country parson to possess in his younger and preparatory times for compiling his book and body of divinity, "which is the storehouse of his sermons, and which he preacheth all his life," is a freedom and convenience which few now have at their command. In these days of eager and rapid action, with their incessant demands upon the time and energy of the clergy, a layman may, without casting aside the modesty becoming his unprofessional status, aspire after some humble fashion to lighten the labours of the public teacher, and to pass muster among the auxiliaries of the great army of preachers in their "holy war" against sin and unbelief. Such a suggestive and illustrative work as the present will not supersede the labours of personal study, but assist them; it will in no degree repress independent thought, but stimulate it. Every man's own is fittest, readiest, and most savoury to him, but there is no man, however gifted or cultured, to whom the thoughts of other men of gifts and culture on any important subject that may be particularly engaging his interest at any time, would not serve as a welcome reinforcement of his own powers. The topics treated of are as wide as our Christianity itself, the writers quoted from, of every section of the one Catholic Church of JESUS CHRIST; and this brings the Editor to another, and perhaps not less important, raison d'être of his work. The labour of the compiler is, to use an old simile, the true divining-rod, and among the treasures here brought together, one golden feature at least will be abundantly evident, viz., the deep and fundamental unity existing amid an endless, and, to a superficial observer, apparently conflicting variety. He would be blind indeed who should fail to discern, beneath the strife of parties and the din of controversy, under all outward differences of form and superstructure, that One Foundation upon which all are striving to build. To those who can read between the lines, how many "Words for Peace" does this volume contain ! Thus to bring together those who are nearer by far to each other than they suspect-actually to exhibit such nearness-were surely no unworthy aim? To all who have helped in the realisation, in any measure, of this his desire, the Editor would now tender his most earnest and respectful thanks, and specially-and representatively-to His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, in whose recent "Eirenicon" will be found at 'least the foreshadowing of the future unity of the Church, in the "realisation of that great idea which was so powerful of old to stir men's hearts, and make them help each other-the idea that there is a vast community cemented by their faith and principle, which, amid all national and other special differences, joins together in ONE the whole body of those who worship GOD in CHRIST." SIDMOUTH, DEVON, October, 1880. HENRY SOUTHGATE. "I here present thee with a hive of bees, laden some with wax, and some with honey. Fear not to approach! there are no wasps, there are no hornets here. If some wanton bee should chance to buzz about thine ears, stand thy ground and hold thy hands -there's none will sting thee, if thou strike not first. If any do, she hath honey in her bag will cure thee too."-QUARLES. BIBLE, The Holy-its Adap- 34 34 ...39, 40 CHANCE, so called, GoD's Or- ..40-42 42 42 CHRISTIAN, A-Life of.. 42 - Liberality of the Church.. 48 35 47 36 Her Present Duty.. The great Schools of Thought 7888 48 48 Theory of: (a.) The Royal 57 57 CHURCHYARD, Reflections CLERGYMAN, The Country 58 COMFORT, from GoD, Com- |