advantages of it. Originally the state dis- | Church organization must be progressive. charged not only those duties that we now Litanies require to be remodelled, ceremoregard as coming exclusively within its nies to be altered, and new authorities to sphere, but it acted as moral inquisitor and be created. Is such work suitable to a spiritual director. The government of the mixed Parliament containing representaJews, Greeks, and Romans was based upon tives of nearly all religions and of no relithis confusion. At the same time, the gov- gion? The Church feels the ignominy of ernment was not composed of statesmen the position, and Churchmen ask Scotch merely, but partly also of hierophants. It and Irish members to stay away when the was but slowly that the idea, “Render un- Lectionary Bill is under discussion. A to Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's, and more thorough, and we might say contrite, unto God the things that are God's," was confession of the absurdity of giving such worked out. For it must be remembered work to the House of Commons could not that religion was a question of ceremony be conceived. Virtually they say, "Leave it more than of creed. The mythology of to us, a committee of Churchmen, to settle both Greeks and Romans was fluctuating this business." The only way by which and undefined; the bond of unity was the Parliament can do the work is by persuadcommunity of sacrifice and sacred rites. ing the Dissenting members to abnegate Unanimity was as easy as compliance with their position, for a time, as representathe rules of etiquette, and only a few ec- tives of the nation. If the State were to centric individuals would make any fuss attempt to perform its duty, except in the about conformity to the national worship. most trivial matters, even the docile But when the great change came, when Churchmen would revolt. The creed of circumcision no longer made the Jew, but the Church of England is of Parliamentary piety and a new faith, when the vesture origin; to-morrow the legislature could of religion ceased to be outward rites, and remodel it. But with any of the serious became an inward spirit or belief, then questions of doctrine involved in the began the dissolution of the old framework Voysey or Purchas cases, the House of of society. The State had to reconstitute Commons would not venture to deal. The itself anew, and, limiting itself to purely Church of England is, in doctrinal points, secular work, to do far more in that depart- utterly helpless; if, with its old furniture, ment than had ever been done before. It it can manage to jog along, for a time all could not control men's consciences as it may go well; but the first tempest would had done their Pagan ceremonies, and its expose its poverty and nakedness. true course was to leave that subject alone. This was the only peaceable, the only possible solution of the religious difficulty, which sooner or later every nation must imitate. Yet what infinite trouble, what sacrifice of treasure and flowing of rivers of blood, before so simple a remedy was adopted!

Since the State cannot govern the Church, can the Church be allowed to govern itself? Such a claim was once set up on behalf of the Free Church of Scotland, but was, of course, rejected. Churchmen may think that it is the duty of the State to find them money, and their privilege to say how it shall be spent; but no Government could ever accept such a principle. It, in fact, amounts to disestablishment without disendowment. It means that the property of the nation is to be diverted from national purposes to support a sect, and one sect out of many having equal claims. It would, therefore, create and perpetuate an injustice. So long as the State controls the Church, it obtains what it may regard as value for its money; but to give up its funds to a Church that it has ceeased to govern would be simple spoliation of the public. If there is to be a free Church, it must provide for itself, like other Churches.

The impossibility of the State undertaking religious duties is manifest in the Church of England itself. All earnest Churchmen chafe under a despotism which forbids their doing anything, and yet does nothing for them. The argument of Mr. Bruce, that theology is unprogressive, is based on a transparent fallacy, namely that our relations to God are the same now that they were 5,000 years ago. So also our relation to the world is precisely the same as it was 5,000 or 50,000 years ago, but our knowledge of it has been progressive. In the same way, our knowledge of our relations to God may be capable of greater accuracy and exactness, unless it One argument sometimes advanced by be alleged that the lowest idolater has as Liberal papers in favour of an establishcorrect a theology as an educated Chris-ment is that it checks what they call fatian. But, even if theology were station-naticism, and others a holy zeal, that it ary, which would be a libel on theologians, gives a shelter to gentlemen of uncertain

theology, that, in a word, it keeps down | out, they are denounced as traitors. There religion. To a certain extent this descrip- is a general, hazy notion of orthodoxy, by tion is true of the Church of England, which the generality of people will try although it is far from being a characteris- them, let the Privy Council decide what tic of all State Churches. But the dilem- it will. To put clergyman right in the ma is obvious. If heterodox opinions can eyes of the world, it is necessary that they only flourish in a State Church, if they re- should be above suspicion, that no one quire the pampering of State doles, they should be able to accuse them of holding ought not to get them. It is an injustice emoluments to which they had forfeited all to the orthodox community to spend their right. This will never be in the Church money in breeding a school of theology of England. Owing to the clumsiness of whose tenets they regard as poisonous. the procedure, and the uncertainty of prosIn great questions affecting national insti-ecutions, many heterodox parsons are altutions we ought to rise above the mere lowed to retain their livings; and, although accidental effects they have in encouraging they may keep their places and their conopinions to which we may happen to be sciences free from reproach, the world will favourable, and measure them by broad not trust them. In the interest of all parprinciples of justice. Even those who are ties of the clergyman, of the people, most zealous for the advance of liberal and of the Government - there should be opinions in theology may pause before a fair field and no favour, there should they seek their object by the aid of a be no bribes to clever men, no premium State Church. The good to be gained is on certain opinions. To this a free more than balanced by the mischief of Church in a free State - the progress of putting clergyman, in the eyes of the society is rapidly carrying us, and Mr. world, in a false position. Their reticence Miall's temporary check will, before long, is attributed to cowardice; if they speak be converted into a victory.

THERE is nothing more puzzling to ordinary minds than bookkeeping by double entry,' ," and it is advisable that no one should ever attempt to keep his accounts on this system unless he fully understands it. A well-meaning public accountant in India has, it appears, lately come to trouble owing to misunderstanding the nature of this simple process. A certain gentleman, says a Lahore paper, was recently appointed to a station not a thousand miles from the capital of the Punjaub. After a short time he submitted his accounts according to rule to the head office. The various bills of receipts and expenditure were being rapidly passed, when a clerk of unnatural brilliance pounced on a bill in which 20,000 bricks were charged for twice over. The question was at once sent to the gentleman, whether he had got altogether forty thousand bricks on such a date, and, if so, why he had divided the item in two? 66 Oh, dear no," he said, "I only got twenty thousand bricks, but you told me to put everything down by double entry, so I put the bricks down twice. All the other charges are the same." To the horror of the whole department it was found only too true. The receipt side was then examined, but it was consoling to find that with an instinctive acumen worthy of a higher appointment, the gentleman had here limited himself to single entry.

Pall Mall Gazette.

A CURIOUS circumstance is mentioned by the Geelong Advertiser, and one which accounts for any little irregularity that may have occurred a few months back in telegraphic communication between this country and France. "The captain of the barque Aberdeen," says the Advertiser, "which has arrived here after making a good passage from Frederickstadt, met with a novel incident on the passage out. When in Dover Straits he found the spring tides running so strongly against him that he dropped his kedge anchor about nine miles south-east of the South Foreland light-house, in twenty-one fathoms of water. The anchor dragged, and when it was deemed desirable to haul it up and make a fresh start, it was found that there was a great deal more strain on it than could have been anticipated, and it required all the power that could be brought to bear to bring the anchor above water. When it did make its appearance it was found that it had laid hold of what appeared to be a ship's cable, but what on examination proved to be the submarine telegraph cable from Dover to Calais. Captain Law at once lowered it again to its submarine bed by means of a slip-rope, in the most careful manner possible, and he has no reason to believe that any damage was done."

Pall Mall Gazette.

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|published of the pleasure he took in being widely, if remotely, known. He could not WHICH is the most mortifying to a man have missed seeing the frequent declaraof genius who cares for fame -to be to- tions of English critics, that he was, on tally unknown, or wofully misknown? the whole, the most original man of genius Probably the second of the two cases is America had produced. When we bear in the least agreeable. When Thackeray mind the names which this verdict placed was canvassing Oxford, he introduced second to him Bryant, Lowell, Longfelhimself to some college don or other as low, Emerson, and Poe- we cannot wonthe author of "Vanity Fair." "Some-der that he took pleasure in the verdict; thing in the Bunyan way, I presume?" though he undoubtedly did so in a shy way innocently inquired the great man. At that had a smack of humour in it. It was Wimbledon camp, last year, a gentleman a verdict that might be a little disputed seeing an officer reading aloud under a in favour of Emerson; some people would great tent to a large number of people, say, in favour of Poe; but after all, there asked of a policeman who was keeping or- was something mechanical about the der what the officer was reading. "Dick-movement of the fine faculties of the latens's 'Penny Picnic', sir," said the police-ter, and, as Lowell says of him, in his writThis was simply laughable, and ings "the heart is all squeezed out by the nobody would have enjoyed the man's mind." There are, no doubt, critics at harmless misknowledge more than Dick-present, who would affirm that the advent ens himself. But it must have been rather of Walt Whitman has changed the condia different case when, at a party at Ox-tions and that he is now the most original ford, a gentleman in no way distinguished man of genius that America has produced. by any look of peculiar stupidity, asked There is something to be said for this last Hawthorne if he was not the author of claim; for whether we decide that WhitThe Red Letter A." It would weaken man is a great poet who will live, or only the interest some writers take in literary the splendid Apollo of rowdies, he is the glory, if they would only keep their eyes most truly American of the writers of open to the fact that the greater part of merit that America has produced. Emerthe knowledge of them which is possessed son, indeed, is American; so, in a way, is by the great body of the public is mere Lowell, under the persona of Hosea Bigmisknowledge. Very few, indeed, of the low; so, in a way, is Longfellow, in the people who read a book which is popular "Song of Hiawatha ;" so, again, is Cooper know more about it after a month is over in his novels. But, indeed, the whole than the gentleman who could not remem- question of " Americanism" involves some ber the title of "The Scarlet Letter." curious matters that are well worth lookThere was a time when "The Scarlet Let-ing at.

for us English to catch in a new literature the distinct impress of another nationality when the language employed by the writers is our own, written idiomatically and with perfect purity; as, for example, Poe, Hawthorne, Prescott, Longfellow, and Bryant wrote. The first accents of nationality that strike our ears are usually such as relate to scenery and minor cir

ter," had some claim to be considered a To begin with, it is exceedingly difficult popular book; but it owed a large part of its general diffusion to the fact that it could be and was sold in this country for a shilling. And it is undoubtedly true that Hawthorne is essentially a writer for select readers. Beyond the inner circle there is a pretty considerable public who turn over his books, or, at least, "The Scarlet Letter;" but to the majority of these good people he is of necessity a cumstances. We perceive that a writer is man so much misknown, that he might an American (the title is not exhaustively himself have preferred not being read at accurate as a definition) if he writes all. by them. At least one would say so, squash instead of pumpkin, and talks faif it were not for the strong proofs af- miliarly of the blue-bird and the hickoryforded by his memoranda posthumously pole, or of caucuses and mass-meetings,