heart," not the head, "man believeth unto righteousness." Every great preacher that Methodism ever produced was distinguished as much for power of feeling as for power of thought. Wesley, Summerfield, Simpson, Marvin, all joined great masterly power to think with great masterly power to feel. They saw things clearly and felt divinely what they saw. It was this which gave them power to make others feel the same. Who that ever heard one of the old-time mighty men of God that does not remember the clear vision of things he had and which he expressed in a voice that had tears in it? There is no shifting the fact, a preacher must have himself a great power to feel. Moreover: What has become of the men and women who once in our revivals agonized and wrestled with God at our altars till a great mountain of feeling pressed upon every unconverted soul in the farthest part of the room. It is high time that clear thinking, good living, and deep feeling go to housekeeping again together. The family has long enough been sad because of so few births and cries in the natal chamber. C. E. CLINE.

Portland, Ore.

"AN EDUCATED MINISTRY"-A CORRECTION.

IN the Methodist Review of January-February, and in the "Arena" department, Rev. Frank Seeds makes the statement that "Education means a drawing out of the powers and forces of the mind." This is a mistake quite too common to pass without correction. In the Latin language, from which our word "education" is derived, there are two verbs whose first person singular, indicative mode, are in the same form, namely, educo. These two words are, first, educare, a verb of the first conjugation, and its principal parts are educo, educare, educavi, educatum, and this is the word used all through Latin literature for expressing the ideas of education, and it means "to teach," "to instruct," "to train up," "to foster," "to impart information," but it never means to lead out or to draw out. The other verb is "educere" of the third conjugation, and its principal parts are educo, educere, eduxi, eductum. This word means to "lead out," "to draw out," "to raise up," "to build up," "to bring into the world" (said of midwives), but it is never used to mean education anywhere in Latin literature. Its only use there, in connection with schools, is to describe the process of slaves leading Roman children from their homes to the school and back again, but educare is never used to describe this leading out of the children. The idea of "lead out the powers of the mind" is neither in the word nor in the process of education, but, rather, the idea of feeding and nurturing the mind that it may grow. Webster's International Dictionary is misleading on this word. All who read this are referred to the Century Dictionary, all Latin lexicons, and all Latin literature. Corresponding words are used in the Greek language and literature and lead to the same conclusion as is here presented. J. A. BOATMAN.

West Liberty, Ia.

THE ITINERANTS' CLUB.

THE "Fraternity of Lifelong Educational Endeavor," of which some account was given in the Methodist Review for September of last year, hopes to meet in convention sometime the coming summer. Its plan is as simple as its aim, and its members, although busy men, find no difficulty in meeting its requirements. Each member is expected daily to recall its "Ideal," answer one momentous "Question," form a "Resolve," offer a "Prayer," take a broad and comprehensive "Outlook," and follow these simple "morning offices" with "personal reading and study" in lines of one's own selection" from the fields of "Theology," "Psychology," "Sociology," "Ecclesiology," "Biography," and the "English Language and Literature," beginning, of course, with and emphasizing strongly the "English Bible."

The attention of the members of the F. L. E. E. has been called to the admirable volume of A. Morris Stewart on The Temptation of Jesus; to Mankind in the Making, by H. G. Wells; to Papal Aims and Papal Claims, by E. Garnett Man, Barrister-at-Law; to the story of Mary North, by Lucy Rider Meyer; to The Programme of the Jesuits, by W. Blair Neatby. Other valuable books have been brought to the attention of the members.

One member proposes a special plan for the reading of biography by which a grouping is made, dominating characters placed in centers, and the notable lives they have influenced duly related and adjusted. "I will be an Astronomer. . The great lives shall be the suns, each one with its system of stars. . . . When I read the life of Moses I read Hebrew history and literature. When I read the life of Michael Angelo I read the history of art. But where shall I begin? With Moses? Or with the latest autobiography? I shall begin at the center and read both ways. I shall begin with the mighty Alcyone-Jesus Christ. I shall read all lives in the light of his life. I shall read the gospels each year, and every year read some Life of Christ," etc.

Another member reports his use of small blank books-each book about five inches long and two and a half inches wide. One of them he carries in his vest pocket all the time, and keeps it "as a snare to catch and cage casual thoughts that come to the surface of consciousness, challenging attention. Once entertained, they begin to reward one like buds warmed into blossom or birds into song." He says: "I never let a thought go that comes to me in that fashion. I put it down, and with the related thoughts that follow fill one side of a leaf in my little pocket ThoughtSnare. The back of that leaf I leave blank. When my book is full I take it apart and classify my leaf-notes in envelopes labeled according to topics. Sometimes I get twenty or thirty distinct thoughts on one subject in the course of a few weeks, and twenty or thirty more later on. And these are my thoughts. They came to me. I planted them. I cultivate them. Then I classify and arrange them, and thus sermons and conversations and

newspaper articles grow in my own preserve. The vest-pocket ThoughtSnare has been a great gain to me."

AN EXPERIENCE. "I am (let me assume) a Methodist preacher in the first year of my Conference course. Never mind now my antecedents, personal, intellectual, and professional. The Annual Conference has considered these questions and received me as a 'preacher on trial' and I am enrolled as a member of the 'class of the first year.' The studies for this year are announced in the Appendix to the Discipline, ¶ 59, § 2. I have reached my 'appointment.' My first Sunday is over. I have a 'study.' In it are my books--not many, but good. I have a supply of blank paper. Every sheet of it is an exhortation to diligence, fidelity, and originality. And I must begin to study at the very beginning of the Conference year. The temptation is to wait until I know my people, or until I have answered the letters which have accumulated during these weeks of packing and unpacking, or until my library is fully settled and arranged, documents sorted, and all that. But no! No! The first thing to do is to take up my Conference studies. Let me begin with Harman in his Introduction to the Holy Scriptures. No, I will begin with Miley in his Systematic Theology. All at once I recall a bit of advice from an old friend, and promptly I decide not to begin with Harman, Miley, or any other author, but, as my friend advised, 'study subjects, not books!' These books are to aid the examiners at Conference, and not to be the 'all and in all' of the student. I must know all I can of the subjects embraced in the course. I am neither Dr. Harman nor Dr. Miley. I cannot afford to repreach their puttings of the faith. I cannot be their echo. These authors of the books in the first year's course-Harman, Miley, Foster, Hill, Broadus, Wesley, Stevens, Neely, Buckley, Martin, Foss, Dorchester, Cooke, Asbury, and the editor and other contributors to the Methodist Review-all of these are my professors. All honor to them! But I am to work my own way as a student, a thinker, and a preacher; and as I study under their guidance the subjects (not the books) assigned I shall be helped by them and shall be the better prepared to help the people to whom I am to minister.

"But this is Monday. Let me begin my study to-morrow. No! I don't believe and I won't believe in 'blue Monday.' I rested Saturday. Monday I work-not quite as hard as on Tuesday, to be sure, but fresh from contact with my people and with a new sense of responsibility I can do some things on Monday better than on any other day.

"And now here are my half-sheets of blank paper ready for my memoranda-my Thinking Memoranda. I begin with 'Systematic Theology.' And what is that? What is 'Theology'? Here is my Unabridged. No, I won't open it. Here is my Greek lexicon. No, no! Let me first of all put down my own definition of Theology. What is Theology? What is Systematic Theology? And what other kinds of Theology are there? 'Natural.' Yes. Write down my definition of it. And 'Polemic.' What is Polemic Theology? And ‘Biblical Theology'? And 'Practical Theology'? What other departments of the science are there?-Here comes a caller. Sorry! Ah, good morning, Brother Brooke! "Tired after Sunday; called

to have a chat.' 'Well, Brooke, I am just puzzling myself over a definition of Theology and trying to make a classification of the different kinds of Theology the scholars talk about. What do you think?' 'On Monday?" 'Certainly on Monday! But what is Theology? What would you say? What did you say when examined? Must go? Sorry! Call again. Call in the afternoons unless you want to study. I must use morning hours for work.' 'Good-bye.' 'Good-bye.' Pencil in hand I think, and try to remember, and ask myself what I should say if I were asked for a definition of Systematic Theology. And I write and revise, erase and rewrite, and think and try again, and put down several questions that my thinking develops: What other words might I use besides "Theology' to define the field of thought it covers? How does it happen that we have a Greek word instead of English? What is the Latin term? Let me look again at my definition. By the way, what is Patristic Theology? How little I know! Now for a talk to my stove and chairs and walls ('walls have ears') about Theology. 'Dear Friends: Theology is a term'-but the bell rings for lunch!

"No, my dear,' I say to my wife at the table, 'the morning was not wasted, but it was not fruitful in results. I did start right. That is something. I did work out dear Brooke, who likes to 'rest.' I have stirred my own curiosity into a regular thirst to know how the dictionary and Dr. Miley define Theology. I worked out rather a poor definition of my own. I am anxious to see if it is sound. What do you think Theology is?' And the good soul gave me an answer offhand. She said she supposed that Theology is the result of the thinking men do about God tested and corrected by the teaching of God's own word and illustrated and enriched by personal experience in believing that word and trying to live up to it. Then she looked at me as if she expected me to smile at her. And I believe I did smile with admiration and pride, and I told her that I already saw a sermon in it. Then we talked about doing pastoral work and how we might do it in the best way. And I asked her what were her chief doubts and difficulties in connection with the Bible and religion and the Church. Now if other people have such troubles in connection with these subjects as even my wife confesses to there is room for sermons on Theology and good reason for the careful study of Bible evidences and all that. I believe that these prescribed books of the Conference course will be more entertaining than novels if we find out what our people are thinking about and what they need. To feel the need for one's self and to try one's best to find for himself the way to meet and relieve this need is the way to make books worth something and downright hard study a delight. I see that the way to get ready for Conference examination is to examine and discuss subjects with people of all kinds during the whole year-to study subjects and not books, and to study people while one studies subjects."

Four men, ministers of the Gospel, intent on self-improvement-personal and professional-happening to spend a social evening together, fell into a conversation on pulpit effectiveness. Of the four, Atherton was the

oldest. He had never "gone through college," but was eager to be a cultured man. Benton was a college graduate, a conservative fellow, by the way, and loyal to the old paths. Carter was also college-bred without much "early schooling" and a progressive in-well, in everything, and was not easily "shocked" by some of the modern "statements." He did not accept the "heresies," but he was not afraid of them, and rather liked to look them in the face. He was broad enough and had faith firm enough neither to be alarmed nor exasperated by men who in their search for truth listened to doctrines, entertained hypotheses, and frankly canvassed positions directly opposed to his own. Dalton was the youngest member and by far the best scholar in this country quaternion. He had enjoyed the advantages of a refined home, had been at school from his earliest years, was graduated from one of the best universities in America, had taken a graduate course in Europe, won a high degree, was a man of much personal force and glad to take charge, as a probationer in the Conference, of a humble country circuit. These men lived within ten miles of each other and occasionally met for a social evening. While the wives discussed subjects interesting to them the four young pastors by a blazing fire in the "study" took up one or more topics relating to their work. This evening Dalton read an excellent paper on "Pulpit Style," and that was followed by a few apt quotations from distinguished authors. And the writer of this article believes that he can render no better service to the readers of this Department than to select a few of these quotations. The comments and conversation of the company must be omitted. The lessons taught by these high authorities are worthy of the thoughtful attention of all ministers of the Gospel-old and young. One golden truth shines in all these gems of literature. Here they are: "In character, in manners, in style, in all things the supreme excellence is simplicity." "The greatest truths are the simplest, and so are the greatest men."+ "Nothing is rarer than the use of a word in its exact meaning."‡ "The words in prose ought to express the intended meaning; if they attract attention to themselves it is a fault; in the very best styles, as Southey's, you read page after page without noticing the medium."§ "If you would be pungent be brief, for it is with words as with sunbeams, the more they are condensed the deeper they burn." "With many readers brilliancy of style passes for affluence of thought; they mistake buttercups in the grass for immeasurable mines of gold under ground."* "When you doubt between words use the plainest, the commonest, the most idiomatic. Eschew fine words as you would rouge."+

The conversation then drifted into the power of monosyllables. Quotations from Abraham Lincoln, Carlyle, Ruskin, and especially from the Bible, were made, and the talk closed with a recitation by Atherton of Professor Joseph Addison Alexander's poem on "The Power of Short Words." It is worth quoting here. Dr. Alexander was a professor in the Theological Seminary at Princeton, a master of seven languages, accomplished in almost every department of learning, and a specialist in oriental literature.

• Longfellow.

+ Hare.

+ Whipple.

§ Coleridge.

Saxe.