people? We should therefore take earnest care, in all our plans for extending the Church to classes who are now alienated from it, that we do not give up one iota of ecclesiastical principle, nor allow ourselves to be tempted by an apparent prospect of rapid success to forego those sure methods of working which can be clearly identified with Catholic truth and practice.

Perhaps the most pressing temptation to do so is-in the case of schools. Every clergyman knows the difficulty of providing and supporting his parish schools; and if he happens to hold a small living, and be at the same time without private means, he knows the anxiety through which he has to pass every year, as well as the unpleasant begging visits which he has to pay, before he can get together sufficient for its original foundation, or its maintenance year by year afterwards. What more tempting in such cases than the offer of help from the state-educator? How comparatively easy it is, with that in prospect, to smooth over every difficulty. Examine however, the principles on which that help is accorded, and consider what those principles may ultimately lead to, and one may well doubt whether it is not giving up a sacred trust committed to every one who has cure of souls, the trust of bringing up all the children of his parish, at the very least all to whom he can obtain access, simply on the ancient principle of Church education; the sacred trust of being the sole controller of that work for which, after all, he alone is ultimately responsible before GOD. And we allude to this subject especially now, because we believe there is good reason to fear that a fresh attack on Church education will be made in the coming session of Parliament; and that in any such attack, if successful, advantage will be taken of the hold which is already established over a large majority of schools for strengthening the grasp of the state upon them. The appointment of a Minister of Education is a warning of this, if there were no other; it being the very measure which a chief promoter of secular education not long since declared to be the only one necessary for securing all schools to the state in the course of six or seven years. It is necessary for us to make up our minds as to the fundamental principles on which alone the Church can train up her children, and to act accordingly. And believing as we do, that most of those who accept Government aid, do it unwillingly, as a necessity to which they are driven, but of the results of which they have yet a lurking fear, we do earnestly exhort managers of schools to refuse their consent to the introduction of any further secular control, and to withstand it vigorously as alien to the first principles of the Church's system. The best position for Churchmen to take up in the event of such an attempt will be that of direct and simple opposition to any change. Throw out the measure whatever it may be, to gain time. The only schools which are really prospering are Church schools, and every year adds to the strength of the Church

in the matter of education. Let us accept then, for the present, the system already established, where it has already obtained a footing, for we cannot afford to take any attitude but the conservative one of resistance to any alteration whatever for the present; but let us, meanwhile, be using our utmost endeavours to make Church schools the best schools in every sense; best in the estimation of the parents as training their children most efficiently for the station of life which they are intended to occupy; best in the eyes of all religious persons as bringing up a generation in the fear of GOD; and thus showing the real value of Church principles. Taking such a course, there need be no fear for the result; for, as often before, the Christian common sense of the nation will be too strong for the opponents of the Church in their attempts to weaken her influence. But if we further give up our trust, we must expect a further loss as the natural punishment of our sin.

Our view of Church matters has been necessarily of a very partial character, but we trust the few thoughts we have put together may suggest an useful practical train of reasoning to our readers on subjects which every earnest clergyman and layman will be obliged to take into his consideration sooner or later, and as seems exceedingly probable, before another year has passed over our heads. We hardly know whether of the two is the greatest evil, to exaggerate or to under-estimate the danger of any critical period. Our endeavour has been to do neither; and we have therefore sought rather to go to fundamental principles, than to deal with the current events of the day, respecting which all of us have some prejudgment.

But there are two points which ought to be carefully borne in mind when considering the position of the Church, and the difficulties by which it is surrounded; and with a statement of these, by way of final caution, we shall conclude. First, Let no Churchman undervalue the power and influence of the Church, even under existing circumstances. The massive strength by which she is able so successfully to withstand one assault after another is known better to those without her walls, than to many within; and there is sometimes no small danger of her suffering more by want of confidence on the part of her own defenders, by which they are tempted to yield ground as an act of good policy, than through the violence of her assailants. We fear this may be said (in some cases) of those laymen who are supposed to act especially as watchmen for the Church in Parliament. On no other ground than this can we account for the apparent willingness of those gentlemen to yield point after point of the Church's position, and to offer advantages to their opponents which they themselves never dreamed of gaining so easily.

And secondly, we must take care by no means to blind ourselves to real danger by underestimating the strength of those opponents.

It is not weak noblemen, and popular Evangelical preachers, who form the real nerve and sinew of the antagonistic body. There are cool, clear heads at work, who appear before the public view but now and then; but when they do, appear to some purpose. These are the real adversaries that we have to fear; persevering and acute men of business, whose ordinary vocation in Parliament, at the Bar, or in the busy walks of mercantile life, eminently fit them for discerning efficient means for the accomplishment of any object they may set before themselves, and for using those means with that opóvnos which is in all things so conducive to success. Such antagonists we must try to win over to our side. They are often exceedingly uninformed in Church matters, except from the side of her opponents, and with all their energy and judgment overleap the primary steps which they ought to have taken, and would have taken in secular matters, of gaining a good view of the question from all points before they undertook to act pro or con. In cases like this, and they are many, a calm, business-like statement of the grounds on which the Church claims her rights, or the reasons for a certain course of action on the part of the clergy, will often gain an active friend and advocate for the Church where such a gain seemed to many most hopeless. The offertory movement at Manchester may be mentioned as a case in point; and we could, if it were allowable to disclose them, name other cases in the same city of a much more private character, which most strongly illustrate the remark we have made, and exhibit in a strong light the advantage of clear straightforward explanations and general conduct on the part of the clergy. There are some such men, however, who are not to be won over by any means; and if they still remain antagonists after fair attempts to gain them for friends, our care must be to oppose them with weapons as well tempered as their own, and wielded with an equally strong arm as well as sound judgment.

And after all, do not let us fall into the mistake of thinking that our age is singular in respect to the great contest which is going on between the Church and the world. It may be, indeed, that we are approaching those stirring times which the universal stream of pious opinion has fixed on as characteristic of the age preceding the consummation of the Church's glory. It may be, indeed, that owing to past lukewarmness, neglect, and treachery, the Church has lost ground to an unprecedented extent in this country, and that we of this age, if we are to regain it, and again build up our temple in its glory, must work with one hand while we hold our sword in the other. But allow all this, and it yet remains that the Church ever has had, and will have for all future ages on earth, a strife to carry on against a strong, a wise, an active antagonist. The visible tokens of that contest are exhibited in one age by the sufferings of martyrs, in another by the inroads

of heresy, in a third by open apostacy, in a fourth by the Erastian tyranny of secular rulers, in a fifth by indifference without and within; in our own (among other signs) by the opposition of an unfairly biassed public opinion. Each phase of antagonism may seem to pass away, and a totally different one to succeed; but all owe their origin to one source; all are manifestations of one unseen Enemy, against whom the faithful Church must strive, and watch, and stand immoveable, in her strength, till she has ceased to be militant, and the day of her rest has duly come.

REVIEWS AND NOTICES.

The Last Words of an English Catholic. By M. D. A. London : Masters.

THERE is no reason to doubt that this is the history of an actual, and by no means common mind; and, as such, it cannot fail to be read with interest, even if it were clothed in less glowing and impassioned language, by all who have the gift of human sympathy. At the same time, it is allowable to conceive that much of the circumstantials of the narrative is fictitious. The writer, or the subject, of the biography, as it may be, belongs to a class that has been very numerous in our day, for whom Catholic Truth has provided a peace and satisfaction beyond their utmost longings, after the tossings and weariness of a tempestuous life; and it is only a just tribute of gratitude, the effect of which is enhanced by a brilliant and somewhat exuberant style of writing, to detail the results of actual experience. It is in this way that Catholic Truth must commend itself, and we are glad to meet with this new testimony in its behalf, which we may hope will circulate in many quarters where the friendly voice of personal communication cannot reach.

The Priest's Dream. By the Rev. JOHN PURCHAS, M.A. Macmillan and Masters.

THERE are many fine passages in this poem, and the idea throughout is good. A priest, after watching his flock go home from evensong, returns to kneel before the altar in prayer for them, and there the thought of the present disheartening state of the Church comes heavily upon him, and he asks of our LORD, with sorrowful words, how long her enemies shall prevail against her: then, as an answer to his question, he sees in a dream the Assyrian host in its pomp and might spread out before the walls of Bethulia, and he hears the mourning of the chosen people for the destruction which they believe awaits them; then he sees Judith go out in the strength of her God, and smite the foe with her weak arm, and he awakes as the shout of victory

arises for the sudden deliverance. Hence, we conclude, he draws the hope for England's Church; that if GOD will even speedily to uplift her head, He needs no stronger instrument than that which overthrew the armies of the Assyrian foe. We could wish that the author had avoided those doubtful terms, which require the apology of a foot-note, -all such quaint phraseology is to be deprecated.

Craycrook Castle. By GERALD MASSEY. London: Bogue. GERALD MASSEY is indeed a true poet in every sense of the word,not a mere versifier, but a man of warm and rich imagination, whose intellectual powers are of a high order. It is a matter of surprise to us that he has not attained to a greater reputation, for we think that in many passages, he not only equals but excels Tennyson in the powers of his language and ideas. "The Mother's Idol broken" is beautiful throughout, although the style is sometimes a little overcharged; and the War poems are for the most part very fine. One thing however is sadly wanting in them all, and that is a greater elevation of tone and a less frequent expression of hopes and desires which are purely earthly.

Notes on the Gospels for all the Sundays in the Year. By the Rev. ALFRED BARRY, M.A., Head Master of the Leeds Free Grammar School. Harrison and Rivingtons.

THIS is the first of a Series of books designed by the Clergy of Leeds, under the presidency of Dr. Hook, for the use of Sunday School Teachers. It is excellently done, the notes being just of the kind to facilitate the exposition of the Sacred Text. The handling of the Epistles, which we presume are to follow, will be somewhat more difficult, and we trust will engage a proportionate amount of care, but if properly done it will be a still greater boon than the number now before Few persons have done the Church more harm than ill-instructed Sunday School Teachers and District Visitors.

us.

It will be seen elsewhere that a new weekly Paper, called The Union, is about to be started, for the more "uncompromising maintenance and diffusion of Catholic principles." In following this line, the conductors rightly say that they will not come into "competition with any existing journal." The Guardian would desire, we presume, to be regarded as a political, or at least, a general newspaper, rather than a theological one; and the English Churchman, possessing the traditions of a High Church organ, but almost always advocating what is un-Catholic, is just in the position to do the greatest possible harm. The Union starts at a very critical moment, when great clearness of view as well as firmness is needed; and we trust that it will be wisely, as we doubt not it will be energetically, managed.

We always take up a volume of sermons hopefully that are written or published with an object, i. e., to illustrate some one subject or series