as

99.66

any idea of the difficulty they have in understanding the religious instruction conveyed to them in sermons and books; for the most part the words used in giving explanations are incomprehensible to them, many that seem to us the most simple, such "repentance," " 'faith," resignation," &c., have literally no meaning for them, and it is but too certain that many earnest clergymen and other teachers go on from year to year imagining they are doing the best that can be done to instruct their people, while in actual fact the very alphabet of their teaching is as yet unknown to their hearers. These facts make us gladly welcome any work, which, like that now before us, is intended to simplify religious truth to the lower orders; and for the best educated class amongst the poor nothing can be better than this plain and sensible commentary on some of the deepest portions of Holy Scripture; for the very ignorant, we believe, that scarcely any written book will be comprehensible, without oral instruction of the simplest kind, to interpret the meaning of the actual terms used. In farm houses, and in the cottages of the more respectable poor, however, we trust that this work which is sound in doctrine and very practical will be extensively circulated. We subjoin an extract, which shows how ably the author has treated some of the verses in the Epistle of S. James, which have excited much controversy:

"14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

"The Apostle of course means, that faith barren and unfruitful cannot justify. And it is much to be observed, he is not speaking of a false faith, as is the heathen's belief, nor of a faith which is only partially true, as is the faith of some heretics; nor yet of a cold and heartless belief, as is the faith of devils; but he is speaking of a faith in itself true, and it may be warm and deep in feeling, but which is yet not fruitful in real and practical holiness. Faith, however true, however it may kindle feelings, if it bring not forth the fruits of the Spirit in a humble and holy life, will avail us nothing; yea, will itself be our condemnation.

"The Apostle now proceeds to give a familiar illustration of his meaning.

"15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, "16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

"17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

"Faith without works is as words without deeds; and as good words do not relieve actual want and bodily distress, so mere faith, faith without works, avails not for salvation.

"Give all diligence, therefore, O Christian, to add to your faith

virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity; for if these things be in you and abound, they make you, that you shall neither be barren, nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our LORD JESUS CHRIST.'

"18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.

"The Apostle's meaning may be thus drawn out: I have said that faith, to be acceptable faith, must be not only true, but living and fruitful. Were it otherwise, one might argue in this way: 'I have faith; I feel it in my soul; therefore I am accepted: it is true my faith bears no visible fruit, has no visible effect on my life, has not made me either patient, or humble, or loving; but these things do not matter so long as I feel my faith within me.' To such an one,' the Apostle continues, 'I would answer, 'Through God's mercy I too have faith: I do not ask thee to believe this on my word; thou mayest see it in my life. Now, show me thy faith; prove to me in like manner that it exists. Is it not manifest thou canst not do so without works? If, therefore, thou hast no works to show, no charity, no purity, no self-denial, no patience, thy faith is not living; is no more than a body when the soul has departed from it, dead and perishable.''

66 Alas, then, for those who trust to mere feelings, however good and warm; who fancy that, if only they can feel that the LORD is gracious, then they are safe, Oh, sad blindness! Blessed Master, give us grace to love and dread Thee, and diligently to live after Thy commandments; for so through Thy mercy and merits may we hope for mercy.

"19 Thou believest that there is one GOD; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

:

"As in verse 18 S. James shows the madness of trusting to warm feelings and mere fancies, so here he seems to show their folly who trust to outward profession and good words. We may understand him to say, 'Thou sayest thou hast faith; thou sayest that with thy mouth thou confessest thy faith, and that in true words, it may be the very words of the Catholic creeds: but I tell thee that thy true faith may yet be a dead faith. The devils confess the truth; yea, confess it thoroughly for in their inmost souls they are made to tremble by it. So far, then, in believing, but being unfruitful in good works, thou art but as one of them; such faith can never save.' Alas, then, for them who trust in mere words; who can talk of religion, and that well and truly, and delight to do so, yet follow not in practice the most holy example of JESUS our Saviour. 'Not every one that saith unto Me, LORD, LORD, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father Which is in heaven.'

“20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

"Vain man, because he setteth up his own imaginings against GOD's Eternal Truth, and in so doing trusteth in very vanity.

"21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

“Our father,' for they who are of faith-who believe, that is, and obey, as Abraham believed and obeyed-the same are his children before GOD.

"The Apostle does not mean that this one great sacrifice, which, springing from the faith which GOD had given, and through God's grace, Abraham in effect and purpose offered, wrought out his justification. Rather he speaks of the offering of Isaac because it was the crowning work; for step by step, from one sacrifice of his own will and feelings and hopes to another, the Almighty had led him on until he attained to this. He sums up, as it were, the history of Abraham's faith in his amazing act of trust and love.

"22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

"Hence we learn these two great truths: first, that faith, be it ever so true, ever so strong, is imperfect, yea, dead, so long as it manifests itself only in feeling or talk. Not until it yields the fruits of righteousness is it the faith which justifies; and it is this faith (which is all one with humble, loving obedience, even as the tree and its roots are one) of which S. Paul says such great things. See especially in the Epistle to the Romans, chap. v. 1; iii. 28.

"And, secondly, we learn this: good works are imperfect, yea, in GOD's sight are not good, unless they spring from faith; and it is of such works, wherein faith hath no part, mere legal works and heathen goodness, that the Apostle speaks so slightingly. See Rom. iii. 20, 28."

SIR,

Correspondence.

THE PHOENIX AN EMBLEM OF THE RESURRECTION.

To the Editor of the Churchman's Companion.

Will one of your correspondents kindly tell me, 1. What au thority there is for regarding the Phoenix as an emblem of the Resurrection? 2. If it be a legitimate emblem of the Resurrection, why do we not see it in our churches at this Easter time? 3. What is the most artistic and effective way of representing the Phoenix? There are so few emblems of the Resurrection, that we can ill spare one of the number.

Yours, &c.

EAGLET.

SIR,

THE HOUR OF THE CRUCIFIXION.

To the Editor of the Churchman's Companion.

Can any of your correspondents reconcile the gospel accounts of the hour of the crucifixion with each other, and with the popular teaching of Holy Church on the subject?

Many writers differ, some giving the third hour, and others the sixth as the true time of the crucifixion. In support of the first view we have the three first gospels where we find the three great epochs of the crucifixion stated thus :

6th hour.

Death. 9th hour.

3rd hour.

6th hour.

9th hour.

6th hour.

9th hour.

S. Matth. xxvii. 45, 46. S. Mark xv. 25, 33. S. Luke xxiii. 44 to 46. S. Matthew and S. Luke evidently imply that the darkness came on some time after the crucifixion, although S. Mark alone names the third hour explicitly. This view is held by the Rev. I. Williams in his work on the Passion, and in Hanna's work, "The last day of our LORD'S Passion," where we also find it stated that death after six hours was in itself a miracle, as crucifixion was usually very lingering, the victims often living days upon the cross. On the other hand sext or the sixth hour, is set forth as the time of crucifixion, first in the "Day Hours of the Church of England," which says,

"He upon the Cross at sext

For man's sake was mounted;"

then in the well known hymn,

where we find,

"O come and mourn with me awhile,"

"Seven times He spoke seven words of love,
And all three hours His silence cried;"

again in the beautiful form of devotion used in S. Alban's and other churches on Good Friday, which is called "The Three Hours' Agony." And lastly we find S. John's account agreeing exactly with neither of these views, as he names the sixth hour as having passed when Pilate was still engaged in his final expostulation with the people. S. John xix. 14. It is remarkable that S. John does not name the darkness or state the hour of death.

I should be very grateful to any one who could remove this difficulty from my mind. I have long hesitated to state it, thus publicly, being deterred both by the extreme solemnity of the subject, and the fear of even seeming to question the teaching of Holy Church.

I am, sir,
Your obedient servant,

M. C.

SIR,

EXTEMPORE PRAYERS.

To the Editor of the Churchman's Companion.

I should feel greatly obliged if you could inform me whether a Priest of the Church of England has any authority to use an extempore prayer instead of a collect before the sermon.

SIR,

Yours, obliged,

A CATHOLIC.

MYSTICAL INTERPRETATION OF NUMBERS.

To the Editor of the Churchman's Companion.

A few days ago I heard the number of fishes in the second miraculous draught, explained as follows:

"The sum of the series of figures from 1 to 17, with 1 as the common difference=153."

Of course this is true enough; but will you, or any of your correspondents, be so kind as to say why 17 is taken as the basis of interpretation? In the form given, I must say the explanation sounded more puzzling than the fact. Is it because 7 (the gifts of the Spirit) +10 (the keeping the Commandments) =17, and would it thus show the purity of the Church Triumphant? Or can it be 1 (the Unity of GoD) +3 (the Trinity of Persons) +2 (the two Natures of CHRIST) +4 (the Gospels) +7 (the gifts of the SPIRIT) = 17 ? I shall be very glad to be told the received meaning of 17.

2. Also I would ask what the number 38 signifies, where we are told the man at the Pool of Bethesda "had an infirmity 38 years?" 3. The meaning of 6 waterpots at Cana?

4. Why the rich man is said to have had 5 brethren ?

SIR,

CONFRATERNITY OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT.

To the Editor of the Churchman's Companion.

If your correspondent "I" will apply to "the Priest-Superior of S. Augustine's Ward of the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament," Church Times' Office, 32, Little Queen Street, S. Giles, he will receive all the information he requires.

Yours, &c.

M. C. W.

USE OF THE MONOTONE.

To the Editor of the Churchman's Companion.

DEAR SIR,

Will you allow me space for a short plea for the use of the monotone in our services? for although we are thankful to say that this ancient practice has much revived of late, yet there are still many