Made such a sinner of his memory,

To credit his own lie."

2. Conscience and Retribution.

The whole play of Macbeth is a study of conscience. In the very beginning of the play (Act 1, Sc. 3) we have, as Coleridge has pointed out, a picture of conscience working through the imagination in Macbeth's words:

"If good, why do I yield to that suggestion
Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair,
And make my seated heart knock at my ribs,
Against the use of nature? Present fears
Are less than horrible imaginings."

What a sermon on the power of remorse is found in the sleepwalking scene (Act 5, Sc. 1), especially Lady Macbeth's words:

"Here's the smell of the blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Oh! oh! oh!"

So also in Macbeth's fearful confession to himself of his sufferings (Act 3, Sc. 2):

"Better be with the dead,

Whom we, to gain our place, have sent to peace,

Than on the torture of the mind to lie

In restless ecstasy."

What condensed energy of expression is there in the picture of Macbeth's distemper'd soul given by Menteith (Act 5, Sc. 2):

"Who then shall blame

His pester'd senses to recoil and start,
When all that is within him does condemn

Itself, for being there?"

The play of Hamlet is also full of teachings on conscience and retribution, of which effective homiletic use could be made. We have space only for one or two quotations:

"Conscience doth make cowards of us all."

The words of the guilty queen (Act 4, Sc. 5):

"To my sick soul, as sin's true nature is,

Each toy seems prologue to some great amiss:
So full of artless jealousy is guilt,

It spills itself, in fearing to be spilt."

3. Divine attributes and Christian virtues.

Portia's eloquent description of the Divine mercy in the well-known passage beginning:

"The quality of mercy is not strained."

and Adam's words in "As You Like It," (Act 2, Sc. 3):

"He that doth the ravens feed,

Yea, providently caters for the sparrow,

Be comfort to my age!"

the setting forth of God's omniscience in the two following passages:

"It is not so with Him that all things knows,

As 'tis with us that square our guess with shows:

But most it is presumption in us, when

The help of heaven we count the act of men."-All's Well, Act 2, Sc. 1.

"If powers divine

Behold our human actions, (as they do,)

I doubt not then, but innocence shall make

False accusation blush, and tyranny

Tremble at patience."- Winter's Tale, Act 3, Sc. 2.

are all illustrations of how forcibly Shakespeare can portray divine at

tributes.

Christian morals and graces are abundantly set forth in words apt for quotation viz.:

Moral courage:

"He's truly valiant, that can wisely suffer

The worst that man can breathe; and make his wrongs

His outsides; wear them like his raiment, carelessly;

And ne'er prefer his injuries to his heart,

To bring it into danger."-Timon of Athens, Act 3. Sc. 5. Self-restraint:

"Let's teach ourselves that honorable stop,

Not to out-sport discretion."—Othello, Act 2, Sc. 3.

Repentance:

On this the entire speech of the King in Hamlet (Act 3, Sc. 4) be ginning:

Sincere prayer:

"My words fly up, my thoughts remain below;

Words, without thoughts, never to heaven go."- Hamlet, Act 3, Sc. 3.

"When I would pray and think, I think and pray

To several subjects. Heaven hath my empty words,

Whilst my intention, having not my tongue, Anchors on Isabel."-Meas. for Meas., Act 2, Sc. 4. Forgiving spirit:

"Why dost not speak,

Think'st thou it honorable for a noble man

Still to remember wrongs ?”—Coriolanus, Act 5, Sc. 3.

("O, see, the monstrousness of man

When he looks out in an ungrateful shape!)

Religion groans at it.”—Timon of Athens, Act 3, Sc. 2.

4. Vices of private and public life.

Shakespeare wields a pitiless lash on these, and his plays are a treasury of pungent quotations to illustrate pulpit teachings on them.

Slander:

"No, 'tis slander;

Whose edge is sharper than the sword; whose tongue
Outvenoms all the worms of Nile; whose breath

Rides on the posting winds, and doth belie

All corners of the world: kings, queens, and states,

Maids, matrons, nay, the secrets of the grave

This viperous slander enters."-Cymbeline, Act 3, Sc. 4.

"No might nor greatness in mortality

Can censure 'scape; back-wounding calumny

The whitest virtue strikes: What king so strong,

Can tie the gall up in the slanderous tongue?"-Meas. for Meas., Act 3, Sc. 2. Avarice:

Will knit and break religions; bless the accursed;

Make the hoar leprosy ador'd; place thieves,

And give them title, knee, and approbation,

With senators on the bench."-Timon of Athens, Act 4, Sc, 3.

Hypocrisy :

"The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.

An evil soul, producing holy witness,

Is like a villain with a smiling cheek;

A goodly apple rotten at the heart;

O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!"-Mer. of Venice, Act 1, Sc. 3.

"Do not *

Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven,

Whilst like a puff'd and reckless libertine,

Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads

And recks not his own rede."- Hamlet, Act 1, Sc. 3.

Official corruption :

"Thieves for their robbery have authority,

When judges steal themselves.”—Meas. for Meas., Act 2, Sc. 2.

"Through tatter'd clothes small vices do appear,

Robes, and furr'd gowns, hide all."-King Lear, Act 4, Sc. 6.

"O, that estates, degrees, and offices,

Were not deriv'd corruptly! and that clear honor

Were purchas'd by the merit of the wearer!

How many then should cover, that stand bare?

How many be commanded, that command?

How much low peasantry would then be gleaned
From the true seed of honor? and how much honor
Pick'd from the chaff and ruin of the times

To be new varnish'd?"-Merchant of Venice, Act 2, Sc. 9.

The range of illustration from Shakespeare is wider than the instances quoted show. Any preacher who will make a study of his plays, with this end in view, will soon discover this for himself. The aim of this article will have been secured if it shall lead our clergy to research in this direction. Such study will answer two good ends. It will rest the jaded mind, and will furnish its armory with effective weapons in the struggle to maintain the right and make war on the

wrong.

III.-SYMPOSIUM ON MINISTERIAL EDUCATION.

ARE THE PRESENT METHODS FOR THE EDUCATION OF MINISTERS SATISFACTORY? IF NOT, HOW MAY THEY BE IMPROVED?

No. I.

BY DANIEL CURRY, D.D., EDITOR OF "THE METHODIST QUARTERLY REVIEW," NEW YORK.

THE first of the questions proposed for discussion in this Symposium assumes that there are certain established and well-understood methods for educating the requisite recruits for the Protestant pulpits of the country; which, however, is only proximately the case. Of the three or four thousands of annual accessions to that service, probably scarcely one thousand pass through a regular course of professional training; nor does it seem desirable that entrance to the ministry should be denied to all who have not been so trained. Probably, however, that question refers especially to the methods pursued in the theological seminaries; and if so, it suggests a doubt in respect to the public estimate of those methods. It may also be suspected that, of even the religious public, only a comparatively few have ever seriously thought of the subject. The question, therefore, relates to the convictions or sentiments of those whose felt interest in the subject has led them to think about it, and to come to certain definite conclu

sions.

class,

It is safe to begin with the concession that with the great body of even moderately intelligent church members, our schools of theology do not stand out as nearly the foremost among the Church's agencies for the salvation of the world. Theological students are not as a or in their proper persons, considered by the great body of Christian people as the chief hope of the Church of the future. There may be somewhat of injustice in this estimate and its accompanying sentiment towards a class of persons in respect to whom the interests of the Church must be of no secondary magnitude; but because it exists, it must have a cause, and to find out what that is, and how may be remedied, would certainly be a valuable service.

it

Education for the ministry is, by its designation, determined to belong to the general class of technical training processes; and it is still more specifically defined as professional. In all cases that come under this designation the work to be done must determine what instruction should be given, and what should be the methods of mental and personal discipline. Applying that rule to what is found in practice in our theological schools, one may detect the rightful causes of any dissatisfaction that may exist, and also perhaps suggest the needed remedies. All technical education is by its design more circumscribed and one

sided, less cyclopedic, than that of the general college course, though it may go much further along its own special lines. Its purpose is not to promote general scholarship, nor to make scholars at all, in the broader sense; and, even within its own specialty, its first purpose is to produce practical adepts for the bringing to pass certain well-ascertained results. If biblical and theological scholarship is desirable, it is because it may be rendered available, and made to contribute to practical effectiveness in the work of the ministry. How, and how far these studies should be pursued, must therefore be determined by the supposed relations of these things to the great purposes for which the ministry exists and whether or not this is now being done, in a satisfactory way, in our schools of theology, is a question that must be answered by a comparison of these principles with the facts of the case. The further question thus suggested will be answered by each one, according to his estimate of the facts, and their bearings upon the whole subject of ministerial education.

The important subject of procuring an adequate supply of the right kind of candidates for the ministry to be educated for that calling, though very closely and seriously related to the questions now in hand, does not fall directly within our field of vision. But a necessary, as well as a very difficult and delicate duty of those who have the charge of our training-schools for the ministry, is to find out and remove from their classes, even with some measure of severity, any who are, from either moral or mental deficiencies, clearly unfitted for their work. The ministerial profession has in some cases suffered in public estimation by having been made the retreat of incompetents; and even in our home churches, the ministerial office appears to have special attractions for a class of incompetent and heartless adventurers. Even in the apostolic churches some such were detected, and their presence and pernicious influence indicated, and warnings uttered against them. The spirit of students should be carefully scanned by their instructors—who, if at all worthy of their places, are much more than simply teachers; and all who seem likely to become causes of offense and of future peril should be carefully removed; for no greater calamity can befall the Church than to be burdened with an incapable, and still more, a morally disqualified ministry. Possibly just here there may be cause for dissatisfaction on account of the lack of due carefulness, on the part of our theological faculties, as to the characters of their pupils, who, if passed safely through the seminary, will pretty surely succeed in gaining a place in the ministry.

The celebrated Rev. William Jay, of Bath, we are told, was sent, while yet a youth, to reside with Cornelius Winter, an Independent minister, who in his humble way was a kind of diocesan over several neighboring Dissenting churches, and by him the young man was literally and practically apprenticed to the calling of a preacher. He