series of sledge-hammer blows until he demolished cant and self-complacency and time-serving presentations of Christian truth and led people to accept and live humbly the Catholic life in penitence and joy. Something of all this the reader will find in Mr. Russell's memoir. He will discover the tender-hearted sympathizer with the sinful and weak and sorrowful, who could always find a message of hope and love to give. Stanton was a true Evangelical because he was a thorough Catholic. He could not be at his best, trammelled by the fetters of mere nationalism in religion or false tenets of modern times. Hence one of the significant anecdotes which Mr. Russell gives is the conversation between Father Stanton and a Roman Catholic controversialist. The latter, Rev. James Duggan, had published a book entitled "Steps towards Reunion." Stanton visited the writer and in a frank conversation said to him" Granted the Infallibility of the Holy Father, what earthly use is it to you? It has never preserved you from the greatest moral scandals in Christendom-the Imprisonment of Galileo, the Massacre of the Huguenots, the Establishment of the Inquisition, the Persecution of Dreyfus." The Roman controversialist said at once "That is unanswerable ", and continued, "I will receive you if you wish into the Roman Catholic Church, but I don't think you will be a bit happier." Later on in their conversation Stanton said to the Romanist, "Now tell me straight. I have made a complete mess of my life in our Church. Should I have done any better in your Church? Now straight". "And what do you think the fellow said?" Stanton asked in telling the incident. "Well, if you ask me, I don't think you could have been a success in any Church where obedience was required ". "And", Stanton comments in conclusion, "I don't think he was wrong." But Stanton was a success in the truest sense because he transcended the pettiness and compromises of the accommodations of partial truth just as he never could have been an exponent of the un-Catholic additions of the papacy.

Many will read this memoir, both clergy and laity, because they will find interesting the anecdotes and repartees, the staunchness and fearless witness of its subject. What readers should really look to find is the man himself, true priest, thorough Christian, one who "cannot but speak the things seen and heard ", the lover of souls, the humble-minded follower of his Master, one of the true and real products of the Catholic life of the Church which appear in spite of the defects of "Anglicanism". That is the real Stanton.

A. W. J.

The Philosophy of the Religious Experience. Rev. George Barrow, Ph. D. Boston: Sherman, French & Co. $1.50 net.

This is a serious effort in the general field of "religious philosophy," which seems just lately to be attracting a group of scholars to its study and explanation. In every mechanical detail the book is very well done. Dr. Barrow writes from the catholic standpoint, and is a priest of the church. The substance of the book was recently used for a course of lectures delivered at Harvard University, under special vote of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and the author received the compliment of a request from that faculty for publication. A careful study of the book indicates that this compliment was well placed, for the lectures obviously possess permanent value. The author's view is made very clear. He feels that the ordinary divorce of revealed from "natural" religion gives to neither aspect of religion its true place, and that it results, logically, in theology being left out from among the sciences. A primary motive is to reestablish theology in its right to such a place. Any enquiry must begin with certain facts. Religion starts with the religious experience. But with any facts it is necessary to ask how to test and arrange them, and also of how much value they may be. It is also necessary to search out justification for what we may expect from any such experience, and how far the results of enquiry are trustworthy. Such is the philosophical background and preliminary study necessary to any science.

In the case of religion there is discovered an experience of a type which requires the assumption of a super-human, super-personal power, in order to explain it. Therefore the results of religious investigation which assert this may be believed, and the author very justly assumes that the test to be applied must be a test applicable to such a Power. Thus he believes a foundation can be laid, upon which it is possible to express scientifically the conclusions drawn by theologians from the facts of the religious life, and from those, especially, relating to the historical Jesus, and His identity with, and relation to God. In other words, it may be said that Dr. Barrow has reversed the usual methods for the study of religion, and in his book has sought to demonstrate that God can be apprehended, and is apprehended, through the experience men have of Him.

Among the historical religions, the author finds the only common ground, in the fact that the personal experience of deity may, in every case, be referred to some source outside humanity.

As in the case of most of the works of this type, a greater use of illustrative material would have lightened the reader's task, but this is in no sense an opprobrious criticism of the author. It is only very rarely that the serious student is delighted by discovering a book which combines the result of mature scholarship with such literary delicacy as that which so notably characterizes, e. g., the "Prologomena " of Wellhausen.

Space forbids reference to the attractive (and legitimate) process of contrast and comparison with some other notable book in the same field, as, for example, the "Religion and Philosophy " of R. G. Collingwood, published last year. For Dr. Barrow may well be said without undue fulsomeness to have produced a notable contribution to the general subject of religion in its relation to philosophy. The commendation of the university faculty which induced the permanent form, into which these lectures have been cast is justified, and the book which is the result will repay careful study, if only for the purpose of clearing the mind of the general reader, whose theological interest is strong enough to encourage his perusal of a compact, mature and effective study.

H. S. W.

A Manual for Confessors: being a guide to the Administration of the Sacrament of Penance for the use of priests of the English Church. By Frances George Belton, B.A., L. C. S., Vicar of S. Patrick's Highgate, Birmingham. Milwaukee: The Young Churchman Co. $2.00.

As a manual and not a treatise this book has its limitations, but opens the door to further and necessary study, nevertheless it is useful and instructive, lucid and practical, by a confessor of extensive experience and reading and while giving general principles for hearing confessions illuminates them with specific cases briefly for application.

The author deals with his subject in five parts: (1) The Nature of the Sacrament; (2) Its Essentials; (3) The Seal; (4) The Duties of a Confessor, as a Father, director, physician, or judge; (5) Treatment of penitents; and adds a sixth on The Care of the Sick and Dying, as in close connection. In Part I, the question of compulsory confession is clearly elucidated, putting the responsibility on the individual, but impressing the necessity of the sacrament in case of mortal sin, or imminence of death, and of frequent instruction. He distinguishes compulsory from optional confession, which results in neglect. He also shows a way of dealing with vague confessions, particularly under impending death, and points out the necessity of personal presence of

good con

the penitent, at least moral, i. e., within sound of the ordinary voice; e. g., in infectious cases through door or window. Very thorough for a manual his treatment of contrition - the chief essential of fession and suggestive in dealing with imperfect confessions, and as to tactful reminders. Hardly less so in the other essentials of amendment, confession, examination and satisfaction. Under satisfaction our author treats of penances in a pratical way, disciplinary and medicinal, and gives a concise list of them, but with more or less exemplification and the matter of general confessions, which he advises at turning points of life (e. g., marriage, ordination). After two short but valuable chapters on The Seal and occasions of permissible violation he treats most valuably on the fourfold duties of the confessor, in which he enforces the necessity of the serious study of moral and ascetic theology for proficiency, noting "the danger of deciding in important cases according to one's individual opinion rather than on approved doctrinal principles because' the priest does not administer the sacrament as an individual but as a minister of the Catholic Church." He acts as a judge. He shows how as a spiritual physician the confessor should deal with habitual and relapsing sinners, and with recidivests which he distinguishes from them.

But most edifying and helpful is Part V. on the treatment of “ different classes of penitents, viz: adults, youths, children, priests and religious and particularly the scrupulous which he distinguishes from those of tender conscience. For adults he advises frequent confession, and for children early, i. e., when they come to know right from wrong. He cautions on behavior, which should be strictly professional, e. g., avoidance of familiarity and flattery, particularly with women. He suggests remedies against the peculiar dangers of youth, such as sexual intercourse, particularly in bethrothals, deprecating the laxity of parental influence, and treats of occasions of sin, proxima and remota, per se and per accidens, for which he advises frequent communions, particularly for Vitium pollutionis. He advises with children that the confessor try to get the child's point of view and to inculcate a sense of the gravity of sin. He deprecates the indiscriminate use of self-examination papers, and urges frequent careful instruction. Confessions of priests and religious call for skill and sanctity, especially in direction, which, however, should not contravene the rules of the community. It is required of a good confessor that he be well established in moral and ascetic theology, personally of a holy life, considerate, sympathetic, with some exceptions, not too rigorous, nor yet too lax, but discreet so as to preserve reverence for the sacrament but not repel from it. Fr. Belton's treatment of

confessions of the scrupulous and of those with tender consciences, of which he mentions some indications, is most useful.

His concluding four chapters on "The Care of the Sick and Dying," are quite suggestive and valuable, dealing with peculiar difficulties such as ignorance, antagonism, weariness and family opposition. The priest, like the doctor, must adopt the professional attitude in an unassuming but firm manner. He details the manner of preparation, preinformation, promptness (even leaving the Mass in sufficient necessity), orderly arrangement, and administration, with dispatch but not haste, and for confession privacy.

On the question, when conditions permit of but one sacrament, he gives as his personal opinion, with his reasons, the preference to Unction over the Viaticum. But conditions preventing both the Viaticum precedes Unction. The author upholds Reservation and gives the method of procedure, with detailed directions (e. g., in one kind), and notes the use of a White Light. A sick person not in danger of death, he says, is bound to keep the fast, except when the Viaticum is received. He cautions against the danger of irreverence in certain cases, such as coughing or frequent vomiting.

He also gives useful directions in the administration of Extreme Unction and in an appendix a detailed form; and closes with a limited but sufficient bibliography.

The Sacrament of Penance. By Reverend H. Urling Whelpton, M. A. Handbooks of Catholic Faith and Practice. The Young Churchman Co.

It is no easy task, in these days of long-established prejudice against the subject of sin plainly stated and the disuse of confession on the part of the majority of people for so long a time, to speak out plainly and persuasively, yet not controversially, upon the Sacrament of Penance. The writer of this volume in the admirable series to which it belongs has succeeded remarkably well in performing his task. The subject is not necessarily controversial at all. It has been made to appear to be so by controversialists. Mr. Whelpton says that he has tried "to formulate the result of some few years of experience both as penitent and priest." That is really just the way to approach this and many other matters out of the fullness of one's own use and application of the salutary truths of the Gospel. Controversial impugners of the sacraments in general will be found usually to write from a standpoint of rejecting or of only half testing them or from a one-sided experience. Priests who hear confessions but do not make confessions themselves, and people who have never been persevering penitents, are not trustworthy authorities.