know by experience, teach objectionable doctrine and practices.

(ii) In Church schools of a higher grade it is found that when the Catechism has been learned and fairly well understood there is nothing further to be done. The study of the Prayer Book and of Church history is likely to interest the scholars, but there is a lack of that something which in a formulary to be learned by heart catches hold of the mind and acts upon the conscience. What we mean is