14 DECEMBER 1907, Page 26

Mankind and the Church. Edited by the Right Rev. H.

H. Montgomery. (Longmaias and Co. 75. 6d. net.)—The sub-title of this book is : "An Attempt to Estimate the Contribution of the Great Races to the Fullness of the Church of God." This explains the purpose of the volume; practically it is mainly occupied with an estimate of the condition of the Church as it is to be seem in various parts of the British Empire. Two Indian Bishops, the Archbishop of the West Indies, a Bishop in Japan, another who was for some years in China, and the Bishop of New Guinea speak of the Anglican Communion as they have seen it in their dioceses, its strength, its weakness, its successes, and its failures. They speak for the Mohammedans and the Hindus of India, for the Japanese and the Chinese, for the negroes, and for the population, other than Malay, of the largest island of the Pacific. Naturally part of their work has been to make an appreciation of the various faiths which these nations already profess. It is here that the training of the modern missionary most shows itself. Two centuries ago such a subject as "The Religions of the World" would have been unintelligible. "There is but one religion," would have been the comment; "everything

else that pretends to the name is but a superstition or an im- posture." It is a hopeful beginning of better things when we rise to a clearer understanding of the whole question. Meanwhile it is a fact that the races which cannot be said to have a definite religion are more responsive to Christian teaching. The negro accepts Christianity without difficulty, and the Papuan seems likely to do the same. We must not forget the highly interesting and valuable introduction furnished by Bishop Montgomery. We should like to have seen a fuller and more definite statement of his views about native Churches.