The Evangelical Revival. By S. Baring-Gould. (Methuen. 168)—Mr. Baring-Gould is
what Johnson called " a good hater." He hates Papists, Puritans, Dissenters, Evangelicals, Latitudinarians—in short, all who are not of the straitest sect of Anglicanism ; and he belabours them at large, vigorously though not without a certain geniality which disarms their hostility, through 355 inaccurate but • often amusing pages. One of his good stories may be quoted. A Scottish soldier, who " had drink taken.," tackled the regimental chaplain on Pre- 'destination. " Hadn't you better wait till you're sober ? " sug- gested the Padre. " Hoots, mon, I dims care a d— aboot Predestination when I'm sober," was the reply. The author plays the part of " candid friend" to Evangelicalism with spirit—allegro con brio, so to say ; and he certainly shows the reverse side of the movement initiated by Wesley and Whitefield, and carried Oa by the Simoonitea in the National Church. But the mind of our generation has left the stage of civilization on which these good men stood so far behind that the interest of his criticism is rather historical than actual The question, however, suggests itself " If Methodism was, even approximately, what he describes it as being, were the much-abused Hanoverian Bishops —of whom Butler was one—who distrusted it, so much in the wrong ? "
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