Catechism reached an eleventh edition in 1869, and covered a range of subjects which any parish priest might well adopt. Parts I. and II. deal with the Church Catechism, with an Appendix of twenty more advanced lessons on subjects springing out of it. Part III. treats of Prophecy; Part IV. of Confirmation; Part V. of the Church; Part. VI. of the Liturgy. It is a It is a Catechism by questions and answers ; perhaps a little heavy and too elaborate for these days, but still suggestive to the teacher, even if burdensome to the scholar.

(b) It is scarcely necessary to do more than enumerate certain books which are to be found in many clerical libraries: e.g. Norris's Rudiments of Theology (an admirable handbook for beginners), which deals first with Fundamental Doctrines, such as the Existence of God, the Incarnation, the Atonement, the Comforter, the Church, the Sacraments; and afterwards with the scheme of Salvation. The notes also and indexes are valuable.1 Sadler's Church Doctrine Bible Truth is well known (we hope) to every parish priest, and nothing could be more powerful in making those who would come over to the Church from Protestant Dissent acquainted with the principles of the Church's system. Unfortunately, it is not attractive in style, and it is not easy to find one's way about in it for lack of clear divisions and a good index. Mason's Faith of the Gospel is excellent in its arrangement, being broken up into short sections. It is rather too wide in its scope for our purpose, and too deeply theological in some parts, while its doctrinal standpoint leaves much to be desired, especially because of its advocacy of the Scotist view of the Incarnation. The table of contents is full and clear, but an index would be a great gain. Again, Vernon Stanley's The Catholic Religion is in form the kind of book that Churchmen require. Its arrangement is admirable, but its contents would not meet with approval by Churchmen generally. Its theology leaves much to be desired; it is of a very different standard from that of the Church Catechism, and the student experiences a painful sense of exaggeration in many of its statements. It has a good index, and there are portions of the book which in the hands of a careful reviser might become such a manual as is needed. There are, besides these, two

1 The same author's Manual of Religious Instruction for Pupil Teachers (Prayer Book) may be commended for elder scholars. And J. H. Blunt's Household Theology (Rivingtons, 1865) is quite a multum in barvo, but not always trustworthy.

VOL. XLVI.-NO. XCII.

A A

other books of which we should like to speak appreciatively: one is Outlines of Church Teaching, and the other is The Missionary's Foundation of Doctrine. The former is quite the most suggestive work we know for a scheme of catechetical teaching, and would provide the catechist with Courses of Instruction for a number of years. The latter is a handbook of Theology which would thoroughly repay the study by the parish priest at home as well as by the Colonial clergy, for whom it was written. (1) The Incarnation, (2) The Church Catholic, (3) The Sacraments, and (4) Things after Death, are the main divisions. The whole tone of it is reverent and persuasive; the theology is thoroughly sound; its only drawbacks are the lack of a clear arrangement by numbered sections and an index of subjects. Probably the combination of the principal features of these two books, with an enlargement of certain points and a curtailment of others, would produce a satisfactory handbook for the use of the clergy and students.

The Catechism of the Orthodox Eastern Church, which is authorized by both the ecclesiastical and civil authorities in the kingdom of Greece, is the last book which must be mentioned as suggesting the kind of manual which English Churchmen require. It is brief and simple, and contains just enough to enable a child to give an intelligent account of his faith. Part I. is dogmatical (the doctrine of God in Three Persons, the Church and the Sacraments, the Life that is to come). Part II. is moral (the Decalogue). It is arranged in short sections, and the teaching is positive, not controversial.

In conclusion, from what has been written it will be gathered that the Longer Catechism' should consist of two parts: viz. first, Questions and Answers, in advance of the Church Catechism, for the use of elder scholars and Confirmation classes; secondly, a manual of Catechetical Instruction, dealing briefly with the several points touched upon in the first part. Perhaps Sadler's Church Teacher's Manual may be regarded as a model for this shorter and longer arrangement; and Mason's Faith of the Gospel for short illustrative sections; but both books are far too long and too minute for the purpose which we advocate.

Next, the following subjects would find a place in the contents of such a manual: viz. 1. Doctrine of God (Holy Trinity, Incarnation, Atonement, Justification, Sanctification). 2. Faith (Creeds, Bible). 3. Repentance (Sin, Forgiveness, &c.). 4. Grace (Sacraments). 5. The Church

(Constitution, laws, privileges, marks, discipline). 6. The Ministry. 7. Worship. 8. Social Duties.

Lastly, there comes the question, Who shall draw it up? Here we have the precedent of our Church Catechism to go by. It was the work of one man-perhaps, originally, of Goodrich, Bishop of Ely, and afterwards of Dean Overall. In our days there are many trustworthy divines who are quite capable of producing such a draft Longer Catechism' as might be accepted by the Convocations, and authorized with only a few minor alterations. We should avoid, if possible, a prolonged discussion, such as took place over the Twelve Questions and Answers on the Church in 1886-87. The choice of a compiler might well be left to the Upper House of Convocation, and a small committee might prepare the draft Catechism for acceptance in its entirety by the whole clergy.

ART. VI. CHRISTIAN INSTITUTIONS.

International Theological Library.-Christian Institutions. By ALEXANDER V. G. ALLEN, D.D., Professor of Ecclesiastical History in the Episcopal Theological School at Cambridge, U.S.A. (Edinburgh, 1898.)

THE 'International Theological Library' is an important series to which we wish a useful career. It promises to focus for us the light of scholarship from many lands and Churches. It attempts that hospitable free-trade and storage of the productions of various lands which comes, one may say, by the laws of nature in science and literature, but in theology meets many difficulties if it has many advantages. For if writers may treat impartially of matters which have brought no controversy in their own sphere, it is also possible that in treating of far-away subjects they may fail in realizing the importance of knowing things as they actually were. They may content themselves with those generalities which perhaps may fill the uncritical appetite of those who just want to think they know all about matters, but which do not give the true account of things. International theology will be but a poor possession if it contents itself with propagating the views which satisfy the multitude in places and times far away from the facts.

Professor Allen has, no doubt, enriched the series with a work of great ability, which we have read with benefit. It

is full of originality, all directed towards the promotion of charity and largeness of view; and it is written in so excellent a style that many passages might be quoted for their beauty. But it will be a delusive guide to those entering upon the subject.

Professor Allen is, we must presume, an Episcopalian. This is well; for a writer upon Christian Institutions ought to be persuaded that the Institutions of which he is about to treat are Christian; and that would indeed be a meagre list of Institutions which should omit the Episcopate and its accompaniments. But the author extends almost the same kindly recognition to other forms of Church government. He has a liberal desire to make everybody comfortable all round. We must not complain: the width of his sympathy is no discredit to his spirit. But it requires many historical omissions and assumptions. And for our own part we confess that, being old-fashioned, we cannot help ascribing some amount of error-not, we hope, uncharitably exaggerated-to those who forsake the Institutions which deserve the title of Christian.

We must own that the preliminary statement with which the Professor opens the great subject of the organization of the Church startled us by the anticipation of even greater disagreement with him than we actually found in the sequel. He there (pp. 1–3) lays down that there are two epochs in the history of the Church which have 'stamped themselves upon its external features.' One is the period in the second century 'when the process began of translating Christianity into terms which should be intelligible in the Roman Empire.' The second is 'the rise of Protestantism,' in which 'the effort was made to separate the purely Christian motives from those forms of Catholicism which had become unintelligible and unprofitable to the new age.' In respect of the latter period many will ask whether this is really the ruling motive of Protestantism. But it is more important to turn our attention to the first, and to inquire whether the epoch of the New Testament was not itself the first of those which have 'stamped their features on the Church'.

We should suppose from the opening paragraphs that our author conceives the contribution of the New Testament to Church organization to have lain merely in the spirit, while the form was impressed by the desire of the Church to be intelligible to the Roman Empire. Such a conception would be extremely erroneous. There are, no doubt, questions as to the organization of the New Testament Church. But even if we were to go so far as Mr. Gwatkin in the new Bible

Dictionary, and say that the question of the origin of bishops is best left undecided, that would be a very different thing from saying that the first age handed on to its successors only a spirit, and not also a form, whether or no we are able to trace this form with exactness. We can understand, indeed, that a body of people so free from selfishness and conceit as the Christian would imbibe with the best effect the lessons of order which the great empire in which they lived could afford. We are perfectly willing to recognise the suggestion of titles for the officers of the Church from Jewish, Greek, or Roman sources.

But we are persuaded that it is a great exaggeration to suppose that any of these sources, or any desire of the Church to make itself intelligible to the empire, was to be compared for efficiency in moulding her form to the authoritative traditions of the age of Christ and His Apostles, handed down, not by word, but by continuity of fact. Let it be granted that the bishop was the manager of the money affairs of the Church. Dr. Hatch 2 himself points out how sacred was the charity of Christians in the early ages. St. Paul himself was the bearer of it from the Gentile Churches to the saints at Jerusalem, and thanks God for it as an unspeakable gift. It was offered, if not wholly, at least chiefly, at the Holy Eucharist. And therefore it is really out of the question to maintain that so much mixture with the outward world as the management of moneys imparted to the bishop's office infused into it any tinge of secularity, especially when we consider that the ministration of Baptism and the celebration of the Eucharist is known and confessed to have belonged to him at the first, and to presbyters only in his absence. The presbyter's office, according to Dr. Hatch, was at first 'disciplinary and collegiate.' They did not teach, or minister the sacraments.3 They were the council of the bishop, but all the most sacred duties of the ministry belonged to him. If he rose from their ranks we cannot see any probability that he did so without special appointment and Apostolic authority. And if in the eyes of the heathen he appeared in the light of a secular president or secretary of a guild, that is no reason why he should take this secular character in his own view or in that of his church.

There was, in fact, nothing that was secular in the primitive Church. It was a special point with St. Paul that the same Spirit divided to every man as He would, and that the ascended Lord gave some apostles, some prophets, some 1 Art. 'Bishop.' Bampton Lectures, p. 40. 3 Ibid. p. 69.

2