a public school education. Just now the attention of the middle classes is being especially directed towards the provision of means for an education of their own children which will be more in keeping with the requirements of the day; and there are many of those classes who would be attracted by this little brochure, whom an argumentative treatise would at once repel. Our readers well know that the Church has been far from idle in the matter. Several very excellent colleges have arisen in various parts of the country, where the ancient system of our public schools has been effectively revived, with such adaptations as may fit it especially for the wants of the middle classes; and they are a most valuable arm of the Church for gaining and retaining her hold upon multitudes who have long belonged to her in name, but are very little hers in spirit. Such healthy training as these provide will do more than anything else to check the extreme selfishness and inordinate egotism which have so unfortunately become characteristic of our commercial men, and it is to be hoped that schools of this kind, where the Church is not only recognized and tolerated, but allowed to work, will be encouraged by every one who wishes to see a better spirit rising up in the middle classes of English society.

We will not venture to estimate how far the worldly efficiency of our ancient scholastic institutions may have been dependent upon the religious basis on which they were founded, and the religious principle-sadly mutilated in some cases, but yet existing-on which they have always been conducted. We thoroughly believe there has been, and is a real connection between the two; and the London University, with some few other such feeble institutions of a non-religious character illustrate our position; for no one who knows what efficiency is, will pretend to say that the real efficiency of the modern and new-fangled system has been equal to that of the old. But, though we may be unable to estimate the exact proportion of influence which the Christian phase of education has had towards its success; yet believing that it really has had such influence we ought to make it our first duty in all schemes of middle class education, to mould them on that model which has made men in other classes of society brave, honourable, and good citizens, to say the least.

We have more than once heard the remark from people living in an university neighbourhood, "College gentlemen can turn their hands to anything." A good deal of truth lies under the rough and ready criticism which working people sometimes pass upon their betters, and the remark in question gives in a few words the actual result of our public school and university system. Men who have gone through it can turn their hands to anything better than most people. They are the best officers, the best civil servants, the best bankers, and if they ever went into trade we have no doubt would prove the best tradesmen. A good public school training

gives a young man that comprehensive sort of mental power and dexterity which may be compared to the dexterity and power of the elephant's trunk, an organ capable of carrying and adjusting great water mains a yard in diameter, (as it does in India), or of picking up a lady's ring and handing it to the owner. And this will be, not because the course such a lad has gone through has filled his mind with multifarious knowledge; but because it has by certain wise modes of discipline developed its latent capacities, and brought them into a condition of ready and sensitive adaptation to all kinds of work. A man of high education is often-we may say most frequently--thrown into situations of life in which the direct acquirements of an university education are scarcely ever wanted; but whether his lot is cast in either of the services, whether he emigrate to a country where the world is beginning, as it were, de novo, or whether he is called to high practical duties in a long civilized state, the "university man" will in every situation, and in every work, be easily distinguished from the man whose training has been wholly of that kind which is called "practical' by our modern political economists. Not long ago public opinion forced merchants and ship-owners into offices of Government because they were supposed to be essentially practical men, but all the world knows that they have broken down, and are not to be compared for efficiency with such men as Mr. Gladstone or the Duke of Newcastle.

Whatever therefore is done about educating the middle classes, do not let us be deluded into any system that crams the minds of young men with all manner of scientific detail, leaves mental discipline to take care of itself, and looks on bodily discipline as a thing too contemptible for a nineteenth century man to care about. First, let us train youths in such a manner that they "can turn their hands to anything," and then let us give them such a class education as may endow them with that practical skill which may fit their hands and their heads to "turn" to that particular "thing" about which their lives are to be engaged in the course of their appointed labour.

We shall expect to meet with Tom Brown at Oxford some of these days; and as the Squire evidently cannot afford to let him live idle, he must get his living somehow, and we hope the chronicler of his adventures will let us hear all about his further progress in a future volume.

REVIEWS AND NOTICES.

Weekly Communion, the Clergy's Duty and the Layman's Right. A Sermon preached in the Church of All Saints, Newmarket, at the Visitation of the Venerable Archdeacon Glover, May 26, 1857. By WILLIAM COOKE, M.A., Vicar of Gazeley-with-Kentford, Suffolk. London: J. H. and James Parker.

A MORE important subject could not have been selected for a Visitation Sermon: neither could it have been treated in a way more likely to gain attention with the Clergy. Let any one who is in doubt about his duty ponder these words.

"By a Rubric at the end of the First Liturgy of Edward the Sixth it was ordered,

"That the receiving of the Sacrament of the blessed Body and Blood of CHRIST may be most agreeable to the institution thereof, and to the usage of the Primitive Church, in all cathedral and collegiate churches there shall always some communicate with the priest that ministereth. And that the same may be also observed everywhere abroad in the country, some one at the least of that house in every parish, to whom by course after the ordinance herein made, it appertaineth to offer for the charges of the Communion, or some other whom they shall provide to offer for them, shall receive the Holy Communion with the priest; the which may be the better done, for that they know before when their course cometh, and may therefore dispose themselves to the worthy receiving of the Sacrament. And with him, or them, who doth so offer the charges of the Communion, all other, who be then godly disposed thereunto, shall likewise receive the Communion. And by this means the minister having always some one to communicate with him, may accordingly solemnize so high and holy mysteries with all the suffrages and due order appointed for the same.'

"And further, in a letter written by the Privy Council to the Bishops, we find this remarkable order: Whereas it has come to our knowledge that divers froward and obstinate persons do refuse to pay towards the finding of the Bread and Wine for the Holy Communion, according to the order prescribed in the said book, by reason whereof the Holy Communion is many times omitted on the Sunday,'-mark especially these words, as stating the grievance, these are to will and command you to convent such obstinate persons before you, and then to admonish and command to keep the order prescribed in the said book. And if any shall refuse so to do, to punish them by suspension, excommunication, or other censures of the Church. We have in this the strongest evidence of the immense importance attached by the English Church to the Celebration of the Eucharist on every LORD's Day; evidence strengthened by this other fact, that to the demands of the Devonshire rioters for a return of the old popish practice of once-a-year Communion, Cranmer firmly replied, at the risk of increasing the rebellion, that frequent Communion was the primitive rule and practice. Add to this the order given to Bishop Bonner, who was hindering the Reformation, to have frequent Communion; Bucer's objection to certain Rubrics, as liable to encourage the people to think that to communicate once in the year, or even thrice, was sufficient; and Bucer's strong statement in his 'Censure,' that according to the institution of CHRIST, the Holy Eucharist ought to be celebrated by us on every LORD's Day. It is worthy of note, too, that Calvin made most earnest attempts to establish at Geneva a weekly Celebration on the LORD's Day, as being, in his judgment, the primitive rule, and in accordance with the mind of CHRIST."-Pp. 11-13.

Messrs. J. H. and James Parker have now become the publishers of the useful series of Tracts "On the Increase of the Episcopate." The fourth Number, entitled More Bishops: how shall we choose them? advocates confiding the selection to a Diocesan Synod, and then would give the actual nomination to the crown. We certainly have had enough of the Prime Minister's abuse of power.

Dr. PUSEY has at length been able to publish (though in an incomplete form) his promised reply to Mr. Goode. The title The Real Presence the Doctrine of the English Church, (J. H. Parker,) is so near to those of two or three of his publications that we fear it will cause confusion. The author touches very much on his own personal views and feelings, and so imparts to his book a strong noiη Tioτis; and ends with a striking passage, affirming that it is after all a greater miracle of mercy that CHRIST should condescend to unite Himself with man in his sinful state, than with the Elements which "never sinned against His love." There is a special vindication of "Adoration," and of the actual Reception by the wicked.

We desire to mention with special commendation Archdeacon DENISON'S Charge (Masters), and Mr. PHIPPS' Visitation Sermon (Lumley); also "A Barrister's" Considerations on Divorce (London: Stewart), and Mr. H. DRUMMOND's Speech (Murray), containing a very interesting account of the reaction of opinions on this subject in Germany.

The author of Simple Prayers for Village Schools and Children (Masters), which are otherwise commendable, has fallen into a serious error in applying our LORD's words, " Where two or three are gathered. together in My Name," to such an informal gathering as a school.

Mr. WOODGATE's Pamphlet on the Abnormal Condition of the Church (J. H. Parker), reached us as we were going to press. It seems very sensible and likely to do good.

The second part of Dr. WORDSWORTH'S Commentary on the Greek Testament, containing "the Acts of the Apostles" (Rivingtons) has appeared. The notes are of the same judicious character as those of the Gospels; and there is a very useful introduction, to which perhaps we may refer on some future occasion.

Mr. AMBROSE LISLE PHILLIPPS' Pamphlet On the Future Unity of the Church (Dolman and Painter) reflects great credit on the writer, and in its main feature meets with a hearty sympathy from ourselves. But "one swallow does not make a spring;" and to build upon the idea of the same spirit being prevalent among English Roman Catholics would be committing a greater error even than they do who appeal to the works of Bossuet for a representation of the existing state of feeling in the Church of France.

Equally faulty, in our judgment, from the other side, is Mr. KENNEWAY'S method of carrying on the controversy in his Homeward and Romeward (J. H. Parker). A large number of his FACTS are open to dispute; and a theological discussion maintained by two young girls is certain not to carry much weight.

The Concordance to the Prayer Book Version of the Psalms (Mozleys) supplies a want that we have long felt. It seems carefully done.

Mr. G. W. MYLNE's Plain Words for the Sick and Aged (Wertheim and Macintosh) deal in the usual stereotyped evangelical phraseology, which either means nothing, or, where it has a meaning, is opposed to all Scriptural and Catholic teaching. We give one example." If you are looking to JESUS (says Mr. Mylne) His Blood is sprinkled upon you, and has cleansed you from all sin." Now in support of this comfortable but not very practical teaching, (for what after all is "looking to" CHRIST?) the writer quotes S. John's words, "The blood of JESUS CHRIST cleanseth us from all sin." But S. John says, "If ye walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the Blood of JESUS CHRIST His SON cleanseth us from all sin." In other words, the Apostle makes our cleansing depend on two conditions, the maintaining Church communion and the walking in the light. Surely Mr. Mylne has no right to change these two most practical conditions into the vague phrase, significant though it be with the context, of "looking to JESUS.'

Stories for Young Servants, (Masters) are written in practical illustration of the faults to which girls are chiefly tempted on first going to service, such as love of dress, dishonesty, mischief-making, &c. They contain much excellent advice, and may be very useful; but they would have been more so had they pointed out along with the temptation the means which alone could give grace to resist it. Although these tales refer precisely to the time of life which embraces Confirmation and First Communion,--we find no mention of them in any part of this little book. The whole tone of it is however so good that we feel sure it cannot have been an intentional oversight.

The Father's Hope, by the author of "Going Abroad," (Masters) is the history of a penitent reclaimed at a House of Mercy,-the main facts of which appear to have really occurred. Accounts such as this, showing from what slight wanderings sin and ruin may arise, as well as the blessedness of the work of ministering to the lost sheep of the Fold, can only do good when they are written without any unreal sentimentality, which we are glad to say is quite the case in the present little work.

Mr. F. G. LEE's Sermon on The Progress of the Church from the Day of Pentecost is a spirited sketch of Church History.

We shall disappoint, we feel sure, the author of The Last Judgment: a Poem in Twelve Books, (Longmans,) in saying but little, and that not altogether in praise, of his well-meant effort. We have no more admiration than himself for "Spasmodic Poets ;" and indeed are willing to accord to him all that he seems to ask

"His aim a place though low among the good,

Where Milton, Cowper, Young, and Pollock stood."

But unfortunately no one reads the three last-named now; and in our judgment the taste of the age on the subject of poetry is better than on any other that could be named.