of illegitimacy, of soil and soul impoverish- religion and morality of God's place in ex ment. It is a sad story, presented by experienced men who have the surgical skill to present the truth as well as the spiritual vision to suggests remedies for the ills. Overchurching is not an incurable disease, nor is denominational bigotry. The work is an imposing document, issued with the approval of the Commission on Church and Country Life. If the churches are ever to work together effectively it will be because the enormity of waste and neglect, as exposed in such works as this, has been recognized by the leaders and made the subject of federated reform. Such documents present the necessary working material. Grace and Personality. JOHN OMAN. Second ed. rev. Cambridge University Press, 1919. 302 pp. The book centers on a discussion of God's work with men-whether it is "by the might of omnipotence directed in an unswerving line by omniscience," or whether it comes through the work of the individual person. This is the age-long problem of Augustinianism or Calvinism and Pelagianism or Arminianism, and no other modern problem has more life blood, for wrapt up in it is the question of morals and religion and the question of existence of evil. The author finds the former view of grace mechanical and not spiritual, depriving the individual of personality; and the latter view subversive of true morality. He finds the Catholic compromise no solution, and argues for a moral personality autonomous but dependent on God. He finds grace not an irresistible force but a gracious relationship, due to the experience that God is worthy of trust and is a God of love. From this point of view he discusses some of the great things in religion, such as Reconciliation, Faith in Christ, Penitence, Justification, Will of God, Kingdom of God, and Eternal Life. One important axiom of his whole discussion is that conclusions should be based, not on how we think God would act, but on the facts of experience as to how he does act. This is a very essential procedure and one that would lighten many a dark place and lift many a burden in theological discussion. The author gives a pretty sound thoughtbasis for an intelligent interpretation for perience and in the universe, and his book can be commended to thoughtful and intelligent people who want light on these problems. He has literary ability; and while it is true that the matter is at times difficult, there is no doubt that the difficulty is partly due to his style. Humanism in New England Theology. By GEORGE A. GORDON. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1920. 7 x 5 in., 105 pp. The mind naturally travels from the things seen to what is unseen; from loving your brother to loving God is the divine order. If a reversal of this principle puts one in bad company (1 John 4:20) adherence to it must put one on secure ground. It is in conformity with this principle that the author of this little book discusses the collapse of the New England theology. In view of the tercentennial celebration, it is not only timely but profitable to glance at the long, weary road we have traveled theologically. From a "ready-made" theology that was as unlovable as it was unreasonable we have advanced to greater reality as well as simplicity. It is safe to say "nowhere do we find men of modern training and respectable intellect holding the New England theology." The chief causes for the collapse of the New England theology regnant in our churches for over one hundred and fifty years must be found, says Dr. Gordon, "in the character of the ancient creed . . . it was found inadequate in knowledge and inferior in moral ideas." It was the faith once delivered, it was largely a finished article, was freezingly cold-a moral Governor. Such a system is so unlike life at its best, so unlike the more abundant life, so unlike the spirit of Christ and the eternal loving Father. The discussion is done in an appreciative way, and if it will only get more men to think and to think deeply on the great verities it will have served a worthy purpose. Practical Interchurch Methods. ALBERT F. MCGARRAH. Fleming H. Revell Co., New York. 335 pp. This is a sort of laboratory guide for communities where the churches are not yet ready for permanent federation, but where the time has come to try out methods which need no intricate machinery or expert engineers, with "detailed suggestions which will enable us to avoid the shallows of failure and the deep sea of unwise complexity." The Interchurch World Movement, which is a practical application of the principles outlined, shows what can be done when churches cooperate. But each church has its local problems to face. To outline programs of action, to give detailed suggestions about personal work, to offer a hundred ways of compelling attention, and to plan financial, spiritual, go-to-church, advertising, service, and educational campaigns: this is the comprehensive purpose of the writer. There is nothing theoretical about the book: it is the fruit of personal experience, giving actual achievements and records of success in hosts of communities. A study of the multitudinous ways of doing church work is enough to make one's head swim and wonder at the ingenuity of the "efficiency" program. Who, indeed, is equal to the task of quickening the church? That the machine may not run away with us we shall need the help of the spirit in the wheels! With the methods and the Master the modern church is ready for a new miracle of regeneration. Spiritual Voices in Modern Literature. By TREVOR H. DAVIES. G. H. Doran Company, New York. 51⁄2 x 81⁄2 in., 312 pp. Where shall the modern preacher go for illustrations of the basic truths of revelation? Some go to the newspapers; some draw upon the discoveries of science; many prefer the raw material of the noisy street and the smoky factory, where business is the overlord. But none of these sources of inspiration, interesting as they are, have as yet silenced the voices of our literary masters. For when it is a matter of a calm interpretation of spiritual truth who is there that can speak with more authority than the soul-expert? When a Stopford Brooke, a Benson, a Boreham transcribe for us the mysteries of life we have the satisfaction of knowing that we are following guides who are familiar with the ground-which is more than can be said of the rough-andready guesses of the man in the street. Dr. Davies of the Metropolitan Church of Toronto has followed this safe and satisfy ing method, giving us interesting studies of soul problems, sounding the message of today through the medium of the voices of modern literature. Francis Thompson speaks of Love; Ibsen of the Ignominy of Half-heartedness; Tennyson of Faith; Hawthorne of Sin; Wordsworth of Duty. Letters of Donald Hankey. With Intro- An army officer who names and discusses in his correspondence as part of his reading Tartarin sur les Alpes, Letters from a Silent Study, Esmond, Butler's Analogy, Stonewall Jackson, and Westcott's Introduction to the Study of the Gospels, is likely to write letters worth reading. This was the way of the author of A Student in Arms and the titles given above only suggest, they do not exhaust, the scope of his knowledge of and interest in literature. Stranger still is it for such a man to discuss such a topic as "The nature of Christ's revelation." Apropos of this he says: "I do believe that Jesus was the way to the Father, who knew both man and God, who was both man and God, and in that faith I hope to use my life for the service of man, whom God loves, and Christ has sanctified." Book Received Blackboard Lectures on Matthew. The Building the Bible Class. A Study in 134 pp. Securities of Peace. A Retrospect (1848- Photo by "International" JERUSALEM EXCAVATIONS DOWN TO THE POOL OF BETHESDA, SHOWING HOW THROUGH THE CENTURIES ONE CITY HAS BEEN BUILT UPON THE RUINS AND DEBRIS OF OTHER CITIES LONG BURIED AND FORGOTTEN Published Monthly by Funk & Wagnalls Company, 354-360 Fourth Avenue, New York. (Adam W. Wagnalls, Pres.; Wilfred J. Funk, Vice-Pres.; Robert J. Cuddihy, Treas.; William Neisel, Sec.) VOL. LXXX AUGUST, 1920 No. 2 Preparation for Life's Greatest Business THE true worshiper is one who rises to the positive experience of the real presence of God and is bathed with the joy of that experience. The theologian seeks for right ideas about God; the worshiper seeks for God himself. The former speaks of God in the third person, "He is"; the latter knows God in the second person, "Thou art, and thou art my God." It is, of all things, important to discover how to make this great ascent of soul and how to arrive at the meeting-place where the finite spirit becomes aware of its divine Companion, tho, it must not for a moment be supposed that he is far away or in some other country-in the remote heights or in the unfathomable abysses. All that is really needed is to get ourselves into a true condition to discover that he is already there. "To arrive where God is," as St. Augustine beautifully said, "is nothing else but to will to goto will God entirely is to have him." The trouble is that most of us do not realize that this intention to find God as a personal experience is the primary and essential thing in religion. We have become so accustomed to substitutes that we very easily fall back upon these substitutes and consider them sufficient. We content ourselves with hearing somebody talk about God, or with the theological account of him, or with the enthusiastic hymn which gives us a moment's thrill and exaltation as we rhythmically follow some earlier poet's experience. What we need now is to go the next step and intensely seek God for ourselves. This intense attitude of heart, this positive intention of will, is essential for real worship. There will never be great meetings for worship until we come together expecting, above all things else, to worship, to find God, to enjoy his real presence. It is well-nigh impossible to overemphasize the importance in these matters of attitude and intention. We have found in our generation that the mental attitude works almost like a miracle even with the body. Our physical health is strangely bound up with our mental tone and with our expectations. The neuralgias which come back at stated times, the sleeplessness which besets us because we get to expecting it, are only too well known. Our very blood disks are affected by our attitudes of joy and expectation or by our discouragements and depressions. Immeasurably more is our spiritual experience shaped by what we expect and intend. We are all the time opening or closing the gates of our inner life to God. Most often we do it, as we do so many other things of our daily life, unconsciously or subconsciously. The set of our habits does it for us-the trend of our disposition, the |